Citius, Altius, Fortius!
Citius, Altius, Fortius
Swifter, Higher, Stronger. These are the words of the Olympic motto and we have baptized and adapted them to help us take stock of how we are living as Christian disciples in the 21st century. Unlike world class Olympic athletes though, our goal is not to win the gold. But just like those gifted men and women, as followers of Christ it is our intention to give everything we have toward the even loftier aspiration of:
Becoming SWIFTER to Serve, Reaching HIGHER for God, & Growing STRONGER in Christ.
We do this all in response to God’s grace. There is nothing that we do that can make God love us more and nothing we can do that can make God love us less. It is God’s unconditional welcome and embrace that calls forth our devotion and commitment. In order that we might live fully and deeply in the life of grace, we are challenging everyone connected to Severna Park United Methodist Church to five core commitments – our own Olympian rings of discipleship – that can help form us to be “world class” followers of Jesus Christ. We believe we can do more for God and we are a stronger community when we:
Worship, Serve, Learn, Invest, & Invite.
Sermons & Sign-ups
Each week, we’ll be focusing on one of the five rings of discipleship and issuing a challenge to the entire congregation and an opportunity for individuals to take a tangible step to help them grow in their discipleship and to help us grow stronger together in Christ as a congregation. To follow our sermons in this series or catch up on a Sunday that you’ve missed, click here. And don’t forget to check out the list below of specific ways we are inviting you to help us Worship, Serve, Learn, Invest & Invite. Check back regularly as this list will continue to grow, week by week!
Week 1: WORSHIP
Communion Servers help serve communion as needed at one of our worship services on the first Sunday of the month.
Scripture Readers read the morning Bible texts in one of the worship services about every 6-8 weeks.
Power Point Operators help to run the Power Point presentation during worship at any of our services.
8 am Worship Stewards help with logistics (bulletins, usher, set-up, etc.) for the 8am worship service.
Pew Tenders help pick up and reorganize the pews at flexible times during the week between worship services.
Bass Guitarists help lead worship with one or more of our worship teams for the 9:30am service.
Back-up Sound Techs help run the sound board during worship, weddings, or funerals when needed.
Week 2: SERVE
West Virginia Flood Relief Volunteers will travel with a joint ASP + VIM effort in Greenbrier County this October.
Backpack Buddies Packing Helpers assist children as they pack bags of food during Sunday School on the 2nd Sunday of the month. Backpack Buddies Shoppers purchase additional food items for Brooklyn Park ES every other month using donated funds. Backpack Buddies Packers bring a group to help pack bags of food on Monday nights.
Clothing Ministry Donors purchase 1 clothing item or Walmart gift card each month.
Heaven’s Kitchen Bakers make cookies/brownies once a month. Heaven’s Kitchen Servers & Cooks help prepare and serve a meal on the 4th Saturday of the month. Heaven’s Kitchen Speakers share a 2-3 minute talk to our guests before the meal.
Living Well on Wilkens Volunteers lend a hand during Saturday activities from 12-5 pm every 4-6 weeks. Living Well on Wilkens Leaders help organize volunteers, activities, or supplies.
Maintenance Ministry Volunteers donate 3-4 hours of their time each quarter to assist congregation members with home repair.
Missions Team Members donate 2-4 hours of their time each month (including bi-monthly missions meeting) to further develop missions communications and strategy.
Operation Welcome Home Card Writers write supportive notes to soldiers each month. Operation Welcome Home Greeters attend events at the airport to welcome returning soldiers.
Prison Ministry Prayer Partners commit to praying for a 30 minute time slot during a Kairos weekend. Kairos Team Members help lead weekends inside the prison (Oct 27-30 or Nov 3-6). Weekend Support Team Members prepare meals to support the Kairos Team. Agape Artists draw 8×11″ posters to show God’s love to Kairos participants.
SPAN Food Donors donate non-perishable food items each month to supply the community pantry. Holiday Caring Donors sponsor a family during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter by filling a food basket. SPAN Pantry Organizers help organize, date, and stock food donations at SPAN. SPAN Interviewers are trained by SPAN staff to work directly with clients at SPAN.
Winter Relief Volunteers spend time with guests, cook/serve meals, do laundry, and help in a variety of other ways.
To volunteer or find out more about any of these ministry needs, please contact Beth Frank in the Church Office. THANKS!