John Graham
San Antonio, Texas (USA)
“Service means everything to me. Don’t be intimidated to serve. Just have fun.”
Ron Whitehead, Executive Director, CYE
Berrien Springs, Michigan (USA)
“Service is the ultimate way to express spirituality. My favorite way to serve is building relationships with people. How can you build a relationship with someone when you don’t partner or collaborate with them or join them in their needs or joys in their life?
No doubt service events have an impact and a lot of sizzle but the most powerful form of service is just one-on-one. Serving in the most elementary way is just living what you say you believe. Just taking care of others like you would want others to take care of you.”
Shawn Craig
Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
“When someone says the word service it means giving of yourself to others, helping someone in need, wherever they’re at and whatever they need. I like to help people and they not even realize I’m helping them.
A lot of times when it comes to Adventists we think we need to reach the world by preaching and teaching. But I think one of the coolest ways of evangelizing is to do it without words.”
Heather Quintana
Silver Spring, Maryland (USA)
“I’m all about friendship service. I really think there’s nothing better than serving one-on-one. I think big events are wonderful and can have a huge impact, but there’s nothing better than helping a mom who needs a babysitter, or someone who needs groceries, or someone who needs help figuring out what to do because they have diabetes.
People get lost in the crowds and just needs one person to say ‘I’ll be the one to help you.’ You’ve got a mission field right in your own sphere of influence.”
Mirlande Jordan
USA
“Service means helping people. Using a Christ-centered focus in whatever ministry you are in. It could be helping people with their health, or encouraging them with a smile. Serving allows me to use my skills to help people be healthier”
Adrielle Carrasco
Australia
“Service means getting into the community and helping where they are. I work in health for our Church and I love to be able to instill knowledge ad maybe help to educate our church members on how they can help people in a healthy way. Putting the health message out there is really good way of serving.”
Lloyd Scharffenberg
Greater New York Conference (USA)
“The greatest way I serve is in prison. For about 20 years I’ve been the chaplain of a small county jail so I serve people from all walks of life. I rabbi, I father, I imam, I’m whatever so I’m able to reach many men and women, and juveniles, people with different background. If you think you want to serve try something that seems interesting to you and ask God for guidance.
Sharisse Rivas
USA
“My favorite way to serve is definitely going on mission trips. You get to learn about different cultures and you get to learn how to serve people in those different cultures and in a different way. Each person has a different way how they receive love.”
We’re here in San Antonio, Texas for the General Conference Session. All week we’re asking visitors what service means to them and we’re so inspired by the different ways people serve. Today we spoke with organizers and visitors of the health expo hosted by Adventists In Step for Life.
