When I first got to New York City, I was the minority. I not only was new to the community, but also am a Christian.
The congregation where I serve, Swerve Church in Brooklyn, has three very clear goals—love God, love people and serve the community. Many churches can say they have the same objectives, but do they really live up to it? The work done on Sunday isn’t the only day the work is done. In fact, the work should be done every day leading up to Sunday, and then that is the time to rest and praise God for what he’s accomplished.
After two months serving in the community, student missionary Stephy Soto has seen a change in the attitude of the people with whom she interacts.Working at Swerve Church in Brooklyn has taught me how hard the hustle of church work is. Every single day, you give every ounce of servanthood, and you often don’t even get recognized for it. But when you do get to see the fruit, that’s when you realize God is so good. It’s when you not only get to be his worker, but even see the results of your work.
When you are out serving the community more than two months, expressions start to change. At first, you are met with scoffing or complete disregard. But in time, people realize it’s not a trap. You’re not trying to trick them into giving anything—at least not to you. After earning trust, they want to give everything to God. They want what you have. And if you ask me, it’s the best thing you ever could receive.
Stephy Soto, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso, is serving with Go Now Missions in New York City.
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