CAFÉ Church, held at Crediton Methodist Church on Sunday, October 1, was led by Chris Mann with the theme “Living to Serve”. 

Chris said there were four key words  today – humility, service, full and empty. 

He asked what these words mean to us as Christians.

Nowadays, because our modern society is so structured with all the various procedures we have to follow, we sometimes feel that we have been disabled from serving because we might be criticised.  

Culture today is very much based around putting yourself first. 

I think this is a major change to the way a lot of us remember growing up. We looked around and saw people who were doing things for other people. These volunteer roles are today becoming harder to fill because of the pressures on our lives.

Social media can focus people’s minds on what they look like or what somebody else has and that distracts from a sense of community and a sense of living in the right way. How can we redress that?

Various people met with Chris earlier in the week to plan the service. 

Others made tea and coffee and laid out nibbles while others helped with the AV, sound equipment and music.  

These are all people who show they care for the people around us and, in showing that care, they are showing the care of Christ. 

John Wesley was called to get out of churches and become an itinerant preacher – not something he felt comfortable with. 

He was called to go out and meet the need at the time. 

That is what we are called to do – to look around and redress the need and to see beyond the surface and dig a little deeper and do something - actions as well as words.

As we are filled it is probable that our role changes. We need to be ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  

However, once we are filled with the Holy Spirit we need to empty ourselves to share that feeling with everybody else around us. 

It is about allowing us to have a purpose, empowering us to fulfil that purpose to carry out the work that Christ has for us in building the Kingdom of God.

We offer to God our service as we offer our lives and go out and improve the lives of those around us. 

Bronwyn Nott