Empowering Christians to join Christ's work in their community for the purpose of building God's kingdom. | | Right person...Right time...Right task! | |
"Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14b
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Has God ever brought just the right person into your life - at just the right time - for just what you needed in that exact moment? Here at VIS, we LOVE watching God bring just the right person to serve a neighbor "for such a time as this!" My colleague David recently shared this story:
Robert was struggling to get down three flights of stairs to do his laundry in the basement of his apartment building due to some health and mobility issues. In January, God stirred the heart of church volunteer Rob who "just happened" to also live in Robert's neighborhood and offered to help with his laundry. Over the course of the year, not only did Robert and Rob keep on top of the laundry but they leaned into a relationship and spent countless hours chatting. As He always does, God knew just the right person for just the right time for the task ahead. Robert's health continued to decline and late in the summer Robert shared he had started on hospice care. For such a time as this, God brought volunteer Rob, who used to be a hospice social worker, into Robert's life! Their conversations quickly deepened to topics of faith, life and death, and Robert's desire to be with Jesus. For such a time as this, volunteer Rob witnessed Christ's love all the way to the end of Robert's life in October of 2025. For such a time as this, Volunteer Rob served Robert over laundry and conversation right into the arms of Jesus.
Oh Lord, continue to stir our hearts to recognize the places you are already at work in the lives of the neighbors around us. Thank you for inviting us to join you there and serve as just the right person...at just the right time...for the tasks you've prepared in advance for us to do. Thank you for gifting Robert with volunteer Rob and preparing Rob's heart in advance to serve in your name and for your glory. Amen!
Serving Him Together,
Cori Scholtens
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Casework Connections Coordinator
VIS is seeking a Casework Connections Coordinator (30-32 hrs/wk) for our team. This individual will play a key role in the intake of new VIS Friends (clients) and ministry requests, coordinating and connecting volunteers and churches with service opportunities, assisting to onboard new volunteers, and conducting home visits as needed. Come join a team that loves Jesus and is passionate about mobilizing the people of God for service! Experience in ministry, social work, nonprofit case management, or the equivalent is preferred. Learn more TODAY by contacting Cori at cscholtens@visgr.org. More information is available on the VIS Website.
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Fall Yard Clean-Up
Fall is here! The race to finish yard work projects before the first snow falls has begun! Will you connect with a neighbor this fall and SERVE by preparing their yard for winter? Here are some examples on our waiting list of opportunities to serve a neighbor. CLICK HERE for a full list:
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Lisa in Belding has honeysuckle and grapevines that need to be cut off her fence.
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Wendy in Belmont needs her bushes trimmed.
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Steve in Byron Center needs his tall weeds pulled, grass cut, and bushes trimmed.
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Michael in Cedar Springs needs the yard cleaned up around the house.
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Nancy in Grandville needs her leaves raked and bagged.
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Mary in Jenison needs the weeds pulled and leaves raked.
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Maureen in Kentwood needs help disconnecting and putting away her hoses, filling bird feeders, covering the porch furniture and AC unit, pulling weeds, raking leaves, cutting back flowers and trimming the rose bushes around her trailer.
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Rachelle in NE Grand Rapids needs 4 trees trimmed and her fence power washed.
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Joseph in NW Grand Rapids needs his leaves blown into the woods.
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George in Rockford needs several large piles of dry branches and twigs removed from his backyard and taken to the dump.
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Emma in SE Grand Rapids has tall weeds that need to be pulled.
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Sandy in SW Grand Rapids needs a few bushes trimmed, weeds pulled, and leaves raked.
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Cindy in Wyoming needs her leaves raked and taken to the yard refuse dump.
VIS has a constantly changing list of opportunities to serve in our local community! Join Christ's work and SERVE as a volunteer of your church, witnessing His love! Click on the buttons below to see a current "List of Service Opportunities." If you are able to serve or want more information, please "reply" to this email or call VIS at 616-459-7500. Opportunities are added daily and deleted as they are filled.
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Seeking Transportation Volunteers
Do you have a car and a couple extra hours a month? Did you know there is a huge transportation crisis in Kent County! Many of our neighbors are struggling with food insecurity and access to health care because they can't get to the store, food pantry, or doctor's office! This year already, VIS has received 1,054 requests for rides for food related needs and to medical appointments. Our current volunteers have reached their capacity. We have started declining new referrals for transportation support. Please consider joining us in "Sharing God's Love...One Ride at a Time!" Learn how you can serve based on your availability and serving preferences by reaching out to Cori at cscholtens@visgr.org or FILLING OUT THIS FORM.
| | Friendship CRC's 1Kingdom 1Body | | Thank you, Friendship CRC, for mobilizing the people of God to be the hands and feet of Jesus this past weekend in our community and serve in the name of Jesus! Many neighbors were blessed and touched with the love of Christ as you served! | |
Fall Benevolence Workshop
Date: Saturday, November 8 from 9am-3pm.
Location: Kentwood Christian Church 5841 Kalamazoo Ave SE, Grand Rapids
If you are in a role at your church to make decisions about the stewardship of benevolence funds, this training is for you! Benevolence Training is a one-day workshop focused on: The Biblical Foundation of Benevolence; Understanding Care Receivers and Their Circumstances; and Responding with Compassion, Knowledge, and Processes that Witness Christ's Love.
RSVP Today: CLICK HERE
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Inspiring Stewardship, Mercy, Justice, and Community Engagement
Twenty-nine deacons from 19 churches joined VIS for Deacon Training in September. We explored together what the role of is a deacon, how we are to fulfill the responsibilities within the calling of a deacon, and why we've been called to serve in this role. We discovered that as deacons we are not called to perform service on behalf of the church, but rather we are called to INSPIRE and equip our churches to live out the diaconal calling of stewardship, mercy, justice and community engagement!
Deacons, you were called into this role for "such a time as this!" Continue inspiring your church to witness Christ's love to each other and the community so that the body of Christ may be built up one life at a time!
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WAYS TO GIVE:
Support God's Work Through VIS
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Thank you in advance for joining us in God's ministry through Volunteers In Service (VIS). Your prayers and financial support are especially appreciated "in such a time as this" as we mobilize and encourage churches to connect with people in their neighborhood by serving and loving as Jesus did.
Your support grows the kingdom of God one life at a time! Bill's story is just one of the many examples of how Christ is at work through VIS to connect the people of God with opportunities to serve:
Bill called and was crying because he was so appreciative of what the kids did for him. He has terminal cancer and doesn't want his wife left to do everything. He said, “the students are a gift from God! All they did means more to me than I can say. Thank you.”
Your donation helps VIS equip and connect churches with opportunities to serve and share the love of Jesus. Thank you for supporting the work of building Christ's kingdom and helping further God's mission through VIS.
To support God's work through VIS with a financial gift: Click Here
In His Service,
Bernita Tuinenga
Mark your calendar
Tuesday, December 2, 2025!
More info coming soon
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