Earlier this month, members of The Summit Church and numerous other churches took part in The Big Serve, an annual event where church members volunteer to help organizations in the community over a weeklong period.
Amy Loflin, The Big Serve coordinator for The Summit Church at the Oak Ridge location, explained that The Big Serve ran from October 3-11, but continued out further because of rainy weather this year.
“We typically focus it to be a really strong blitz throughout our community in a short amount of time,” she said.
Loflin added that they had roughly 60 projects around the community this year, with close to 1,000 volunteer slots that were filled between The Summit’s Kernersville and Oak Ridge locations.
“Volunteers sign up on thebigserve.net to send in project requests, but we also send cards out to projects we did the previous year and ask them to dream big. Maybe they didn’t get the funds to accomplish them and we try to fulfill that,” she said. “We are always looking for new projects as well.”
Loflin shared that while there are many volunteer slots to fill, they set the website up to help people find a project they can enjoy.
“We try to filter the projects by category – beautification, construction, helping hands and landscaping,” she said. “The people we help typically have to be non-profits. Some of the organizations are able to provide their own materials, but if not, we help supplement that through our Big Serve budget.”
Loflin said the purpose of The Big Serve is to not only help people, but to create a buzz in the community to get people interested in what is going on and to get people involved in helping others.
“It’s an easy opportunity to give people a taste of serving in a project that is hopefully near and dear to their heart. It’s a first step. We don’t want them to just serve with The Big Serve. We want them to have God in their hearts and hopefully connect with the organization they are working with and come back and help there again,” she said.
Several volunteers shared what they did during The Big Serve and what they enjoyed about volunteering.
Rodney Nail, project leader at Oak Ridge Elementary School (ORES), said he has been leading the project for three years.
“Since Oak Ridge Elementary School is our satellite location for The Summit in Oak Ridge, it’s vital that we continue our tremendous partnership with them. The administrators and staff are so appreciative every year when they arrive on campus after our Big Serve weekend,” he said. “We do outdoor beautification every year with new mulch, trees and hedges trimmed, and anything else on the staff’s wish list.”
Nail said this year, in addition to the outdoor projects, a team painted the bottom portion of the walls in the school’s hallways.
Nail added that The Big Serve is just a small gesture of gratitude they give back to the school and community as a way of demonstrating the love of Christ.
“Christ was a servant to mankind and gave His life for us. The least we can do is serve our fellow man and our local community,” he shared.
Nikki Honeycutt said this is the third time she and her family have participated in The Big Serve.
“We love it,” she remarked. “I used to hear people say we are Jesus’ hands and feet, and I always thought that was odd sounding. After doing The Big Serve, I get it. Loving people right where they are at, no matter what, everyone wants to be loved.”
Honeycutt shared that she works with juniors and seniors.
“My girls went with me to Lot 2540 in Madison. They get their name from the Bible in Matthew 25:40, ‘The least of these,’” she said. “They restore old things and they restore lives. We washed produce for the open market, where they allowed people to come through and get a variety of food for anyone in need.”
Honeycutt said at one point, she served an older gentleman who appeared to have no one and nothing.
“He just wanted someone to talk to and to listen,” she shared. “I just wanted to take him home with me and show him there is someone who loves him no matter what his circumstances or his life choices have been. It was awesome to see my teenagers love these people by cooking lunch for them and just serving them. I am planning on taking my family back in December so we can do this again.”
Honeycutt said she has learned that you don’t have to be talented to help others.
“The greatest thing I have learned through The Big Serve is anyone can do it. You don’t have to be super talented or gifted; you just have to be willing to love people,” she said.
One of the recipients of The Big Serve, who is continuing to benefit, is The North Carolina Leadership Academy (NCLA). Renee Faenza, principal of The NCLA, said she is thankful to have help from The Summit.
“It’s unusual to find a place that practices what they preach. I’m Catholic, and we’re a good church too, but it’s like these people have taken service to a whole other level,” she said. “Their theme is making everybody feel welcome and like they are somebody.”
In one of their ways of giving, The Summit has offered space for The NCLA students as they are already starting to outgrow their school and are waiting for a modular building to be built.
“They have wanted to make the children feel welcome, so they bought all 126 children and teachers lunch one Friday,” she said. “On the first day of school, they provided coffee and refreshments for our parents, and every Friday, they have to tear down the kids’ stuff and prepare for church and then set it back up for the kids.”
Faenza said volunteers from The Summit have also done some beautification around the school.
“They’ll offer their volunteers to come over. They have planted trees, helped us build a playground – offering their labor, and just being good to their neighbor,” she said.
Faenza said students at The NCLA are making cards and are in the process of creating their own version of The Big Serve. They plan to make lunch for the volunteers and members.
Loflin said what she enjoys about The Big Serve is seeing everyone come together.
“I just like seeing everyone coming together with a positive attitude and carving time out of their Saturday to help others and to see how much fun we can have coming together as the church, and not just The Summit, but being Christians and making a big impact,” she shared.
For more information about The Big Serve, visit www.thebigserve.net.