SERVOLUTION 2010

In less than 1 week, there will be an invasion...

If you live in the Baton Rouge area, expect to see SERVE shirts like these

everywhere you look.
Next Friday -- March 26th -- kicks off our annual SERVOLUTION and hundreds of churches across the globe will be doing the same.

Whether you live in Africa, Australia, or Arkansas, you will find us -- standing on street corners, handing out cold, bottled water... painting widows' houses, mowing lawns for the elderly, picking up litter and washing cars... you might see us bringing a hot meal to the local fire station or lunch to local law enforcement... you might find us handing out candy at the mall, groceries in the inner city, or protein bars in the ER.
Maybe you'll see us washing our neighbor's trash cans.

*** DO NOT BE ALARMED ***

STAY CALM.
This is to be expected of people who call themselves followers of Christ. We follow the example He set by washing His disciples' feet. And through these random acts of kindness, we tear down the walls of the Church and demonstrate the love of Jesus to those in our communities.

If you -- or your church -- would like to be part of the revolution SERVOLUTION, it's not too late! Simply go HERE and register.
For more information ----->>> Check this out.
Let's make these 10 days leading up to Easter, count!

We are changing the world by serving one.

Servolution 2010 promo from Healing Place Church on Vimeo.

At The Heart of Servolution

Reading this newest book by Pastor Dino Rizzo has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. I have read many great books in my lifetime, but few promise to change the lives of their readers as this one is sure to do.
This isn't just a book about serving people; it's a formula for a revolution.
A revolution of hearts and minds... a "Servolution."

Pastor Dino defines "Servolution":

1. 1) To initiate a complete and radical change of a person's life through simple acts of kindness for the glory of God.
2. 2) God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
3. 3) A church revolution through serving.

The author makes it very clear that his church is not looking for a badge, or a pat on the back, or recognition of any kind. What this book aims to do is share its amazing story of purpose which revolutionized a congregation and which is revolutionizing a city.

The interesting thing about serving Jesus-style is that it becomes infectious. Once you start, you just can't stop! I have seen this at work in my church and within my own family.
The spirit of giving is, at once, contagious and cathartic.
I say cathartic, because serving tends to purge us of our self-centered negativity.

When you are giving shelter to a family of Katrina victims, your problems suddenly don't seem so bad.
When you hand a bag of groceries to a young, single mom with three hungry mouths to feed, your financial situation starts to look pretty good.
When you hold a homeless woman who is addicted to crack and allow her to pour out her soul on your shoulder, you are reminded just how blessed you really are.

Servolution wants nothing more than to share the wealth of blessing which has rained down upon
Healing Place Church since the inception of this mission. It wasn't planned or orchestrated; it was simply taking advantage of the opportunities to serve we are all given, each and every day. It's about filling a need.
Moreover, it's about seeing people -- ALL people -- through the compassionate eyes of our Savior.
When you see the need through His eyes, you are always compelled to act.

So many churches spend time and money striving to build their congregation and increase their attendance. Too many churches today are left scratching their heads wondering where the people have gone.
When a church adopts a heart of serving, people are automatically drawn to it -- a magnetic pull on their own hearts. They WANT to be a part of the effort. They quickly realize that they are part of something much bigger than themselves... something eternal.

Servolution will, in one moment, make you laugh out loud and, in another, leave you speechless. You will weep tears of compassion and even more tears of gratitude.
However you read it you will not be left unchanged.

The Heart of a Servant

I have been a Christian since I was 10 years old. I truly loved God and believed with all my heart that I was going to heaven. I never vacillated from my convictions even while contemplating law school or possibly, a master's degree in Philosophy.
But I wasn't really happy.
Or even content, for that matter.

Honestly, I don't think I even knew it until my life took a 180* degree turn.

Over the many years of my Christian walk, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing -- something that went beyond just reading my Bible and spending time in prayer. So, I signed up for committees. I was on the "Kitchen committee," and I helped out in "Children's Ministry" and the church nursery. We started faithfully attending Sunday School and joined in a young-marrieds supper club.
But the lack was still there.

