Why I Serve - Alan May
Unlike many men, I have never found my identity in my work. My identity is in Christ Jesus. I have done a lot of different things to make a living throughout my life…cut lawns, delivered newspapers, sold cleaning products door-to-door, bussed tables, washed dishes, cleaned and repaired swimming pools, worked for a Fortune 100 company as an operations manager and an international business advisor, established a children’s home in East Africa as a missionary, delivered pizzas (as a middle-aged man), tutored students in math and Spanish, taught English to refugees, and directed non-profit organizations. Now, for two and a half years, I have served as a part-time staff member at Living Hope.
Prior to becoming a staff member, I had always done a lot of things in churches as a member of the body…taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, chaired committees, preached, taught discipleship classes, led small groups, cleaned church buildings, directed ESL ministries, cut church lawns, shoveled snow from church parking lots, served as an elder, baptized folks, officiated a wedding, prepared church bulletins, served in the nursery, and led mission teams. In fact, for 56 years I never aspired to serve on a church staff. I was even sure I did not want to do that. Then, one day Gib called to ask me to consider serving as Living Hope’s part-time Missions Administrator. I was happy to do that because Living Hope was different, in a good way, than any other church of which I had been a member, and Missions was my heart’s passion. I absolutely love to lead others on mission trips and to keep in touch with our ministry partners and missionaries here and abroad to encourage them, pray for them, and endeavor to see their needs met.
My life was turned upside down when my precious wife Pam succumbed to Covid-19 near the end of 2020 and went to be with Jesus, and I, too, battled a bad case of the virus from which I am still not fully recovered. After all the years of serving the Lord and others, I became the beneficiary of outreach and an overwhelming outpouring of love and care by the body of Living Hope. The Lord has always met my needs, and most often uses others to do so. Thank you, Living Hope!
Shortly, after Pam’s death, the Living Hope elders asked me to take on an additional role leading our Connections efforts. This in itself was a precious act of caring because my medical insurance abruptly terminated when Pam died, and the elders saw an opportunity to increase my responsibilities and make me eligible for employment benefits at the same time. A win-win for me and Living Hope. Like Missions, Connections is a natural fit for me. Pam used to tell me, “you talk to everybody!” She was right, I not only talk to everybody, but it has always been my practice to make sure that folks in my presence are introduced to each other. I have naturally and organically been a connector of people for much of my life. So, when asked, “Why do you do what you do?,” I can simply say I do what I do because of what Jesus has done for me. “We love because He first loved us.” I John 4:19
- Alan May, Missions & Connections Director