Serve SCB vs. Serve NC: What’s the Difference? (Formerly Referred to As Operation Inasmuch)

Serve SCB vs. Serve NC: What’s the Difference? (Formerly Referred to As Operation Inasmuch)

In the past, every spring, our church family comes together for a day of serving, but if you’ve been around a while, you may have noticed the name and format shifting a bit. In the past, we participated in Operation Inasmuch, a worldwide ministry that equips churches to live out the biblical call to serve “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40), and we did this one time per year in the spring.

Operation Inasmuch was (and is) a wonderful model that helped churches—including ours—see what it looks like to do the Gospel in very real, tangible ways. Over time, though, we began shaping those days into something that fit our church’s heartbeat and the unique needs of our community.

Now, today in 2025, we’ve launched two distinct serve days each year: Serve SCB in the spring and Serve NC in the fall. Both share the same ultimate purpose: equipping us to be the hands and feet of Jesus beyond just one day of service. But they each have a slightly different focus.

Serve SCB (Spring) – Caring for Our Own

The spring Serve SCB Day is centered on serving in some places within our church walls, and those within our church family, particularly the elderly, the homebound, shut-ins, widows, and widowers. These brothers and sisters often need a helping hand with things like:

• Light yardwork (mowing, trimming, brush removal)

• Small home repairs or ramp builds

• Pantry organizing, carpet or kitchen cleaning

• Trash or storm debris removal

• Visiting shut-ins and delivering gift baskets

• And more!

And then we have the projects near or on the church grounds that might need tending to, such as:

• Trash pickup along Starnes Cove Road

• Weeding re-mulching our playground area, and some flower beds

• Painting walls

• Organizing storage closets

• Deep cleaning toys in the nurseries

• And more!

The day is structured but simple: we gather at the church at 8:00 AM, get everyone checked in, make sure any day-of volunteers get assigned to a project, get our final headcount for lunch, pray together, and head out to serve by 9:00 am. Most projects wrap up by noon, and everyone regroups for a free lunch back at the church (or lunch is delivered to longer-running project sites if needed).

The heart of Serve SCB is caring for the people God has already placed in our spiritual family (Galatians 6:10). It’s an opportunity to bless those who’ve poured into our church for years and to show them that they are seen, valued, and loved.

Serve NC (Fall) – Reaching Outward

The Fall Serve NC Day shifts the focus outward. Instead of serving within the church body, these projects are directed toward our community and neighbors who may not have a church home at all, or might not even know Christ.

This day is about meeting tangible needs and opening doors for spiritual conversations. Whether it’s repairing a deck board, sorting food donations, or raking leaves, we’re not just “fixing things”, but we’re showing people the love of Christ in action.

Projects often include things like:

• Repairing older decks or building small ramps

• Cleaning or repairing gutters

• Partnering with ministries like the WNC Rescue Mission, ABCCM, Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, or Broyhill Children’s Home to help with things such as facilities maintenance, pressure washing, breaking down food donations, cleaning their carpets, and more

• Helping people clean out and organize their kitchens and pantries

• Visiting the local fire departments, police stations, & others to share encouragement and a small token of our gratitude for their service

• Light yard work or small home repairs

• Trash or storm debris removal

• And more!

Unlike Serve SCB, Serve NC does not include projects inside the church walls or focus on church members. The goal is to reach the unchurched, the disconnected, and the hurting, giving them a glimpse of the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”)

And as Galatians 5:13 reminds us: “Through love serve one another.” Our acts of kindness aren’t just tasks to check off and forget about… They’re tangible expressions of Christ’s love that can change a life. Your acts of service, showing compassion and genuine love for others, could be the reason that someone accepts Christ into their life.

Why Two Serve Days?

You might be wondering—why do we do both? Isn’t one enough?

Here’s why: because Jesus served both His disciples and the crowds. He cared deeply for those who already followed Him, but He also reached out to those who had never heard of Him. In the same way, we want to model that form of love and the same balance.

• Serve SCB teaches us how to care for one another well.

• Serve NC pushes us out of our comfort zones to share the Gospel with the world around us.

Both days equip us not just for a day of service, but for a lifestyle of service.

Additional Opportunities to Serve: Partner Ministry Days

In addition to these two bigger serve days led by our Service Ministry Team, our church also now hosts Partner Ministry Days twice per year (so we have one dedicated churchwide day of service per quarter!) Our Benevolence Team leads these two particular days and gives us opportunities to step into the facilities of our ministry partners, like the WNC Rescue Mission, ABCCM, Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, or Broyhill Children’s Home, familiarize ourselves with the services they offer the community, and serve there for a few hours at a time.

These smaller but powerful days may look like:

• Sorting and organizing clothing donations

• Prepping food in a community kitchen

• Helping with landscaping or clean-up projects

• Breaking down food donations

• Assisting staff and volunteer coordinators with specialized needs on-site

Partner Ministry Days, along with our Serve SCB and Serve NC days, help us stay connected and consistent in our service, along with continually equipping us— so we’re not just waiting for specific times of year to serve, or only opportunities organized by the church. Instead, they help us to make service part of the rhythm of our church family all year long, and encourage us to go out and serve outside of the church walls, to those in our everyday lives.

Serving Beyond the Day

We don’t serve just to “check the box” for the year. The hope is that these serve days spark something deeper: confidence, joy, connection, and a heart for ongoing service.

Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). As His followers, we are called to do the same— not because it makes us feel good, but because it’s who He has called us to be.

So whether you’re cleaning up a yard, organizing a pantry, or handing out water bottles on the roadside, know this: you are showing people a glimpse of Jesus. You are living out the Gospel in a way that words alone cannot do. Actions often speak louder than words, and we also live in a world where doing nice things and caring for people, especially those we don’t know, without expecting something in return, is almost unheard of, but man, is it deeply impactful.

Join Us!

Our next serve day is just around the corner (Serve NC on September 20th, 2025), and we’d love for you to be part of it. Don’t miss the chance to serve, grow, connect, and see firsthand how God uses even the simplest acts of service to make an eternal impact. Sign-ups are occurring in the church foyer following Sunday morning worship service, and on Wednesdays in the same area after Wednesday Night Programs at 8 pm. You can see our Service Ministry leader, Seth Brock, for more details or with any questions!

Let’s not just be a church that “does” service days. Let’s be a church that lives a lifestyle of service—at home, at work, in our neighborhoods, and beyond.