Volunteers: Flying into the Volcano

Thank you to Amy DeBurgh, Director of Volunteers & Guest Services, for writing today's blog.

If you want to know what effectiveness looks like, you will have to look hard.  A passing glance, at any institution, organization or individual, will not immediately reveal the treasure that lies within. 

Effectiveness is a word measured by degree.  The degree of something is a range.  For example something finds its place somewhere on the spectrum from worthless to worthy, from cold to hot.  The hottest volcano on earth can’t be judged by a cool photo on someone’s Instagram page.  You have to be brave enough and care enough to get dangerously close to understand just how effective that volcano is at being hot.

People are like that.  So are institutions, organizations, churches and ministries.  It takes time and concern - even bravery - to really find out which of these are most effective.  This is an important step if you want to give a person, place or institution your time, energy or money.  When you do, you won’t regret it.  It will be priceless to get to the end of your life, to the end of your wealth, and realize you didn’t toss it all away into a very hot-looking, but dormant volcano.

When Jesus said, “What you do unto the least of these, you do unto me,” in essence He was saying be wary of doing that which seems like it means something, but doesn’t.  Don’t get ripped off in how you spend your resources.  Care for the truly needy and do it with no thought of self, but with an all-consuming interest in Christ’s glory.

This is Shepherds Ministries to me.  Here, we believe that people with intellectual disabilities are created on purpose for a purpose to reflect the image of God with the freedom that comes from knowing they are a glory-bearing champion.   They are growing in the independence necessary to express that awesome purpose.  We and they have a need to be effective.  

So, to me, the volunteers who give their time, energy and wealth to such a cause aren’t missing out.  They are flying helicopters into the volcano, while tourists are snacking on cotton candy below.

Speaking of cotton candy, it is difficult in a cotton-candy-world to wake people up to the reality of volcanoes.  It shouldn’t be, because hot, flowing lava is dangerous, interesting and way cooler than the passing pleasures of eye-candied, vaporous trivialities that so many Americans are consumed with today.  We can be such a distracted people.  

There are those who get it, though.  I find that volunteers are not only effective, but they are interesting people.  They are tossing off the emptiness of boring self-service and venturing into better places.  This is because they are interested in interesting things.  Follow them to the real things, the meaningful things.  They are in good company.  Christ Himself ventured down.  He gave up wealth, entered time and history to show the value of serving in this sacrificial way.  And, it’s safe to say, He was effective. 

The In-Crowd

Thank you to Amy DeBurgh, Director of Volunteers & Guest Services, for writing today's blog.

I have never really cared about being a part of the in-crowd... until now.  About once a week, usually on a  Friday, a gang of ladies from the Catalyst program comes into my office. They are a lot of fun.  I am so amused by them.  We talk about their upcoming weekend plans and make each other laugh.  It’s that Friday feeling that everyone recognizes; the energy and smell of coming freedom.  They, like I am, are anticipating a few days off and they have a feeling the potential for friendship wackiness is high.  I get caught up in their enjoyment, and feel very welcomed there. 

These ladies are so terrific.  They have a gift that most adults don’t have.  It’s the ability to cut out the formalities and just enjoy life and each other.  It’s a fun thing to get pulled into.  All of a sudden, I have instantaneous, accepting friends.  Not just any kind of friendship is being built here.  It’s a convicting one.  Questions are thrown to me and answers are expected.  If we’re honest, we’ll admit that sometimes we catch and throw the fast-pitch “How are you?” and we don’t really take time to give or get the answer.  That kind of indifference is missing from these ladies.  They ask.  They look at me.  They wait for the answer.  They respond.  And I think I want to be more like that.

Hurts, joys, thoughts about God, triumphant achievements, perturbations, are all readily available.  My girls can’t be fake.  Honesty defines them.  How refreshing.  A conversation about the Lord is just a word away.  It’s a safe and fun place to be me.  I can tell they feel that way about each other too.  They share in the benefits of adulthood employment, independence and freedom while maintaining the childlike faith that Christ puts immeasurable value on.

In a manner of speaking, I guess I kind of feel like part of the in-crowd now. It’s a really good in-crowd that accepts everyone.  What a special thing. 

Shepherds Ministries: A World of Potential

We would like to welcome Amy DeBurgh, Director of Volunteers and Guest Services, to the Shepherds family. Along with being a pastor's wife and the mother of three children, Amy is a gifted writer who, as time allows, will be sharing her love of God and the people of Shepherds through this blog.

It is impossible! There is really no way to explain God and how He works. The book He gave us can’t be fathomed by us.  We are too stuck on the surface for that kind of plumbing. But we send the line out anyway, and every time it comes back we know Him a little bit better.  This happens every time we study God’s word even with passages we thought we already knew.  It’s the craziest kind of satisfied hunger.  Every attempt to know God fills us up and makes us want more. That is the nature of the pursuit of the Eternal One by the earthbound.