When we arrived at Healing Place Church ~5 years ago, I was definitely at a crossroads in my faith. Coming off (yet another) VERY disappointing experience at the church we had just left, I truly wondered if there was anything REAL out there. I was definitely burnt out, with religion, in particular. The church seemed to be full of so many hypocrites. My personal faith in Christ never wavered, but my conviction to attend a local church certainly did!

So, it was with great trepidation and extreme caution that we first visited Healing Place. Sure, the people were super friendly & very warm & welcoming, but we knew that veneers were only so thick. For the first year or so that we were at HPC, I was subconsciously waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was definitely NOT in a good place, mentally or spiritually. I was angry and tired and disappointed and leery. I just knew that I was going to get hurt again.

Truthfully, the amazing worship & anointed preaching is what kept me from just hanging up "church" altogether. I started to get involved -- began working in the nursery -- so that I could feel more a part of this amazing church.
And I really started to LISTEN.
The words coming from Pastor Dino Rizzo's mouth -- and indeed, from all of the pastors' -- were like none I had ever heard before. In addition to a very heartfelt plea for salvation, the message that was being spoken, and in fact, LIVED OUT, in the people of Healing Place, was a message of SERVING.
Get involved.

Get outside of yourself.

Do something for someone else without looking for the credit or glory.

BE Jesus; don't just "talk" Jesus.

It's Not About YOU.

That last one hit me harder than anything else.
The realization that my time on this earth was not about what I think I deserve or "think" I want to do; my time here is meant for me to be the hands and feet of Jesus to everyone I encounter. To look on them with the love that my God has for them... to see them the way HE does.
Get over yourself & start serving others.

And so I did.
I started volunteering in the inner city at our Dream Center and on Midnight Outreach. I signed up to clean the battered women's shelter & visit nursing homes. I took meals to new mothers and handed out bottled water in rush-hour traffic.
And it changed my life in more ways than I could ever list here.
I LOVE serving and I can't imagine my life now without it.
The peace and joy and completion that my life had lacked for so long, are now ever present in the knowledge that I am doing what I was called to do. And my journey thru serving has only just begun.

It's not about earning salvation.
That is freely given by our Savior.
It's about changing the heart of the church -- the image of Christians and Christianity -- by actually doing what Christ asked us to do: SERVE.

Looking back on the past 5 years, I can hardly believe that I am the same person who first walked through those doors. Indeed, SO much has changed for me -- on the inside and the out -- that I feel like a new creation.
Really.
That may sound cliche or pretentious, but that's truly how I feel.

And it's with this new-found love for serving that I now pick up my Pastor's book, SERVOLUTION, and begin reading.
I can't wait to see where this goes...

Happy Easter!

Watch This: LOCAL NEWS

Get Your SERVE On!

Wow! What a week this has been!
I'm really kinda sad to see it come to an end, but as we all know, the "Servolution" should continue every day because that is what we are here to do. Even if it's only buying someone a cup of coffee or smiling at a homeless vagabond, perhaps offering him a bite to eat... That is serving.

I think, too often, people think they have to be part of some elaborate outreach and miss time from work or neglect their families to make a difference. This just isn't so!
Some of the simplest acts of kindness count, and truthfully, it is often the "simple acts of kindness" we take most for granted.
Like not honking at the guy who just cut you off in traffic.
Or paying for the gas for the mom of 4 at the gas pump next to you.
Even taking a colleague out to lunch or for coffee is a way that YOU can serve & show Christ's love through actions, not just words.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to be a part of (quite possibly) one of the MOST FUN outreaches my church does on a regular basis:
Water Give-Away!
This outreach consists of us standing at a busy intersection during a busy time of day and handing out ICE COLD bottled water to people sitting in traffic.
The various reactions we receive range from baffling to hilarious.

For most, they just can't believe that we are doing this for FREE -- really, for FREE (not just saying "free," and then asking for donations). Invariably, many of them will reach into their purse or wallet & try to hand us a buck or two, but we just smile and say,
"NOPE; this is FOR YOU, Free."

