Win/Win Volunteer Story: Scott + Patty Moore

For Scott and Patty Moore, there are few things that bring them more joy than serving the Lord and amongst their brothers and sisters in Christ. Both of them have always had servants’ hearts and no matter where they have attended, you can always find the Moores lending a hand, flashing a warm smile and sharing the Good News with those they meet.

About 10 years ago, the Moores felt it was time to look for a new church home. Their former church had been rapidly declining and they felt God calling them to look for a new place to worship. “We attended Ward for a couple of services and realized that’s where God had placed us,” said Scott. He recalls the first service they attended, which hadn’t been a holiday service, and the first person they met was Pastor Scott McKee. “Scott met us and he said, ‘You don’t normally attend this service, do you?’ He spent 10 minutes talking to us and made us feel so welcome. Then he gave a sermon where it felt like he was speaking right to us. We just got hooked.”

It wasn’t long before the Moores attended a Connection Dessert, followed by the DNA class, followed the membership class. And from the moment on, the Moores have been serving God and their church with all their might. “I drive the shuttle and it’s such a great opportunity,” soad Scott, who serves on the second Sunday of the month. “All the drivers get about two minutes to talk to the people. It’s the nicest part of the Sunday. Sometimes we pray together. Sometimes we laugh. They thank us, but I feel like I should be thanking them for the privilege to serve,” said Scott.

Patty, who serves alongside Scott at the welcome desk on the third Sunday of the month and also hosts a small group in their home, said this joy of serving emanates from a place of gratitude in both of their hearts. “We are very welcoming people and that’s what we used to do at our other church. We always felt very, very welcomed at Ward Church,” said Patty, who recalls her gratefulness toward those who made them feel right at home. “Every Sunday, we had the same people that sat around us, people like Millie Dreisbech, and Susan and Peter Tassie.”

Having received so much love from the Ward family, they have since been looking for ways to pay it forward as often as they can. One way they do that is as Connection Dessert hosts. “God gave me the ability to talk to people,” said Scott, with a laugh. “Maybe we talk too much and maybe I’m a smart aleck. But I want people to feel welcome. It gives us an opportunity to serve others. We’ve been served, so we need to serve others.”

The Moores admit that while they do see it as their duty as Christians, serving is not a compulsory thing they feel they have to do. It’s what brings them joy. It’s a great way to meet people and have fun. “The camaraderie you get with the other people is so uplifting. It’s just so much fun,” said Scott.

Patty and Scott have seen how modeling service has impacted the next generation. Patty recently served with her granddaughter, Amaliah, at Forgotten Harvest. “I know we are teaching her a lesson on what’s right,” said Scott, who looks forward to serving at Forgotten Harvest regularly with Patty once he is also retired.

For those looking for a way to get connected, meet others and just feel like they belong, Scott says that signing up to serve is the right move. “Even though were stepping inside this large church, we didn’t feel like we were inside a large church. I would like to be that person who, somebody can say, they really make me feel welcomed here,” said Scott. “We love Ward. I couldn’t be happier.”

If you are interested in serving, check out opportunities at ward.church/serve or contact cindy.ziemba@ward.church.