A lot of what we try around here doesn't work. I could write a book on all that, I suppose.

But every once in awhile, we stumble on something that does work. Through a combination of a good idea, focused efforts, and the hand of God, some of our ministries really come together.

First Serve is one of those ministries.

It's only a year old, but it's already burned deeply into the DNA of Good Shepherd. It's part of the vocabulary. It's how new friends meet and old ones connect.

And it's how we best live out our serving milestone that's at the heart of Walking Together.

Why has it worked? Some thoughts:

• It's easy. Show up on the first Saturday (hello! First Serve!) of each month, get an assignment, work all morning, and you're done.
• It respects your private/family time. We don't ask you to serve for 12 hours or even eight hours. Only three. Give up a Saturday morning and the rest of the day is yours.
• Speaking of families . . . Many of the serving sites are kid-friendly, so you can build a servant mentality into the youngest ones in your house.
• It's all we do . . . Now, not technically. We have several other serving opportunities, a couple of them quite in depth. But this is the only one we promote on Sunday mornings. We don't clutter your mind with too many options. It's First Serve.
• There's a buzz. When you see 300-400 people together on a Saturday morning and then you worship with them and then you see them all sent out in the community, you can't help but be caught up in the holy momentum.
• It makes a difference. I have found through the years that if we give the people of Good Shepherd a chance to make a difference in the community, they will. More than any other group of people I know, the folks in this community love to serve. That's surely all any pastor could ask for.

To pre-register up for this month's First Serve, check here.

The Eagles had their "Hotel California."

Leonardo DaVinci had his Mona Lisa.

Orson Welles had his "Citizen Kane."

Mark Twain had "Huckleberry Finn."

Mr. Holland had his opus.

And here's ours. "Haters & Sycophants." We played it in church yesterday.