Some people won't even look at us... they are probably so used to peddlers & panhandlers asking for spare change. Or maybe they think we are some wacko cult group spreading propaganda.
The ones who actually take a chance and open their windows always seem both relieved and shocked that it's nothing but a gift -- no strings attached!
I really do think this has become one of my favorite outreaches.

Today, the girls & I will meet up with a team & go hand out candy to people sitting in, & working at, the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). Those people could seriously use a boost to their blood sugar & something to make the wait a *tad* more bearable. This should prove to be very interesting.

Here are some pictures from our water outreach yesterday.
It was a gorgeous day & an amazing experience.

Me (far right) & some of the ladies I served with yesterday.

Merely a third of our team, led by the very cool
Paul Charbonnet (bottom right)

Me & Karina after the outreach was over...

In all, we gave out 800 (EIGHT HUNDRED!!!!) bottles of water in just a little over an hour!
How's that for efficient?

Servolutionizing Our City!

If you're wondering why I haven't posted more about Servolution this week, it's because I'm TIRED. =P
But it's a *good* tired, if you know what I mean...

And it's not over yet!
There are still 2 more days of Servolution left, leading up to Easter weekend.

Tomorrow, I am working with HP Women in the morning, planning our big, "PAMPER NIGHT" in early June. This is when we treat women in our church and community to an evening of FREE spa treatments, delicious food, and awesome door prizes! I am on the committee for assigning vendors and making sure we have enough masseuses and estheticians on the floor. Local spas and salons donate their hours to providing these services for our ladies to enjoy in a night of appreciation and encouragement.

After that, I will be heading out with a team to hand out free water bottles at some busy intersection in Baton Rouge during rush hour traffic. I have always wanted to do this kind of outreach & I can't wait.

But the outreach I am most looking forward to, is the DMV Outreach on Thursday afternoon. The girls and I will go with a team of Serve volunteers to pass out candy bars to patrons waiting in line at the DMV. I love it! The creativity of these various outreaches just blows me away.

Oh, I almost forgot!
Tonight, my church hosted "Feed the Children" and held a "PB & Shaq" night.
Shaquille O'Neal was there (he's a native of Baton Rouge) and to get in, each person was to donate 10 jars of peanut butter to "Feed the Children." It was a crazy-fun night & a LOT of peanut butter was donated to go to hungry families across the country. I've always thought that Shaq was a pretty cool guy; now I know he is!

Well, I am off to bed before I fall out from exhaustion... more posts & pictures to come!

Servolution DAY 2

What a gloriously beautiful day!


Day 2 of Servolution week dawned sunny & bright, cool & crisp -- absolutely PERFECT!
We all met at the Highland campus for the kick-off rally & to get our assignments. The girls and I signed up for the nursing home outreach, but that was just one of several to choose from. Just a sampling of what the volunteers of HPC did today:

• *Passing out dog treats @ the dog park (City Park)
• *Free car wash
• *Painting houses
• *Adopt-a-block (picking up trash, mowing lawns, etc)
• *Foster-care outreach
• *Cleaning the battered women's shelter

Our team, led by the very awesome Mary Beth Guedry, went to one of several area nursing homes. There, we painted the ladies' fingernails and chatted with the residents. Most of us brought our young children with us on the outreach and this was such a treat for the residents of the home... they just fawned over Raisha and spoiled her with hugs & kisses. Raisha colored pictures and gave them out to some of the patients.

We brought some games and cards to play with the residents and Natasha spent most of the time playing "Go Fish" and "Old Maid" with a sweet lady in a wheelchair. Even though her hands were obviously gnarled and twisted from rheumatoid arthritis, she still managed to beat Natasha in the first game and tie her in the second!

Nadia diligently and patiently painted fingernails, gently removing old polish and applying a fresh coat. She did a beautiful job!
I'm so proud of all 3 of my girls for giving up their Saturday to go & spend time with these sweet, elderly people. I explained to them that while many of the nursing home residents have family and friends who come to visit, many of them don't. Spending the day with them, talking to them and loving on them, was the PERFECT way to "be Jesus" to these lovely people... it's a day we won't soon forget.

