On January 16, students and community members gathered for a morning of inspiring messages, songs, and service presented by the BYU Y-Serve office and the Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership.
In a sermon, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”
Attendees will register for one of the 17 opportunities for service available, receive refreshments provided by the Sorensen Center, and attend a prayer segment that begins with the Unity Gospel Choir, followed by speakers Debra and Harry Bonner Did.
Debra Bonner talked about including Christ in our lives to banish hate and replace it with service. “Know him personally and listen to him. He will talk to you when you have a problem,” Bonner said. “I love him and serve him for what he has done for me.”
Following Debra Bonner’s remarks, Harry Bonner called on the audience to heed the call of the Lord. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a third-generation preacher who responded to the call for a Christlike life, Bonner said.
“When he was ready to take a position at his father’s church as the principal pastor of that particular church … he received a higher calling to be a spokesman for the civil rights movement,” said Harry Bonner. Told.
He also said that if you want to be great in an organization, you need to learn to serve.
“If you want to be the chief of all, you must be the servant of all,” he said.
After the message, volunteers headed to service projects facilitated through Y-Serve scattered on and off campus, and had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the Bonner family.
For many volunteers, they said this was their second or third visit. said an American Folk community member. “Service is making time to sacrifice your time for others,” said Benny Hollenbach.
Volunteer Caitlin Cole said she chose to serve because it was a nice thing to do on holidays. During the event, volunteers scanned QR codes to report service times.
“I know a lot of people think Monday is just a cool holiday. Learn about who King Jr. is and how we can make an impact in this world is well worth the time,” says Hayley Aiono, Leadership Programming Coordinator. said Mr.
Spencer Jackson, a BYU student and current executive director of MLK Community Outreach Days, said he hopes participants will be exposed to the knowledge that these service projects go beyond MLK Days. rice field. “Y-Serve is open 24/7. Anyone is welcome to come here and ask what they can do,” said Jackson.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Outreach Day is an annual event and will continue, said Chris Crippen, Y-Serve office director. The Y-Serve office also offers “Stop-and-Serve” activities where students can come and help out with various service projects. A subscription to our weekly newsletter can be found on our website.
