Loving Well Teaches Truth

She spoke only a handful of English words. Daughter. Cold. Car. Yes. But they were enough for Sara to understand how to help. As the Ukrainian refugee navigated the aisles of the food pantry, Sara held the grocery bag open, silently walking beside her as the woman selected what she needed. At times, the woman wept with frustration, the depth of her needs muted by a language barrier. Looking into her eyes, Sara silently conveyed, “I’m sorry,” and continued at her side until she loaded the last of the woman’s staples into her car. As Sara watched her drive out of the parking lot, she hoped the woman had “felt the love of Jesus, even if she didn’t yet know what that meant.”

During her day at CitySquare Food Pantry, Dallas Theological Seminary counseling student and staff member Sara Williams embodied the gospel by loving well, with patience and kindness. CitySquare is a nonprofit committed to using service, advocacy, and friendship to aid the more than 300,000 people in the Dallas area affected by poverty. “They are considerate of the individual, calling them neighbors,” Sara explained. “This is how I want to live.”

Sara’s experience mirrored many others across the city during the seminary’s “Nineteen | Twenty-Four” service projects event. In celebration of the centennial anniversary of DTS’s founding in 1924, 19 organizations in 24 hours were served by more than a hundred DTS alumni, faculty, staff, and students. Volunteers lived out the gospel through community service, powerfully engaging with individuals and communities.

Through its first century, DTS has faithfully pursued its mission to glorify God by equipping godly servant-leaders for the proclamation of his Word and the building up of the body of Christ worldwide. The school’s motto, Teach Truth. Love Well., exemplifies Jesus’s instruction to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39), urging compassion and the recognition of every person’s inherent dignity as made in the image of God. Part of evangelizing is simply loving well in our community.

Dee Littlejohn, DTS director of mail services and facilities administration, shared the heart behind the centennial service project: that it would encourage faculty, staff, and students to build deeper connections and gain a better understanding of the diverse needs within the communities surrounding DTS’s campuses. She emphasized that the project would not only enhance the campus environment but also serve as a tangible expression of DTS’s commitment to serving others, reinforcing the values of compassion and unity that lie at the core of the seminary’s mission.

Here are glimpses of three other ministries who partnered with DTS for the centennial service project day:

Hidalgo Ministries strives to reflect Christ in the community by focusing on spiritually and socially transforming children and youth through kids clubs and teen groups. DTS graduate student and staff member Tonya Hammond noted that Hidalgo takes evangelism directly into the heart of the community. With the support of DTS volunteers, Hidalgo successfully hosted its first Fall Festival in a decade. Though the organization runs a children’s ministry every Saturday morning, Tonya said that “there hasn’t been a ministry focused on adults. The Fall Festival provided an opportunity for parents to get involved.” Hidalgo serves a Spanish-speaking community, yet English-speaking volunteers from DTS overcame the language barrier with servants’ hearts and the universal language of love. The DTS staff and students inspired the children by loving well with gentleness and joy.

Kierra Wallace-Gorham, Leadership Institute Coordinator for Mercy Street, shared her experience with the DTS staff as they prepared for their largest fundraising event of the year. She recounted how Mercy Street had promised a meal for the DTS volunteers, but the food did not arrive on time. Despite this, they demonstrated remarkable grace and understanding, showing their commitment to serve without any expectation of receiving something in return. Their actions motivated the Mercy Street staff by loving well through goodness and peace. This was not just a one-time act of kindness—it was an outpouring of love and evangelism through service, showing the depth of their commitment to God’s mission in tangible ways.

As volunteers assembled diaper bags for expectant moms and their babies at the Pregnancy Resource Center, Laura Grey, director of operations, shared how the center fulfills its message, Sharing Love. The center hopes to reflect Christ in their interactions with clients while providing pregnancy tests, sonograms, confidential counseling, information about pregnancy and alternatives to abortion, education about parenting, material support, and post-abortion support for those in need. They live out the gospel by loving well. Says Grey, “A big part is not the words but the actions, the interface, the listening.” Erin Stambaugh, DTS graduate student and staff member, resonated with this focus. Having walked with friends through the struggles of unplanned pregnancy decisions, she empathized “It’s hard—a journey taken one step at a time.”

Whether we serve others’ physical needs or quietly walk beside them in their pain, we communicate love beautifully when we live it out authentically. This kind of evangelism resonates deeply and lasts because it is rooted in the character of Christ. It is a love that serves without expectation, often speaks without words, and bears witness to the Jesus’s commandment to love others. This kind of love is evidence of the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22–23). This is loving well . . . and it teaches truth.

About the Contributors

Felicia Greer

Felicia Greer studies in the Media Arts & Worship program at DTS. As a writer and songwriter, she explores the intersection of culture and biblical truth, and the constant need for wisdom and grace amidst the differences that often divide. Felicia and her husband, WT, have been married for thirty-six years; they have two married children, a grandchild, and a step-grandchild.

Tranece Harris

Tranece Harris works as an admissions counselor at DTS, helping prospective students navigate the admission process and choose the best programs for their ministry goals. She recently completed the Master of Arts in Christian Education (MACE) program at DTS. Tranece and her husband, Terrence, live in Dallas with their three daughters, Thalia, Tianna, and Tamara.