By Kelly Carr

This week we begin a three-week series we’ve titled See Your Community. We’re examining the ways people serve their neighbors, build friendships, and care for people who might otherwise be overlooked.

How does your church serve the community around it? Perhaps your congregation holds free events and encourages others to attend. Perhaps your Sunday school class or small group partners with local organizations that could use helping hands. How do you assess the needs around you and take action to fill them?

As we know, when we serve physical needs, we are demonstrating the love of Christ, building trust, and depicting the care God has for our physical well-being and our spiritual well-being. Because we hope that by meeting outer needs, we can begin to address the inner needs also.

This week we’re spotlighting several churches and one young man who have kept their eyes open, looking around their communities to truly gauge what would benefit their neighbors. That might be a necessity their area lacks or a way to simply offer others joy. The people and the needs may change over time, and these folks have tried to adapt their service in kind.

As we read their stories, the service of these fellow Christians inspired us here at The Lookout. And we’d love to hear more. Are you inspired by people you know—individuals or entire churches who are reaching out, getting involved, and participating in the lives of those around them? Please share their stories with us. Send us an email (lookout@christianstandardmedia.com), post on our Facebook page (Facebook.com/TheLookoutMagazine), or tag us on Twitter (@LookoutMagazine). We could all use the encouragement in hearing how our sisters and brothers in Christ are being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. So please join in the conversation.

If nothing else, go tell that person or church how much their time and actions have been a heartening example to you.