Soap and Water

by Scott Laird

 

Looking back on forty-two years of supported ministry provides a rich collection of encouraging stories. There are remarkable conversions, heart-wrenching journeys where God redeems evil to bring blessings, amazing answers to prayer, and so much more. But today, let me share a story about the power of a little soap and water accompanied by a servant heart.

Summer had arrived in Edmonton, Alberta, and the city’s only Church of Christ was existing, but not really growing. One Monday morning, the preacher received a call from Rob, a university student who had become a Christian during his first year at school and had returned home for the summer.

Rob explained that he wanted to serve the Lord while he was home. “Do you have a job for me? I want to be useful.”

If you’re a preacher, you know calls like this don’t come very often. So forgive the preacher when he replied, “I’m not sure. Can I get back to you?”

“Sure,” Rob said, and the conversation ended.

Tuesday morning, the phone rang again. “Hi, this is Rob. Have you figured out what I can do to help the church?”

Now, it’s unusual enough for a new Christian to volunteer to help. A follow-up call the very next day? Almost unheard of! The preacher responded, “We have an elders and preachers’ meeting tomorrow, and we’ll discuss your request.” I can hear myself saying that.

Rob didn’t call Wednesday morning. The preacher and two elders met to discuss the church’s work, including what to do with Rob. As they finished and headed out to lunch, they noticed a young man with a bucket of soapy water, a sponge, and the church’s hose. He was washing their cars!

“Are you Rob?” the preacher asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “I knew there would be Bible class tonight, so I wanted to make sure I could find the building. When I drove by, I noticed the cars and figured you must be having a meeting. I assumed they belonged to the preacher and elders, and since they were filthy, I thought I could at least start serving the church by washing them.”

The preacher and elders were stunned. They had never experienced anything like this. But more importantly, God was at work.

Rather than dismissing Rob’s gesture as strange, they recognized a young Christian living out Jesus’ teaching that the greatest in the kingdom would be the servant of all. His simple act of service sparked a beautiful relationship and conversations about being disciples of Jesus, not merely church attendees.

Rob’s example so deeply touched the preacher and elders that they began their own journey of discipleship, one that eventually spread throughout the congregation. Over the next fifteen years, that small, struggling church became the largest congregation in Western Canada. And its growth wasn’t just numerical. The church invested in training new preachers and servants to fulfill Jesus’ call to make disciples of all nations.

Never underestimate the power of God! A young boy offered five loaves and two fish, and Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus others. A young university student offered a little soap and water, reflecting the servant heart of Jesus, and God transformed a church.

May we all recognize and use whatever loaves and fish—or soap and water—we’ve been given to honor God.

 

About the Author

Scott Laird became a Christian through the campus ministry at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT in 1978. There he met his wife of forty-four years, Patty. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Scott has been supported in ministry for over forty-three years. Scott and Patty were missionaries to Canada for twelve years before moving back to Montana to serve as the evangelist for the Great Falls Church of Christ. Scott began his thirty-first year of ministry in Great Falls on November 1, 2025, where he now serves in a part-time capacity, having handed the preaching role to Matt Burleson on June 30, 2024. Great Falls is home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, making for a very transitory church. Since 1994, Scott has helped the church send over 850 individuals into ministry opportunities in the United States and around the world. The church averages about 200 in person.

Outside the traditional roles of preaching and teaching, Scott invests in the wellbeing and unity of the churches in the northwestern plains of the United States and Canada as a consultant and leader. Since July 1, 2025, Scott has served as Co-Executive Director of the Kite Center for Ministry at York University in York, NE, which equips and encourages small and rural churches in the Midwest, Northern Plains, and Rocky Mountain regions. These opportunities let Scott use his primary gifts of leadership, discipleship, evangelism, and small groups.