Serving His House with Boldness
I started attending Radiant at the Richland location just before Easter in 2016. The following month, I attended the Be Radiant Class and wanted to start volunteering. But it wasn't until after At The Movies in 2017 that, at the suggestion of a friend, I looked to join the Safety Team.
To serve on Radiant’s Safety Team, you are required to serve 6 months with a different team unless you have previous law enforcement or safety experience. So, the Lord prompted me to join the Usher team, and I’ve never left, advancing to team lead in 2020 during the Covid lockdown and then to the Usher Ministry Lead in 2021 after retiring, managing Sunday teams and coordinating with the Safety Team when they needed coverage.
Most of my early years were spent in the aisles seating people and welcoming visitors and members into the sanctuary. Being in the same section week after week, you get to know the regular attendees and learn their seating preferences, seeing their eyes light up as they are being served.
That is when my wife and I met this 20-something-year-old married couple who came regularly back in the pre-COVID days. The Lord set them apart in my eyes, and we started having this ongoing connection, along with the usual friendly chit-chat. Over time, we exchanged names and small details in the fast-paced moments we had together.
In our conversations, he told about his relationship with Radiant and how they had been attending, on and off, for 2-3 years but struggled to find community.
I told him it is easy to get lost in the crowd like Radiant because of the sheer size and that it was hard enough staying connected with the people we know without going out looking for more people to connect with. After all, it wasn't until I joined a small group and volunteered in a ministry that Radiant became my home and my family.
The couple then took the Be Radiant Class and got assigned to the Safety Team, with him being a state police officer and her being a physician's assistant.
Along the way, we became an aunt and uncle to this young couple, growing with each other, having dinner together during the Covid lockdowns, and celebrating the births of their daughters.
As the Usher Ministry Team Lead, the Lord urged me to spend more time at the sanctuary doors as more of a greeter, welcoming people into the sanctuary and taking longer moments getting to know my regulars, making the newcomers feel welcome, and stepping into people's moments.
It was encouraging watching hard faces start to shift and soften, knowing that they are "seen" and "valued" as they enter. Seeing my regulars coming in, sometimes in pain, meeting them where they were, giving them a kind word and praying for them, listening to their stories, understanding that every moment and meeting could turn into a moment of witness, holding space for them in that moment, and watching them leave a little less burdened.
If the Lord had not put on my heart to welcome that young couple week after week, they could have left and we would never have become close.
If He had not shown me the shift on a woman's face, I would never have known her mother was dying, her mother's name or her name, or known when her mother died, or seeing as her loss started to shift and her joy started to return.
If the Lord had not encouraged me to help an older couple, the husband dealing with dementia, get appropriate seating and watch over them during service.
If He had not drawn me to engage with a woman dealing with degrading health from MS find comfort in the sanctuary, giving her an arm to get seated, picking her up off the floor when she fell, not allowing her to feel shame because she was "inconvenient."
The stories and testimonies go on and on. I'm honored that the Lord placed them in my path and allowed me to step into seasons of difficulty and hold space with them.
As I finished my conversation with the young greeter, I noticed how touched she was with my experience. She replied, "I didn't realize that's what it is about." It was a growth moment for her and a joy to be a part of.
On the Welcome Team, we have three layers of impressions.
The first is the Parking Team. They welcome everyone to the location.
Then there is the Welcome Team. They welcome everyone through the doors.
Then there is the Usher Team. They escort people to their seats.
Each layer on the Welcome Team is an opportunity to connect with those entering the sanctuary. A chance to share the love of Jesus with them, let them be seen, acknowledge them with a greeting and a smile, value them, and spend a moment with them where they are. We don't know what they went through yesterday or what they might be struggling with today–we can only meet them where they are.
As volunteers, let's be bold in our discipleship and let the Lord instill in us a love for people.
If you are looking for a greater connection to the Radiant family and serve, the Be Radiant Class could be your next step to get plugged in and take your next step. Seek the Lord and ask which ministry may be in your calling.
In His name.
Do you feel your story can serve as a hope and inspiration to others? Share your story at mystory@radiant.church.