(2017) September is our formal kick-off for the Year of Send! The focus of this year at SOTV is “Putting Feet to our Faith.” We have been Welcomed and Transformed and now we learn what our spiritual gifts are and use them to serve others.
On the big wall in the narthex you will notice our theme in a big, bold, banner. At the Welcome Desk and near the banner you will find peel-and-stick “feet.” As the year progresses and you find yourself involved in any type of service activity, we ask that members of all ages jot that down on a sticker and put it up on the wall/banner (with or without your name) and as a community, we will celebrate all the ways we are sent by God to serve our Lord through serving his people.
Many activities have been planned around this theme. In September, a sermon series will begin with a focus on serving and Pastor Wendy will present a six week education option called FaithConnect, with the topic, “God’s Purpose, My Purpose”. A program sponsored by the Purposeful Retirement committee is entitled “Volunteering with Purpose”. Volunteers and representatives from Upworks, SOTV, 360 Communities and Dakota County will share their own personal experiences.
We are also encouraging congregation members to take a Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool online to determine one’s strongest spiritual gifts that may lead to specific service activities for which we are particularly suited. This inventory is available online at SOTV.org. T-shirts with our footprints logo will be available for sale in the Great Hall starting Sep 9 to wear when participating in service activities. It will be exciting to see how our collective efforts of being Sent by God will better our church, community and world.