CRC Joins 9/11 Effort

[Chris Meehan <cmeehan@crcna.org>]

>CRC Joins 9/11 National Day of Service

July 20, 2011 -- ServiceLink, the Christian Reformed Church’s office that
solicits and works with volunteers,  is looking for 100 CRC churches to join
in a national Day of Service that will be held on Sept. 11, the 10th
anniversary
of the deadliest terrorist attacks to ever occur in the United States.

As part of the project, ServiceLink is pointing to this Bible verse, as a
way to remind Christians of what they are called to do: Matthew 25:35 “Fo r I
was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes
and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and
you came to visit me.”

The hope is that this national service event will be the largest of its kind
in U.S. history. ServiceLink will keep track of churches that sign up to
participate. A website on the project was posted this week: Day of
Service<http://www.crcna.org/pages/servicelink_dayofservice.cfm
.

More than 3,000 people were killed on Sept. 11, 2001. Terrorists flew planes
into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington,
D.C., while one plane, apparently bound for another target in Washington,
D.C., crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

ServiceLink is asking CRC congregations to participate in the service
project as a way of remembering what happened on that Tuesday morning 10
years ago and to honor those people who perished in the attacks.

By joining in a service project, CRC members  “can be the hands and feet  of
Jesus to our communities through acts of kindness, compassion and
hospitality,” says Lisa Sochacki, coordinator of ServiceLink in the United
States. “Let’s reflect God’s love on (what may be) the largest day of
service in U.S. history.”

Called “Day of Service: Be the hands and feet of Jesus,” this new
ServiceLink program will continue after the 10th anniversary of 9/11. There
will be other opportunities to serve, perhaps three or four a year to start.

“These are short, single-day events that churches and individuals will get
involved in their communities,” says Sochacki.

The CRC office in Grand Rapids, Mich., plans to participate in the 9/11 Day
of Service by asking employees to take their lunch hour on Friday, 9/9 –
since 9/11 falls on a Sunday -- and join in a service project at the
building.

ServiceLink also wants to document the community services in which
individuals and congregations become involved on 9/11. ServiceLink is asking
people to send photos and a brief description of their work.

Details are being worked out for the photos and descriptions and names of
churches that participated to be included on the ServiceLink website and in
the weekly CRC News electronic newsletter that goes out to some 5,000
people.

A winning photo will be chosen and featured. There will be a form on the
ServiceLink website in which people can report their “Act of Service” so
they will be included in the 100 churches.

There also will be a link on the website to download ideas of what
individuals and congregations can do to participate. People can also
download a poster as well as bulletin inserts from the website.

>--
>Chris Meehan
>News & Media Manager
>Christian Reformed Church in North America
>1-616-224-0849