If you lift your hand to work, you have a mission field. Maybe you stay home with kids, your hands nurture when you load the washing machine and stir the mac-n-cheese. Others of you go to a desk and sit behind a computer, your fingers serve by typing, researching and reporting. Maybe you clean toilets and scrub floors, your muscles feel every movement and that is worship. Or maybe you are the one wearing scrubs, journeying labor and delivery with a new mom, your hands holding life as you silently whisper prayers over a child you will never see again.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23
We have an army of nurses that are involved in Grace Klein Community. Some leave shampoo and soap at the office door for struggling mamas, others donate their kids clothing, a few enter the homes of the dying, some listen and encourage, others attend community gatherings. All these members share a common gift – nurturing. They notice hurt, they do not run from pain, they comfort, lay down their lives, encourage, pray, and give until they have nothing left. Maybe you see them in their scrubs or maybe you never realized they were a nurse, but they share a calling and they work their calling with all their hearts.
One such nurse is Ali Bartelmay. She usually works twelve hour shifts. She loves her co-workers and her patients. Every day of work is an opportunity to pour out Jesus. Love is her soothing balm. She comforts in pain, rejoices in celebration, and listens intently. She holds all things in confidence, respecting all those legal requirements, but also the hearts of her patients. She bears others burdens because it’s her privilege. She leaves exhausted, having given everything. Isn’t that what every vocation needs? The people willing to give their lives for something greater than themselves, to love like Jesus when Jesus’ name cannot be mentioned, and to surrender to that worship of working with all their might for God and not man. Something about working as worship changes everything about our attitudes, motivation, and expectations. Jesus drives us, not money, accolades, promotions or position.
We have these t-shirts that say, “The Church Has Left the Building” and that’s exactly what happens when Ali’s car pulls up to work. The church has shown up at a local hospital because the Spirit of God is alive in her. Oh that God would use all of us in such a way, that we would remember we are the church, we’ve left the building, and wherever we go, the body of Christ just showed up.
Not only does Ali serve in her career, she also serves as an active member of Grace Klein Community. She loves to craft and she donates some of her products for us to sell in our BeMoreRandom store to raise funds for missions both locally and around the world. She also makes herself available to work the BeMoreRandom table at Family Fun Nights, festivals, Networking for a Cause events, and even modeled the loot for the Give and Take Room. She consistently comes to prayer night to pray and worship with others who are also seeking to live for Jesus in their day-to-day moments.
A few months ago, she helped coordinate and host The Brave Kind at a Worship on Wineridge. Ali and other community members were at a band night at our partner, Seeds Coffee Co, and met musicians from Ventura, CA. They decided to ask them to share an impromptu worship night with them and when the musicians said yes, they shared their resources and time to coordinate food, purchase additional seating for the community house and also bless the musicians on their way. The night was a wonderful night of praise to Jesus and the musicians even stayed the night in Ali’s personal home.
As of late, Ali has made herself available to help prepare for fundraising yard sales, babysitting friend’s children, and cleaning house for a sick friend in the community.
As Ali grows in intimacy with our Father, she is hungry to worship. Her desire for worship has given her an eagerness to learn how to play the guitar. She is practicing and learning from others in the community.
She enjoys fellowship with community members, whether serving at the community house, participating in worship nights, dressing up for India night, sitting around a bonfire, or trying Brazilian food. Ali loves learning from others, hearing their stories, appreciating other cultures, talking about the Word, and caring for our missionary partners.
As we consider what makes us better in Jesus, let us remember how each of us have different gifts and abilities. We belong to one another. We must contribute our gifts generously and not sparingly. We need each other and together we are better.
If you lift your hand to work, you have a mission field. Maybe you stay home with kids, your hands nurture when you load the washing machine and stir the mac-n-cheese. Others of you go to a desk and sit behind a computer, your fingers serve by typing, researching and reporting. Maybe you clean toilets and scrub floors, your muscles feel every movement and that is worship. Or maybe you are the one wearing scrubs, journeying labor and delivery with a new mom, your hands holding life as you silently whisper prayers over a child you will never see again.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23
We have an army of nurses that are involved in Grace Klein Community. Some leave shampoo and soap at the office door for struggling mamas, others donate their kids clothing, a few enter the homes of the dying, some listen and encourage, others attend community gatherings. All these members share a common gift – nurturing. They notice hurt, they do not run from pain, they comfort, lay down their lives, encourage, pray, and give until they have nothing left. Maybe you see them in their scrubs or maybe you never realized they were a nurse, but they share a calling and they work their calling with all their hearts.