THANK YOU Healing Place Church for allowing us to be a part of something so beautiful & life-changing!

And So It Begins...

TODAY
is the first day of SERVOLUTION week!

I have already spotted several of our red shirts out & about around Baton Rouge this morning.
EARLY today, volunteers took FREE donuts to area bus stops to give to people while they were waiting.
And RIGHT NOW, more than 600 packs of gum are being handed out in downtown Baton Rouge to people working in the offices of various government and private businesses.
Later today will be a watermelon outreach at a couple of local high schools... the list goes on and on...

I was up early & off to Sam's to buy 100 red roses to pass out tonight for MIDNIGHT OUTREACH.
Several ladies from the "Moms Lifegroup" met me at the Annex to de-thorn the roses and tie ribbons and cards onto each rose. This evening, these same roses will be given to strippers and prostitutes to let them know that they are valuable and loved, right here, right now, just as they are.

For the next 7 days -- leading right up to Easter weekend -- there will be various outreaches going on all over the city of Baton Rouge.
Indeed, now that approx. 240 churches are participating world-wide, Servolution might be happening somewhere near YOU, in YOUR town.

You see, my church believes in BEING Jesus to those we meet, not just talking about Him.
We strive to be the "hands and feet" who are doing what we were instructed to do: SERVE.

All too often, the enemy would have us believe that we can't do anything until we get our own "stuff" together. That's a lie.
Your life does not have to be perfect to be used by God. If you keep waiting for the day that it is, it will never come. And when you get to the end of your life, you will regret not stepping out sooner.

It doesn't take much... a simple smile, buying the guy behind you a cup of coffee, offering to pay for the groceries of the young mom in line, taking home-baked cookies to your local police or fire station... even picking up trash in your own neighborhood or washing out your neighbors' trash cans are simple ways you can be a servant for Christ.

What are you waiting for?
The world doesn't need a revolution;
It needs a SERVOLUTION.

To SERVE

You know, all too often, the world judges Christians by the squeaky wheels who make us look so bad... you know the type: hyper-judgmental and anything BUT full of love, the extremists who do everything EXCEPT what Jesus really called us to do: To Love and to SERVE.
Why is that?
Because that is all they choose to see.

-->>They don't see us feeding the homeless at 6 am... or us giving shelter to the runaway who is fleeing abuse.
-->>They don't see us at midnight, taking roses to the strip clubs to tell the girls there that they are VALUABLE and worthy to be loved.
-->>They don't see our volunteers spending countless hours tutoring at-risk youth in the inner city, giving them the time and attention they desperately need, several times a week.
-->>They don't see our college kids and high schoolers using their summer vacation to go and feed starving orphans in Africa and Brazil and Honduras and India...

They don't see it because it doesn't fit into their tidy, politically-correct view of who we are.
But that doesn't change reality.
The "nut jobs" might get the most media attention, but we are the ones building a legacy... for those who are not yet here.

You see, there ARE Christians out there who really are trying to walk out their faith and be the "hands and feet" of Jesus to EVERYONE they meet.
If you don't believe me, just check this out:

At last check, there are more than 200 churches, worldwide, that are participating in SERVOLUTION!

That is simply phenomenal!

What is a "Servolution" you ask?
"Sharing God's love and changing lives through simple acts of kindness."

Our very own pastor, Dino Rizzo, wrote the book, SERVOLUTION which will be debuting very soon...
Here are just a FEW of the things we will be doing during Servolution Week (April 3-9):

• *FREE (no donations!) CAR WASHES
• *VISITING AREA NURSING HOMES
  *CLEANING the BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER (and pampering the ladies, too!)
• *PASSING OUT FREE BOTTLED WATER TO PEOPLE SITTING IN RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC
  
• *SERVING BREAKFAST TO HOMELESS VETERANS
  *CLEANING/PAINTING/DOING YARDWORK FOR AREA WIDOWS
• *PASSING OUT CANDY TO PEOPLE SITTING AT THE DMV
  *PICKING UP TRASH & MOWING LAWNS ("Adopt-a-Block")
• *FREE AUTO REPAIR & OIL CHANGES FOR SINGLE MOMS & WIDOWS
  

---->>> And this list is, by no means, complete. This is a mere sampling of the activities we will carry out (and, in fact, DO carry out on a regular basis!).

