Did you know that Pastor Jamie volunteers every week in our daughter's kindergarten classroom as a teacher's assistant? The kids particularly enjoy having a male role model since most volunteers are women. Jamie also volunteers with Meals on Wheels every week, as do some other Peoples people like Jody Fyles. Pastor Jamie has also served in Kairos prison ministry, but more recently served for the first time on a youth weekend called Torch at Long Creek Youth Center.
Pastor Gwyneth served this year on a "Kairos Outside" weekend, which is for women who have been incarcerated or who have a loved one in prison. Gwyneth more recently began volunteering with the Root Cellar in their English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Gwyneth has been tutoring two Samalian women every week and it's been a great joy.
The Root Cellar is in need right now of more ESL volunteers as well as an individual or group to coordinate the overall ESL program. They are also looking for volunteers to assist with tutoring on the computer. If you have an interest in helping out in any of these ministries, please contact the Root Cellar to initiate the volunteer application process.
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It was brought up at a committee meeting why we are involved in the community in these ways, especially given how busy our family and church schedule are already. Good question! One is that our mission as Christians involves reaching out to folks not already in the church. You hear this in our preaching but we also want to "do as we say!" In addition, neither of us pastors are yet "ordained" in the UMC - the process actually takes years! Each year we interview before a board of other clergy who set goals for each of us for the year. One of Jamie's goals was around being able to communicate the Gospel to children more effectively (thus the elementary school volunteer work), and one of Gwyneth's goals was around exploring social justice not only relationally but systemically (thus the ESL volunteer work with immigrants). Hope this is helpful!
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