One such nurse is Ali Bartelmay. She usually works twelve hour shifts. She loves her co-workers and her patients. Every day of work is an opportunity to pour out Jesus. Love is her soothing balm. She comforts in pain, rejoices in celebration, and listens intently. She holds all things in confidence, respecting all those legal requirements, but also the hearts of her patients. She bears others burdens because it’s her privilege. She leaves exhausted, having given everything. Isn’t that what every vocation needs? The people willing to give their lives for something greater than themselves, to love like Jesus when Jesus’ name cannot be mentioned, and to surrender to that worship of working with all their might for God and not man. Something about working as worship changes everything about our attitudes, motivation, and expectations. Jesus drives us, not money, accolades, promotions or position.
We have these t-shirts that say, “The Church Has Left the Building” and that’s exactly what happens when Ali’s car pulls up to work. The church has shown up at a local hospital because the Spirit of God is alive in her. Oh that God would use all of us in such a way, that we would remember we are the church, we’ve left the building, and wherever we go, the body of Christ just showed up.
Not only does Ali serve in her career, she also serves as an active member of Grace Klein Community. She loves to craft and she donates some of her products for us to sell in our BeMoreRandom store to raise funds for missions both locally and around the world. She also makes herself available to work the BeMoreRandom table at Family Fun Nights, festivals, Networking for a Cause events, and even modeled the loot for the Give and Take Room. She consistently comes to prayer night to pray and worship with others who are also seeking to live for Jesus in their day-to-day moments.
A few months ago, she helped coordinate and host The Brave Kind at a Worship on Wineridge. Ali and other community members were at a band night at our partner, Seeds Coffee Co, and met musicians from Ventura, CA. They decided to ask them to share an impromptu worship night with them and when the musicians said yes, they shared their resources and time to coordinate food, purchase additional seating for the community house and also bless the musicians on their way. The night was a wonderful night of praise to Jesus and the musicians even stayed the night in Ali’s personal home.
As of late, Ali has made herself available to help prepare for fundraising yard sales, babysitting friend’s children, and cleaning house for a sick friend in the community.
As Ali grows in intimacy with our Father, she is hungry to worship. Her desire for worship has given her an eagerness to learn how to play the guitar. She is practicing and learning from others in the community.
She enjoys fellowship with community members, whether serving at the community house, participating in worship nights, dressing up for India night, sitting around a bonfire, or trying Brazilian food. Ali loves learning from others, hearing their stories, appreciating other cultures, talking about the Word, and caring for our missionary partners.
As we consider what makes us better in Jesus, let us remember how each of us have different gifts and abilities. We belong to one another. We must contribute our gifts generously and not sparingly. We need each other and together we are better.
One such nurse is Ali Bartelmay. She usually works twelve hour shifts. She loves her co-workers and her patients. Every day of work is an opportunity to pour out Jesus. Love is her soothing balm. She comforts in pain, rejoices in celebration, and listens intently. She holds all things in confidence, respecting all those legal requirements, but also the hearts of her patients. She bears others burdens because it’s her privilege. She leaves exhausted, having given everything. Isn’t that what every vocation needs? The people willing to give their lives for something greater than themselves, to love like Jesus when Jesus’ name cannot be mentioned, and to surrender to that worship of working with all their might for God and not man. Something about working as worship changes everything about our attitudes, motivation, and expectations. Jesus drives us, not money, accolades, promotions or position.
Not only does Ali serve in her career, she also serves as an active member of Grace Klein Community. She loves to craft and she donates some of her products for us to sell in our BeMoreRandom store to raise funds for missions both locally and around the world. She also makes herself available to work the BeMoreRandom table at Family Fun Nights, festivals, Networking for a Cause events, and even modeled the loot for the Give and Take Room. She consistently comes to prayer night to pray and worship with others who are also seeking to live for Jesus in their day-to-day moments.
She enjoys fellowship with community members, whether serving at the community house, participating in worship nights, dressing up for India night, sitting around a bonfire, or trying Brazilian food. Ali loves learning from others, hearing their stories, appreciating other cultures, talking about the Word, and caring for our missionary partners.