It’s winter. We’d just gotten another dose of Siberia outside. One associate is in Florida playing golf (he timed that well). Another is in New York on his honeymoon. Another is working out of his home. The rest of the staff has wisely stayed off the highways as the snow keeps falling. I figured SOMEBODY needed to come check on the building…so here I am in my office…in the building alone.

I don’t typically answer the phone. There are other people better suited for that role. But today, if the phone rings…they get me.

Sure enough the phone rings. I manage to figure out how to answer it (yeah…technically challenged).

The person on the line asks a simple question: ‘Do y’all help people?’

This is what we call a benevolence question…do we help people with their financial needs?

My answer isn’t one I like to give: yes we do, but given the level of the need in our community we are forced to restrict our help to those in our congregation. She says she understands and hangs up.

Whenever I’m on the receiving end of a call like that I always pause for a moment, stare at the ceiling and ask myself the question again…do we HELP people?

A part of me wishes that we could write a check for every need. That’s neither possible or helpful. Without knowing the complete situation of each person, helping can actually hurt. As I’ve said before, ‘For some people, if money could fix it, it’d be fixed by now’. In other words, in many cases, money is not the problem. I heard something at a meeting the other day that says it well: “Homeless people aren’t homeless because they ran out of money. They’re homeless because they ran out of relationships”.

Still the bigger question remains…’do y’all help people?’ Well…DO we?

I doubt there’s a church in existence that doesn’t think this is true…otherwise…why are we HERE?

But…do y’all help PEOPLE?

I happen to believe we help people on a number of levels.

First of all…what other voice tells the story of God to the world? What other voice exists to call people to attend to their souls? What other voice speaks ageless truths into tragically human life situations?

Yeah…we help people.

Secondly, who else truly offers the chance to build life altering relationships with other spiritual seekers? The kinds of relationships that walks us through our personal dark night of the soul.

Yeah we help people.

Thirdly, who else rolls up it’s sleeves and gives sacrificially of it’s time and money to the poor, to the down and out, and the up and out. From 17,000 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child to over $8 million raised for local and international ministry to thousands of bras donated to fight sex-trafficking to housing the homeless in our community, Grace Community Church helps people.

When the phone rings and I have to answer that question…it’s good to stop and acknowledge what God is doing through us here now.

Yeah…we help people.