Hi, my name is Dan Frost. I am a profane, self-centered person whose job and only goal in life is to make lots of money. My motto is, "He who dies with the most toys, wins the game." I don't have time for anyone but myself, but if you are collecting for a charity, I might give you something if it is tax deductible.

Hi, my name is Dan Frost. I am a Christian who is active in my church, tithes his income, and is blessed with the free time to serve at church and other charitable programs.

Not many of you know the first Dan Frost, but a lot of you are responsible for the second Dan Frost coming to the surface. When I think of the road I have taken in the last 5 years, I am reminded of some song lyrics from my youth, "What a long, strange trip it's been." (Hey, if Kirk can use Monty Python in his sermons, I can use the Grateful Dead in my article.)

I think the most important thing that helped me on my path to becoming more Christ-like is the opportunity I had to develop the heart of a servant. I have had the chance to become involved in our church, LOVE Inc., Covenant Harbor, VBS, in Mexico and a long run with Habitat for Humanity. My moments of greatest satisfaction in the past several years have come when serving others. My experiences have convinced me that volunteering for service shapes and change you, so that you benefit just as much or more than the people you are helping out.

If our goal is to search for what it takes to become more Christ-like, what could be more clear than Matthew 20:28:

"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The direction we are to take as suggested in Matthew seems quite clear. But how does it work? What is it that helps to change the heart of a servant? There are at least three things that come to my mind.

The first is a greater understanding of our fellow man. Working at the side of a man of different color or different social rank is the best way to find out about him. When you have worked right alongside someone, your prejudices drop away along with the sweat from your brow.

Empathy is the second way to change your heart. A servant who can "Walk a mile" in someone else's shoes rarely comes away unchanged. If you have a hard time understanding why people behave the way they do, try to take on their burdens and you will see what it feels like.

The last benefit that comes to mind is the kinship with fellow servants. It is both rewarding and reassuring to see the effort put forth by fellow Christians. If you would take a time-lapse photo of our church over a week, and see all the people who come and go to make our church work, it would make you feel proud to be part of it.

By now some must be wondering if there is a point to this article. Hopefully there is one somewhere in here. I invite everyone to examine themselves to see if they have the heart of a servant. As our church gets bigger it is easier to avoid responsibilities by thinking that there is someone else who will teach that class, or head that committee, or fix that door. Our plans to build an addition to our church is just one part of what an effective ministry is made up of. We will need many new servants of God's kingdom to make our long range plans come true. I firmly believe that in volunteering and being these servants you will be generously rewarded both here and in the hereafter.