Your time with us is not only about work. It is about the spiritual development of each member of your group. We want the group to see this experience as an act of worship. Whether they are mowing the lawn, helping a widow, serving lunch to a child, eating with the group or just playing volleyball, we want the members of the group to see these experiences as an act of worship. That is why we call you a Worship Team.

I urge you, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

There are several things we do to enable this to happen:

1. Morning devotional time with Good Works staff/interns. This time is intended to help the group see their service as an act of worship. It is intended to be educational about how God views poverty and the poor.
2. Participation in Timothy House evening activities. The Timothy House serves people who are struggling with poverty and have found themselves homeless. Members of the group will participate in the evening meal and activities that follow.
3. Use of Solitude Retreat Cabin. To help the group get times of “holy rest” and to provide a time for prayer and Bible reading in solitude.
4. Evening Gathering. Beginning at around 9:15 each evening you will gather for worship and reflection. Although the interns will initiate this time, you have the flexibility to put into place elements that you feel are important. This could include singing, group Bible reading, reconciliation among group members, testimony, or helping to process the events of the day. If the weather is nice, this can be around a campfire.
5. Evangelism. We recognize that not all the members of your group that come to serve with us will be Christians. We encourage this because we want to create a context in which the Christian and the not-yet-Christian can interact. It is our desire that something will happen to cause that individual to begin this relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We will also be seeking to make the most of the opportunities that God provides to lead someone into this relationship.

The evenings (prior to Evening Worship) at Good Works are set aside for your use. We encourage you to develop activities that will balance the work of the day with recreational times that bring the group together again. Basketball and volleyball are available to your group as well as hiking through the trails on our property.

On Friday evening an intern will lead the Closing Session. The intention here is to help your group process what happened during the week. Your involvement in this is critical and you should speak with the intern beforehand to express your priorities. This is a great opportunity to speak a word into the lives of the group and begin to have them think about what they will do with the experience after the get back to their home.

For more about the concept of Worship Teams, please see the article entitled Worship Teams in the Summer/Fall 2001 Good Newsletter.