But, the really cool thing is, you don't have to be a member of Healing Place Church to help out! In fact, you don't even have to live in Louisiana!

"Servolution is about churches partnering together and reaching out to their communities through simple acts of kindness for the soul purpose of expressing the love of God to people in our community."

YOUR very own church can sign up to get involved and be a part of one amazing week showing the world what it really means to be followers of Christ. And there are tons of ideas with practical tips and information for you to get started. Just click here:

Giving Your Heart

It has taken me most of the weekend to recover from Friday ;^) but it's a good kind of exhaustion.

As you know, Friday we had our Valentine's Midnight Outreach and we started bright and early, Friday morning.
I was at Sam's Club when the doors opened at 7 am to buy the 150+ roses for the outreach. Then, I met with a young mothers' play group at 9:30 to de-thorn and tag each one of the roses. We snipped thorns, tied on HPC cards, and curled ribbons for more than an hour.

I went home for a brief respite before I had to meet the rest of the team at a club we've never gone into before. This is probably the "biggest" club in the Baton Rouge area -- not in terms of square footage, but in terms of working girls and (sadly) patronage.
We have been trying to get in for several years, but all we have ever done before was leave the roses and chocolates at the door with the bouncers.

Well, on Friday afternoon, they actually let us come in to decorate the girls' dressing room! It was a pretty large room so we left balloons and roses and flower petals, chocolates and candy hearts and chocolate-dipped strawberries. And we wrote on the mirrors:

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY FROM HEALING PLACE CHURCH"

We also gave them a bunch of gifts -- earrings from the Mom's lifegroup & cute water bottles and makeup cases that were left over from our Live The Dream Women's Conference.

We met a couple of hours later to go decorate the dressing rooms of our other two "regular" clubs, then met again at 8 pm to go to the clubs and hand out roses to the ladies.
It's always so amazing to me how warmly they receive us -- the incredible favor that is granted us. And it seems that we always manage to touch someone's heart.

One young girl who was getting ready to work, asked us, "Who are you all? Why are you doing this?"
When we told her that we were the church and we just wanted her to know that she was loved and valued, she was visibly shocked. It was her 4th day on the job. Who knows the long-term impact of that encounter?

To me, this is what Valentine's Day should really be about: Giving your heart -- a heart for Christ -- to those who have never known His love. It's about showing them they are VALUABLE and worthy to be loved. It's not about preaching or shaming or acting "holier than thou..."

It's about being the hands and feet of Jesus.

It's just one small part of the Servolution.

Some of the gorgeous ladies who worked so hard to get the roses ready Friday morning!

Alliece and I at S.K.

Decorating at G.C.

Live the Dream!

Setting up at K's

Alliece checking the decor at K's
Look what was still hanging on the mirror at S.K.'s!!!!
Pastors Dino & DeLynn's Christmas card!

Just a small part of the MIDNIGHT "Dream Team:"
Me, Alliece, Jillian, & Donna (Charity is taking the photo)

Sweet MIDNIGHT

TOMORROW is going to be amazing!

We have our Valentine's Midnight Outreach tomorrow night (What is Midnight Outreach? Click HERE).
As usual, we will go and give roses to the ladies who are working the clubs & walking the streets -- just letting them know that they are loved and they are valued, right now, just the way they are. But since it is Valentine's weekend, we will also be decorating the dressing rooms, much like we did for the Christmas outreach.

But, even more exciting:
Tomorrow afternoon, we are being admitted to decorate the dressing rooms of a strip club we have never been allowed to enter before! How cool is that?? We won't be able to go in and give the roses during business hours like we do with the other clubs (not yet, anyway), but the club owners have finally relented and are allowing us to come before they open to surprise the girls with decorations and gifts and candy.

