Serve

"Service in RUF" starts with daily service where God has placed you:  If we aren’t loving people in our own sphere of influence first, GOING somewhere to serve is hypocritical or escapist or self-righteous at best.  So, in view of the gospel, think about some of the ways you can serve others where you already are…

• Do the dishes for your roommates without expecting reciprocation
  
• Pay for a friend's lunch
• Be an agent of the gospel breaking down the fragmentation between male/female, black/white, rich/poor, etc.
  
• Offer free babysitting to a family in a local church
  
• Listen to a friend with genuine compassion
• Confront sin lovingly
• Spend time with "that" person who others ignore
  
• Speak kind words when others are gossiping

The point is that when we believe the gospel of God’s grace (his “undeserved favor” in Christ), we are transformed in our daily relationships. Our entire attitude about life (not just an RUF service program) is transformed.  In other words, we are to serve with our whole lives because Jesus served us by giving His whole life on the cross!

That said, there are other organized ways to serve together through RUF:  you could go on one of our mission trips, help lead one of our small groups, be a part of the RUF Ministry Team (see the attached document), or serve locally at places like:

• Hope Lodge (temporary living for those recovering from cancer treatments)
• Christians Concerned for the Community (building wheelchair ramps for people who are disabled)
• Women's Resource Center (Doing yard work for a counseling ministry to pregnant women)
• Christian Study Center (Doing yard work for a group that serves the academic community of UF)
• Others
  

We do about 10-15 small-scale service opportunities like these per semester.  To get connected with how we are serving UF and the community - see the calendar on the home page or contact Chelsea Batten (904-742-1806) for ways to serve.