Salt and Light, with a Side of Spaghetti
Members of New Song Community Church made the most of a “salt and the light” opportunity by volunteering at the Rotary Club of Bethel Park’s annual spaghetti fundraiser on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at the Bethel Park Community Center.
Throughout the day—while the meatballs and sauce were flying out the door—church members packaged food, served food, washed dishes, cleaned tables, and did whatever needed to be done. However, they made their greatest impact by serving others without expectation and through having spiritual conversations when the opportunity presented itself.
“It was about being the church and being the light. It felt like we were a bunch of little candles of light running around and helping people out,” said Mike Fitzgerald.
He volunteered with his wife, Jessica, and teenage son, Luke.
Jessica Fitzgerald admitted she normally despises doing the dishes but felt a wave of positive emotion roll over her when washing out the tomato-stained pots.
“This overwhelming joy came over me,” she recalled. “This experience of serving with like-minded Christians, I wondered, is this what heaven is going to be like?”
Proceeds from the rotary club went to a nonprofit that supports military veterans by providing them access to service dogs. In total, 1,000 meals were prepared that day.
While volunteering that day, church members were asked several times by people which church they were with. That opened the door for conversation.
“The people I spoke with aren’t hungry for spaghetti; they are hungry for relationship,” said church member Sharon Burke. “Every table we went to, there was an opportunity for relationship.”
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus urges his followers to be the salt and the light in the world. He tells them: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 ESV)
New Song takes that to heart by using service opportunities to be on mission for God.