I have to be up at the crack of dawn to go and buy 200 roses and a couple hundred carnations on THE DAY BEFORE VALENTINE'S DAY!
Please let me be the first one there!

I am sooo loving the movements my church has started... the culmination of which will be

SERVOLUTION WEEK

in April. We already have more than 70 churches signed up to participate! Talk about making a huge difference. This experience is going to be like no other.
If you or your church are interested in being a part, just go HERE to watch the video, learn more, & sign up.
You do NOT want to miss this!

We are "Reaching the World by Serving One."

I love HPC!

Time To Step Up or Shut Up

This past weekend -- LIVE THE DREAM '08 -- was such a needed thing for so many women.

Honestly, God has done SO much in me & in my life in the past year, that I was wondering what more I could possibly gain from the experience. I knew it would be fun & full of great messages, but my cup is already running over...
Still, last year's conference was so life-changing for me that I knew I was NOT about to miss it, so I went.

And God showed up.

He showed up for me & for about 1500 other women who came with just a need for HOPE.

The world is a mess.
The economy is in the toilet.
Politics are smothering the life out of everything.

And if we weren't "Daughters of the King," and "Warriors" for Christ, we might be worried about all of this.
But like David -- standing before Goliath -- we are listening to another voice, following a different path, than the rest of the world.

Our confidence is not in man.

Or, at least, it shouldn't be.

Like any mortal, I have my moments of insecurity and doubt... frustration and anxiety.
I start to stress and calculate and micro-manage every element in my control (which is never truly in my ability to control at all).

And then I remember:

Oh yeah, God is in control!

He already KNOWS about all of this.

He foreknew my struggles before I even recognized them.

He has a plan for me
& He gives me HOPE for my future.

Why should I listen to those who would have me wringing my hands in angst for matters that are beyond my control anyway?

Why should I whine & complain & bemoan
the lot that is cast upon me -- especially when I know
that others are dealing with far more & much worse?

Why do some of us spend time waging war upon
ideologies
and political agendas
instead being about
"our Father's business"?

Why don't we just SHUT UP?

Why don't we all STEP UP and do something that
really matters?

The world doesn't need another revolution.
It needs a SERVOLUTION.

New Video Posted!

You've got to check out this video from last Saturday's SERVOLUTION!

Servolution 2008!

Blogger Bits #1

I've decided I'm going to do these mini-multi posts for those days when I have a lot to say, but not much to say about any one thing. ;>)

First, I want to acknowledge how many "cyber-friends" I have found in this thing known as the "blogger world." If you have never blogged, you may not understand what I mean, but it is absolutely wonderful!
Take for example, a blog post I wrote a few weeks ago (We Cry Out) about something very difficult my family is going through -- something really hateful and mean, directed mostly at ME.

The most difficult part of getting through this trial has been sticking to my resolution to "let God deal with it."
There have been moments when I have almost convinced myself that God DOES want me to respond and "set the record straight" to those who have hurt me, but deep down, I know that is NOT God . I have given this issue to God and I need to stop picking it back up.
I have been doing really well lately... I've actually had days when I didn't think about the offense at all.
But TODAY, today while sitting in traffic, I start playing out a conversation in my mind... I stop it before it goes too far, but I sigh in frustration as I realize that "it ain't over yet."

Then, I come home and find this AWESOME, uplifting comment from a complete stranger!
How cool is that?
Isn't it funny how God always knows what we need even before we do??
And I smile to myself and think, "God DOES see me, even when I think He doesn't."

SERVOLUTION was a huge success!

I was SOOOO tired on Saturday night, but it was totally worth it.
Nadia and I went with a group of ladies to volunteer at the Battered Women's Shelter. Nadia held babies and played with the kids while I helped CLEAN.
The women there were so sweet and it felt so great to know that we were truly showing them Jesus.

Due to the sensitive nature of where we were working, I could not take pictures, but I do have a couple from our get together at our main campus at the start of the day:Jammin' with our AWESOME worship team -- getting pumped up and ready to SERVE.

