We’ve asked a few different people to tell us about their “why” in their ministry area, today we hear about Parent Aide from Andrew Shermett, Parent Aide Ministry Support Specialist .

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. – James 1:27

For a while now, I have been interested in studying theology, as there are so many opinions about the Bible floating around out there. Every now and again, somebody will post something on social media that I feel inclined to investigate! I recently saw a quote on Facebook that read, “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” It stirred my curiosity, so I decided to look into it and found that James, the brother of Jesus, actually addressed this very topic! James clarified what pure, undefiled religion is. Here at ABCS, our Parent Aides get to live this out by caring for widows, orphans, and others who are in desperate need. True religion is not based in traditions or laws, but in showing others the love that Jesus shows us. As somebody who works behind the scenes, I am blessed to be able to support the Parent Aides in their mission of true religion. James also mentioned that we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world. This is how we can shine brightly to those who are lost and in need. My “why” in this ministry is that I want to pursue true, pure, and undefiled religion before God, and cultivate an atmosphere of light-shiners!