Now is the time to sign up for our annual Big Day of Serving, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 22 at four local sites. The registration deadline is Sunday, May 16.

The venues and the needs

• Rockford Public Schools. Whitehead School, 2325 Ohio Parkway. Beautifying school grounds.
• Rockford Rescue Mission. 715 West State St. Beautifying the grounds. Some volunteers will also go from there to the Thrift Store, 2710 20th St., to beautify grounds and sort donated items.
• Rockford Park District. Sand Park Pool, 1041 E. Riverside Blvd. Painting, beautifying the grounds. The pool is reopening this summer after three-year closure.
• First Free Rockford. Beautifying the Summerwood grounds and the Summerama area ahead of community use this summer.

Pastor Luke Uran says …

“I love the Big Day of Serving. It’s one of my favorite days that we do as a church. What better way to live out our faith than to put it into action? To love our community and the people of our community in this way? And to give generously to our community where there are places of need? We want to see all generations go, tell, and show the love of God in the community of Rockford in around the world — and this is the very fulfillment of that vision.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck day. Maybe you can be there with your family, or maybe it’s just you as an individual. Maybe you’re saying ‘I can’t do this physically. I don’t have the strength.’ Then you need to be there on site, sit at a picnic table and be praying over that site. Pray that whomever the Lord brings to that park, or to that school or to the Rescue Mission, that the Holy Spirit goes before and softens the hearts and prepares the minds to be receptive and responsive to the gospel message.

“I would love for us to break our record of involvement for people who are coming to serve together and love our community in this way.”

Scripture says …

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
— Jeremiah 29:4-7

To read more about our heart for Rockford and First Free’s long history in our community, visit our Why Rockford page. Our church’s vision is to go, tell and show the love of Christ to the city of Rockford and around the world. It starts with the city we know and love.

How to sign up

Go to the event page. Then click on the “Sign Up for BDOS ’21” button. You’ll need to log in to the site to register. As you sign up, you’ll be asked to choose a venue.

Anyone of any age can take part. You don’t even have to attend First Free. Please invite friends, family, groups from work and anyone else who wants to serve.

Next week: A conversation with Meredith Domanico and Clayton Ganziano, who are coordinating this year’s Big Day of Serving.