    Life offers experiences that are especially conducive to this kind of feeling toward God.  A story of His grace, a sermon, a song or witnessing the miracle of salvation can peel back the terrestrial veil just a small amount and what we see, draws us into worship.  Sometimes its a place and an important work.  Visiting Shepherds Ministries for the first time was that for me, an inducement to worship. It was paradoxical in its understated pronouncement of God’s glory.  I saw the image of God across a new landscape. It was the same God, His same image in new personalities and faces.  

    What had I been missing in my knowledge of God that was revealed to me in this experience?  I think it was potential. 

God was before and still is the God of Omnipotential.  He was never lacking. He never changed.  It was seeing that people can be challenged to reach a greater potential than everyone around them ever expected, that was wholly unexpected to me.  I was surprised by God’s image, uncontained and untamable, smashing expectations and setting the record straight.  

He let me see, in the lives here at Shepherds, that for all my knowing, I don’t know much. It made me wonder at what He would do next.  I came to a deeper understanding that there is a world of potential inside every human image-bearer that, at the hands of the Creator, removes all doubt that with God all things are possible.

The Impact of Volunteers on Shepherds

Thank you to Becci Terrill, Director of Ministry Partnerships, for writing today's blog.

Each year I have the privilege of reporting on the volunteers that God sends to serve at Shepherds. Reporting usually involves numbers which are important, but they don’t always tell the whole story.  While we have been blessed with a great number of volunteers each year, the impact that each volunteer has on our ministry is far greater than any number on a paper ever could be.  The bottom line is every volunteer that God brings to Shepherds has an impact.   Here are some of the areas where volunteers impacted our ministry this past year:

 

 

 

Maintenance

These volunteers work quietly behind the scenes making sure the grounds and facilities look good and work properly. This can be extremely difficult when budgets are tight.  But under the direction of Dave Slye & Steve Gillmore, they make it happen-with excellence!

In 2013, maintenance volunteers finished painting projects both inside and outside all over Shepherds—the Wood Center, the Findley Center, the Harbor, Clark Apartments, the Cayton House and Shepherds College.  They built stage extensions for the Bolthouse Center and installed two new kitchens in Cook Cottage.  They worked on the roof and did electrical repairs.  They cut down and removed trees.  For some of the projects, volunteers provided needed supplies to complete the task.  Thank you!

Office

Office volunteers work both on and off campus, doing everything from making phone calls to designing brochures. In 2013, adult groups completed two mailing projects saving us thousands of dollars.

Program

Both group volunteers and individual volunteers assist in Day Services and Shepherds Enterprises. In Day Services, volunteers play the piano for music class, do crafts and play games.  We even have a therapy dog who visits!   

In Shepherds Enterprises volunteers take a seat side by side with residents and clients working on the many jobs that come to us from local businesses.  All in all, there are a lot of great conversations and relationship-building going on in these areas.

Shepherds College

Volunteers impact Shepherds College in a variety of ways.   Three extra-curricular programs– choir, guitar lessons and scrapbook class– exist solely through the support of volunteers.   

Professionals provide video and photography for special events, along with hair and make-up services for graduates.  Following graduation transition coaches come alongside graduates to encourage and support them in their pursuit of Appropriate Independence.  Other volunteers assist with classroom duties by giving one-on-one attention to students.

Special Olympics

If we didn’t have volunteers, we couldn’t have Special Olympics.  It’s that simple. While many staff assist with these programs, they do so on their own time and are engaged in activities that are not part of their regular job.  When Special Olympics was restarted in October of 2011, it was a struggle to find enough volunteers to offer volleyball and basketball opportunities for one team.  In 2013, Shepherds had enough volunteers for 3 basketball teams, 5 Bocce teams, and 2 volleyball teams.  In addition, we had 23 bowlers, 4 softball players, 4 athletes in flag football and 32 in track & field.  That’s a lot of impact!

What impact do volunteers have on our ministry?

They provide services and opportunities that would otherwise not exist to help the ministry of Shepherds and the people we serve in their pursuit of Appropriate Independence.  That’s priceless.

If you are a numbers person, we’ve got those for you too.   The State of WI values volunteer service on average at $18.50 per hour.  In 2013, volunteers gave 8,791 total hours to our ministry.  Based on the state of WI’s average per hour, their gift of time was worth $162,624.25.

Whether you look at numbers or programs, volunteers have a huge impact on the ministry of Shepherds.  We are so grateful for the amazing people God sends to us each year.  

If you’re one of our more than 700 volunteers- Thank you!  If you’re not currently serving but would like to find out more about volunteering, please contact me at bterrill@shepherdsministries.org.  I’d love to talk with you!