I Need Your Help vs. Your Help Is Needed

They are both true, but there is a big difference between "I need your help" and "your help is needed." 
I am always tempted to resort to the passive tense at times like this because I hate to admit my need or to make things unnecessarily personal.
But it is personal, I am not up to the task, and I do need the help of my brothers and sisters.
It's an exciting time in the life of Furnace Brook Wesleyan. I remember at a church sledding party years ago in North Chittenden being at the crest of a long and precipitous hill on a sleek sled. I considered the grade of that slope. I considered what an awful lot of material I would be giving gravity to work with. And with a thrill of terror I shifted my weight over that precarious balancing point and I was off. A moment later it was too late for reconsideration, recalculation, regret, or re-anything. And just as well: there was no room in my mind for anything but gripping tightly, breathing frantically, and laughing fiercely.
That's kind of where we are right now as a church. The merger is underway. We are now one church with two locations. And even without that thrilling element, we are experiencing real growth as a church. It's breathtaking. And I need your help.
I want to impress everyone with my ability to burn the candle at both ends and to be in two places at once, but even if I could do that, the results would be sub par. And God and you both deserve better. 
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For more insight check out "8 Things to Keep in Mind About Volunteering at Church."

Now, as for what I need help with.
1. Prayer. This isn't the thing we suggest to people who, because of age or infirmity, can't be expected to do any of the heavy lifting. Prayer is the heavy lifting. I am looking to recruit a team of people who would be willing to commit to praying for me and the other leaders of the church and to be on call to address specific prayer concerns as they arise. 
2. The Cafe ministry in Pittsford and Forest Dale. We are looking for people with a gift for hospitality who can help us make sure that the coffee is hot and tasty in each location and that everyone is made to feel welcome and well lubricated.
3. Grounds. Both of our locations could use a lot of help with weeding and trimming. And sweeping. And raking, mulching, pruning, and edging. And other things that we would see to do once all of the weeds were out of the way.
4. Children's Ministry. We are always looking for people who we can train to assist us in the important business of leading our youngest people in edifying worship. (If you volunteer to help us in this area we will need your permission to do a background check and we will work you in slowly as we bring you up to speed. Our goal with children's ministry workers is to have them be on one month and off the next two at least.)
5. Pittsford Rec Open House on June 18th. We are looking for people who will be available and willing to set up a tent, and "9 Square in the Air" and hand out water bottles while inviting people to sign up their children for Camp Furnace Brook. We want to maintain a present from about 9:30 to about 3:00 but we don't want for any one person to be there the whole time.
6. Brandon 4th of July Family Fun Day, July 2nd, behind the Brandon Inn (I think it's 9:00 to 10:30, before the parade.)  As with the Pittsford Rec Open House we are looking for people to set up the tent, dispense free chilled water and play "9 Square in the Air," while representing our church and inviting people to sign up for Camp Furnace Brook and to check out our campus in Forest Dale.
7. Camp Furnace Brook. Go ahead and groan. I don't blame you. But you know that this is one hot, sticky, loud week of service that will leave you tired but pleased to have been part of something that will make an eternal difference in the lives of children in our community and their families.  Go to the website for more information and to register.
8. Our Assimilation team is always looking for people to add to the roster of greeters and to use as parking lot attendants. 
9. I am sure that there are a great many other things that I can not remember right now. And there might be something the Lord has put on your heart that would never have occurred to me if I'd had a hundred years to think of it. That's why we're doing this together: because you have something to offer that I need. I need your help.

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