The truth is, service is hard for me. I’m a person who values my “me” time, so when I first heard about this Impact Service Day, it was a hard pass for me. The thought of giving up seven precious hours of my Saturday afternoon was not appealing. But then the Holy Spirit started to work on my heart. He reminded me of my spiritual heritage and how deeply sown this particular building was in that heritage. Neighborhood Life House has been many things in its lifetime, and my family has been involved throughout. It started at Ozark Bible College, and from 1953 to 1955, my grandmother Marj Boudreaux attended and earned a degree there. She lived upstairs in the very building we were serving in on Saturday.
Fast forward a few decades, and the space became North Joplin Christian Church. From 1980 to 1984, my uncle served as a minister there while he attended the now-relocated Ozark Christian College. In 1982, my parents were married in the very chapel where we spent hours praying, playing games, and preparing for the day. As Impact Day progressed, I couldn’t help but be humbled by being in that building. To know that my family had been serving in this space for upwards of 70 years helped me swallow my pride and focus on the mission at hand: service.
The day was a beautiful mix of fun and hard work. The early afternoon was spent in prayer – over the space, the neighborhood, and for discernment as we navigated conversations about Jesus later with those who may not know Him. As I moved tables, chairs, and decorations to the space for the cookout, I walked the halls that generations before me had walked. Generations that learned the gospel, preached the gospel, and proudly declared their love for the gospel within those very walls. Emotional, to say the least. Addie Jarrett, the director of Life House, continues a legacy of spreading the gospel at this location and has done a phenomenal job of building this program.
The day was full of celebration. We celebrated Jesus through worship. We celebrated various cultures by enjoying a potluck made by those families that live in the neighborhood. We celebrated community by gathering and sharing a meal and conversation together.
Once the party began, I sought out a man I saw sitting alone. We talked about everything and nothing. He was a man of few words. At one point, he asked me why I was there. Before I could even think of a response, God spoke, “To continue the legacy of spreading the gospel of Jesus through this place.” He pondered that response, didn’t say anything back, and took a sip of his Sprite. After a few more quiet moments, he got up to leave. I asked him if I could pray with him, and he politely said, “No thank you.” At first, I was troubled by this, “Why would God lead me to this man if I’m not supposed to pray with him or share Jesus with him,” but then I thought, “Maybe I just did.” Maybe simply by speaking His name, I planted a seed in this man’s heart. I’ll continue to pray for him and pray for the mission work that Addie is doing at Neighborhood Life House.
A day that I was initially skeptical to commit to turned into a day that I’ll never forget.
I’m reminded of the song, Hymn of Heaven, and these words:
And on that day, we join the resurrection
Hymn of Heaven – Bethel Music
And stand beside the heroes of the faith
With one voice, a thousand generations
Sing, “worthy is the lamb who was slain.”
I can’t help but think about the generations before me that have led so many to Jesus through this space, the small impact I was privileged to have, and the continued impact that Addie is making through Neighborhood Life House for the Kingdom. Because of this space, “a thousand generations” will sing praises to our God forever.
written by Justin Boudreaux
Neighborhood Life House
Neighborhood Life House serves the Northwest Joplin area, a neighborhood rich in story and history. They work with members of the neighborhood to empower people to see who they can be with the help of God through mentoring, education, and physical and spiritual partnership.
