Jacob Counts doesn’t see serving as just getting a job done. He sees it as giving a gift.
“Imagine that you have a good friend and you want to give them a gift. You listen really carefully to figure out what they like. You save up your money and get them something special. Then, you go to give it to them. You’re so excited. But they say, ‘No thanks. I don’t need that.’ That would be devastating … Telling someone you don’t need them to serve is sort of like that. We need to give everyone opportunity to give back to God out of their love for Him,” said Jacob.
Jacob, who is Facilities Team Coordinator for Blue Ridge, started serving on the aquarium and then cleaning team several years ago. He said for some people cleaning toys and taking out the trash just doesn’t sound very exciting. For Jacob, it is being part of the Body.
"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." — Ephesians 4:16
“It takes each of us using our gifting to make it work,” Jacob said. “We can serve God whether we’re holding a mop or a microphone.”
On Sundays, when he sees hundreds of children filling the rooms in Kids Community, he feels good about the work his team does to keep God’s little ones safe. When he sees people filling the auditorium and having a good experience, he knows his work is important.
Not only does Jacob feel he’s growing closer to God, he’s also growing closer to his team.
“There’s always a lot to be done. You have a high awareness that you’re accomplishing things. You never feel like you’re just doing something for nothing,” he said.
“We’re serving a common goal. An important goal,” Jacob added “Also, you’re here when the building is a lot quieter. Because everything is quieter, you get to know the people here so much more.”
Honoring God and loving others — that’s why Jacob “PRESSes” into serving.
“You have to know the reason why. Otherwise you’re just running a vacuum,” he said. “You can spend time reading Scripture and praying, but when you do something that’s where the rubber meets the road.”
Learn more about serving with Facilities, which offers these opportunities:
- Cleaning team
- Aquarium team
- Automotive team
- Painting team
- Grounds crew
- Room setup
- Snow removal
- Special projects