Pastor Dino speaking before we head out to take on the city!

I finally have some auctions up on eBay, so check them out if you're interested. I will be listing more every day this week.

One last note: It is less than one week until my second year of ELEVATE (Healing Place School of Ministry) begins. I could really use some prayers to get my heart, my mind, my home, my spirit -- everything in line, where they need to be before next Saturday. I am so excited, I can hardly wait!

S - E - R - V - O - L - U - T - I - O - N

TOMORROW'S The Day!!!

So, I clicked on the Servolution website to get a new link for this blog entry & this is what I see!
It's my oldest daughter, Nadia, from last year's SERVOLUTION!
How cool is that?

Last year, Nadia and I had the privilege of doing manicures at the inner city block party. Tomorrow, we will go to the battered women's shelter and do a little pampering on the ladies and a bit of cleaning on the shelter.
We are SO excited to be a part of this amazing experience once more!

This will be the second, annual "Servolution" for
Healing Place Church -- a term coined by our very own Pastor Dino Rizzo.

So, WHAT is a servolution, you ask?
Think HUNDREDS (maybe a thousand this year??) of volunteers -- all in RED "Serve" shirts -- dishing up some love to the Greater Baton Rouge area.

There will be block parties and car washes and free water bottles handed out on street corners.
Some of us will visit hospitals and give snacks and cold drinks to the staff.
Many will visit local nursing homes & one group is going to make the local foster home sparkle!
Various groups will simply go from neighborhood to neighborhood in the inner city and "adopt-a-block" in which they pick up trash, mow lawns, do minor repairs, whatever they can to show love to the people on that block.
There will be grocery give-a-ways and free medical screenings and free dental care for the kids.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

I absolutely LOVE being a part of a church that does something like this!
Don't you think the WORLD could use a little
SERVOLUTION?

You can read about LAST YEAR'S Servolution
here and here.

SERVOLUTION (Cont.)

9 AM Start @ The Highland Campus!

Wow! Today was absolutely incredible! I have never seen anything like it & I am SO PROUD to be a part of something so awesome... Today was HPC's 1st (annual?) SERVOLUTION. Basically, about 600 volunteers of all ages -- and all in RED SERVE SHIRTS -- took to the streets of Baton Rouge to show God's love for the people. There were teams of people giving out water, free car washes, home repairs, trash/litter pick-up, and SO much more! There were red shirts all over this RED STICK town! Carole and I went down to the inner city for the HUGE block party near Gus Young Park. We had an amazing turn-out. There was free food (hamburgers, hot dogs, and Popeye's Fried Chicken), games (basketball, slip-n-slide, jump rope, space walks) and more...Healing Place Church sent out our Mobile Medical Clinic and our Mobile Dental Clinic to do FREE blood pressure checks and glucose screenings. Free teeth cleaning was available for all children. We pampered the ladies with complimentary hand massages and manicures while the kids got their faces painted and were given books to take home. Everyone received a bag of groceries at the end of the day.
This was a truly awesome experience and I'm glad I got to take part! Check out my pictures from SERVOLUTION 2007!:


Girls + Nail Polish = FUN! *** Our Manicure Table!

Nadia as manicurist... & Face Painting for everyone!


Carole and Liz getting some GOOD FOOD!
& HPC Mobile Medical and Mobile Dental Clinics

Water games for the kids! *** Can you say, "Double Dutch?"

You know what?

The world needs a SERVOLUTION!

SERVOLUTION!!!

Servolution is in TWO DAYS!!

This is a city-wide outreach that Healing Place Church is doing to try to make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time. All day Saturday, the city of Baton Rouge will see our
RED SHIRTS serving the people -- ALL PEOPLE -- in various capacities.
There will be water give-aways (and since it's STILL in the 90's here, that's a VERY GOOD thing),
car washes, block parties, home repairs, school repairs, all kinds of outreach to show the city of Baton Rouge how much we love them, and more importantly, how much God loves them!
It's not too late to sign up if you want to be involved... Just click on the banner above or below: