Civic Engagement for the End Time Church
•Als PPTX, PDF herunterladen•
1 gefällt mir•364 views
Empfohlen
Empfohlen
Weitere ähnliche Inhalte
Was ist angesagt?
Was ist angesagt? (20)
Andere mochten auch
Ähnlich wie Civic Engagement for the End Time Church
Ähnlich wie Civic Engagement for the End Time Church (20)
Civic Engagement for the End Time Church
- 1. The Value of Civic Renaissance Ephraim Palmero, MD, FACPE, FRCP, FACEP Executive Director Adventist Community Services of Alaska, Inc.
- 2. The Value of Civic Renaissance Community Development Track Series Civic Engagement & Volunteerism
- 3. “The Extreme Volunteer” The God of heaven has revealed his self-denying, self-sacrificing lovein giving "his only begotten Son.” We are to be representatives of Jesus, in the family, in the workshop, in our place of business, in social gatherings,--everywhere on every occasion. WM 1952p174 EGW
- 4. Learning Objectives: *Create a framework for understanding volunteering as it leads to civic involvement *Celebrate and learn about ways & strategies to reconnect with others. *Deepen the civic commitment of volunteers through reflection *Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations for volunteerism and civic engagement.
- 5. A. Terms of Reference Volunteerism (n) (Sociology)- the principle of donating time and energy for the benefit of other people in the community as a social responsibility rather than for any financial reward. USA is a “nation of joiners” (A Tocqueville-1831)
- 6. B. Terms of Reference “Civic engagement” refers to individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic Engagement/ Involvement= Citizenship Center for Democracy & Governance
- 7. C. Terms of Reference “Social Capital“: to describe the intangible, value-laden benefits of a strong network of community relationships. (Putnam/ Bowling Alone: The Collapse & Revival of American Community; 2000 )
- 8. Central Premise Social networks have value. Social capital refers to the collective value of all "social networks" [who people know] and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other ["norms of reciprocity"].
- 9. Why..? What’s up? Status: Civic Depression Warning: national stockpile of "social capital" is seriously depleted. We have a public that is withdrawing from communal life, choosing to live alone and play alone. http://www.bettertogether.org/
- 10. "Far too few of our members are engagedin any way in the community, how are we going to reach people if we do not bother to step into their world? Let’s Talk/ 09/29/2009 Jan Paulsen
- 11. Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ” Gal 6: 2 “Demonstration of serving experiences that are sacrificially agonizing.”
- 12. Hartford Study/ FACT “Congregations with strong commitment to social justice & w/ direct participation in community outreach ministries are more likely to be growing than other fellowships”
- 13. “We must learn to view the world through a social capital lens," "We need to look at front porches as crime fighting tools, treat picnics as public health efforts and see choral groups as occasions of democracy. We will become a better place when assessing social capital impact becomes a standard part of decision making.“ (Lew Feldstein) http://www.hks.harvard.edu/saguaro/
- 14. The Path to Greater Civic Engagement “ENGAGEMENT IN CONTINUUM” the ideal service response
- 16. ACS Convention is a Reflection 1. The Command on the Parable of Great Supper… “COME for all things are ready” Our Response: EXCUSES 2. Angry Order: “Go out QUICKLY into the streets and lanes of the city and invite the suffering folks… Our response: Bring some and leave the rest 3rd Command: “Go out to the highways and hedges and COMPEL them to come in, that My House may be filled” - Luke 14: 17-23
- 17. Further Civic Action *
- 18. Continuing Civic Action & Advocacy *
- 19. “Study Finds that God, Friends and Facebook are Important Factors for Fostering Civic Engagement” David Smith (NCoC)
- 20. Perhaps the fastest growing form of community organizing today, is congregation-based organizing, it mobilizes existing stocks of social capital in church networks, and generates new stocks across denominations and (sometimes) across ethnic and racial lines. http://www.cpn.org/tools/dictionary/capital.html
- 21. EDWARD M. KENNEDY SERVE AMERICA ACT April 21, 2009 The US Congress passed the historic Civic Engagement Legislation for President Obama to Sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
- 22. What to do: 150 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BUILD SOCIAL CAPITAL http://www.bettertogether.org/150ways.htm
- 23. America’s Civic Health Index for 2009 “they are participating less, and thus our overall civic capacity, or cumulative social capital, has significantly decreased” Civic Health Index Finds America in the Midst of Civic Foreclosure— Weiser/ NCoC
- 24. The Value of Volunteering In practice, you will learn teamwork, leadership, responsibility and other essential skills that will help you for the rest of your life. And you will gain the personal satisfaction of taking on challenges and seeing results. Social Innovation Conversations (Stanford)
- 25. The Contribution Capital: Letting Volunteers Build Your Mission (Value) ♦ CONTRIBUTE: For resourcesto help you put your stakeholders to work with “contribution systems” (VOLUNTEERISM) in transforming communities, responding to disasters and advocating change in the society thru community development. Scott Cook/ HBR Oct2008
- 26. 2 Types of “Contribution systems” (volunteerism) 1: Responder contribution system-agent comes from the community of responders or its supporters. 2: Beneficiary (client) contribution system- agent belongs to the target population.
- 32. Top Reasons to Volunteer * Connect with your community. Conserve funds by contributing your time. Share your skills and gain new ones. Develop self-esteem and self-confidence. Meet new people from all walks of life. Inspire others to join your mission Promote a worthwhile activity. Learn something new
- 33. Value 1 Connecting with the community
- 34. ACS Kodiak/ Fishers of Men
- 35. Value 2 Contributed time means fund conservation
- 36. Homeless support feeding of Samoan ACS
- 37. Value 3 Share your skills and gain new ones.
- 38. ACS Valdez and LEPC
- 39. ACS Valdez
- 40. Value 4 Develop self-esteem and self-confidence
- 41. Value 5: Meet new people
- 42. Value 6: Inspire others to join your mission Civil Aviation Patrol / Fairbanks
- 43. ACS/ VOAD/ CAP Warehouse
- 45. Value 6: Promote something worthwhile
- 46. Value 8 Experience something new
- 47. Adventist Community Service is not a trash collection agency, it is the bridge where victims can cross to their liberation; their bullhorn that protects the economically oppressed and the voice of physically marginalized.
- 48. Let the gospel ring to ALL calling them to UNIVERSAL ACTION. Let the members have increased faith, gaining zeal from heavenly allies, from a knowledge of their EXHAUSTLESS RESOURCES & from the greatness of the (social) enterprise in w/c they are engaged. Being under Gods control, they will no longer stand in impotency. With the armor of heaven, they will go to warfare, willing to do & DARE for God, knowing that His omnipotence will supply their needs. CS p77 EGW
- 49. “God never told the world to go to the church, but He told the church to GO to the world.” Skip Johnson, Adventist Review 11/8
- 50. Positive Effect on Social Outcomes Reducing stereotypes Facilitating cultural and racial understanding Social responsibility and citizenship skills Commitment to service Sustained Involvement in community service after volunteerism
- 51. Positive Effect on Personal Outcomes Efficacy, identity, spiritual growth and moral development Interpersonal development, ability to work with others, leadership and communication skills (Eyler and Giles, 2001)
Hinweis der Redaktion
- Greetings / Introduction
- Today, it is a privilege for me to share to you this morning some concepts of social values which in our practice in the FBO non profit are essential vitamins that supports our labor to achieve our mission of compassion. I see the philosophy of volunteerism as a peanut butter to the bread of civic engagement, I was convinced that I will force myself to review the literature and peel the layers of adjectives that covers my understanding of volunteerism. I have chosen the term civic renaissance to emphasize a need for a rebirth or revival of our philosophy of engaging in the social development of our community and our church mission here in AK. I have a rational fear that the downward spiral of national civic apathy is infecting our congregation that we have a civic depression in our fellowships. To make it more clear we are sliding towards more insulation and we are becoming more detached to our communities.Volunteering is a high value word- I see it as “an opportunity to express your generosity”. You can always debate me but I consider… time- time you offered to your community as a precious commodity- which is a valuable method of contribution to the public good. It is the only thing among your resources that you can have some generous control.
- Before we start, pls allow me to patronize our faith value, by recognizing the greatest volunteer that walked on this planet. (READ). This selfless voluntary contribution of Him assured us our place for eternity. When we volunteer to engage in alleviating the suffering around us or just making a contribution to make this world a better place, we will be more effective if the “self sacrificing’” model we know is the standard and philosophy we follow in accomplishing our mission of public engagement.I propose to you that we should never go below of this standard as leaders in ACS.
- This morning we will attempt to infuse these learning statements as our objectives for this session. Today we will deal with some points most of you have been doing and probably have more understanding than me and I certainly hope that after we have talked about this, our level of understanding will be a spark to ignite the fire of enthusiasm in volunteerism so that more successful outcomes will be seen and wider impact of our mission will be provided to our stakeholders.This presentation will try to advocate a more emphasis of our denominational mission as a non profit and as a ministry who will seriously consider investing in civic engagement.So let us review some familiar terms.
- (Comment) Volunteering and service are subsets of the broader concept of civic engagement. When it is a responsibility, it means it is a commitment. Let us stop thinking about it as a choice. This value should be embedded in our own core--- it should be a DNA of our social movement as a FBO. (slide)Historically, America has long recognized the importance of “a societal responsibility to join in, to give freely of one’s time to assist or aid others.” This responsibility is frequently iterated in the literature. For example, Alexis de Tocqueville, in 1831, stated in his seminal work, Democracy in America, that the U.S. was a “nation of joiners” that regularly formed groups to meet or accomplish common goals.1 We should be a congregation of authentic joiners– we have to re-brand our image from the soy milk drinking health club to a real caring citizens.
- (Comment) Another term you are familiar already is “civic engagement”. (Read) Such actions might include: joining associations, attending meetings, raising and giving money, contacting officials, and protest and/or civil disobedience. It means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. The CDG said that Civic engagement is equivalent to Citizenship.There are some reasons why ACS is already ripe to enlarge its tent and borders. We have to look beyond welfare ministries and explore further roles in advocacy ministries. We will deal with that issue as we roll over.
- (Comment) In 2000, Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam rode the talk show circuit plugging his best-seller, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, a data-driven analysis of civic interaction in the U.S. over the past half-century or so. Putnam coined the term “social capital” to describe the intangible, value-laden benefits of a strong network of community relationships. In short, he argued, things like trust and cooperation — the building blocks of democratic governance — are products of positive, sustained social interaction. “Bowling alone” was the metaphor for Americans’ growing isolation. The advances in interactive technology for the past several years also enforced more distancing in social interaction. I call it the “the LCD barrier phenomenon” We face monitors in our work and we face flat screen TV after our work. LCD is one of the most resistant barrier to volunteerism and civic engagement. Yes there are more barriers but we will sail through them too.
- How does social capital work?Social Capital encompasses avariety of quite specific benefits that flow from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks. Social capital creates value for the people who are connected and - at least sometimes - for bystanders as well. What are some examples of social capital? When a group of neighbors informally keep an eye on one another's homes, that's social capital in action. Email exchanges among members of a cancer support group. Allowing our ACS DR trailer during non emergency period to be used free by other FBOs in their charity work. Using our Academy computer labs in the evening as ESL and Basic Computer mentoring for immigrant groups. Using our churches as tax prep centers for Seniors and single mothers or even use our churches as emergency transitional shelters on cold alert. (Dr. MColon) Investing in the well-being of others & reaping dividends in the value that others return to you.
- (Comment) "America throughout its history has been exceptionally civic-minded. But for several years our national stockpile of "social capital" – our reserve of personal bonds and fellowship – wasseriously depleted, we have to do some reflection about our role as a FBO for sustained, broad-based social change to restore America’s civic virtue. (READ) The civic fabric we wear right now can be seen as our mode of attire in our own Sabbath society. It is the same way of life for our churches. Even our witnessing methodologies are all oriented towards being insular. Did you noticed that our churches are continuing appropriating resources to airwave evangelism.. (broadcasting) frequent flyer evangelism… (Maranatha/ Share Him) orthodox Daniel & Revelation series than they earmark dollars to community outreach. (expound) We are consciously fortifying ministries that has less returns in relationship values. A civic renaissance is long overdue in the way we do mission.
- (Comment) Even in our own denomination it has been an issue for some time. There is a compelling reason when Pres Jan Paulsen shared this sentiment. (Read) We must be agents of change in both the church and the community. Elder Paulsen said “The church is a voice for the right values” we should never be afraid of engaging in civic action and influencing public opinion; we have to be involve and let our voices be heard. Civic engagement these days are more complex than just raising your hand in a town hall meeting. To be fair with Elder Sung Kwon, he said- public participation if it is “ repairing a broken city” it is a service that builds a kingdom. This is the Gospel of Isaiah 61. The Good News of Salvation by Civic Engagement.
- Another biblical foundation I like to consider is Gal 6:2. I consider this as “the verse of social justice and emancipation”. Practicing civic engagement is so inconvenient because it deals with issues of public concerns. Most of these issues are contaminated by social justice. Welfare is about inequality. Access to health care is and poverty are all infected with social justice.This is the situation when our humanitarian engagement should be above our physical, social, cultural and even spiritual conveniences. Are we going to wait for unbelievers to teach us just like this Samaritan telling the Jews what is the moral action to do in this particular situation. Our greatest need are serving experiences that are sacrificially agonizing. We need to help those who will inconvenience us, those that will make us look depreciated because we helped somebody that was ignored by everyone. “The neglected helpless outcast folks” We need to practice sacrificial kindness this is the common denominator in venturing to civic engagement.
- Faith Communities Today validated a study done in 2002. I remember a few years ago, I was asked, why do you like to be involve in thrash collection ministry, I told this person, I have noticed that church planting thru small group development is not becoming relevant to the communities anymore, but I believe that building ministries and cultivating relationships produce more disciples around it.One of the most profound statement I have encountered when we like to cultivate a philosophy of social ministry is in this next slide.
- (Comment) One of the most influential statement that captivates a young community organizer BO when he attended the Saguaro Seminar in Harvard U. was from Lew Feldstein (READ) This framework of understanding is what we need to incubate in our philosophy of mission before we mobilize ourselves in volunteer service. We need to spend some time here crafting our understanding of this service to civic model. ACS, I like to believe is a denominational service program with national scale that is morphing to go beyond volunteer service; this convention is the reflecting period of this organization which should transform us (means you and me) to a more deeper civic commitment. For our church leaders here, I propose to you today that please consider the value of social capital impact in leading your congregations to your community mission. Do not limit your benchmarks to number of baptisms or professions by faith. We have to harvest their trust and reflect more and analyze if we indeed has the right to that value of endearment.
- (Comment) The path to a rewarding civic engagement, I believe runs in a linear fashion. (Read) We can gain more social capital if we will just extend our ministries beyond the volunteer service phase. (Ex) In most situation we demobilize after the volunteering and service process when we can spend more time reflecting and developing ministries or re-engineer our mission process that will lead us more to a wider plane of civic action. For me the principle should be “Engagement in Continuum”. This is the ideal service response.
- On most situations, disasters or any community outreach mission drives us to mobilize volunteers for humanitarian service. We do well and achieve our mission and our reputation was validated. But in most situations, we retreat and prefer to disengage to that mission field. We have to use our previous presence to do something more beyond intervention. Our response should be an entering wedge to form solutions that will improve the living condition of the community and its coping mechanisms of community stresses.
- I consider that meetings like this is our chance to reflect how we can further be engaged and transform Volunteer service to further civic action. I have used this parable as a guiding principle in the cascade call to civic involvement. In Luke 14, The overarching command for us today is “Come for all things are ready”. We make a lot of convincing excuses. ( Read 2) So here we engage preferentially, we choose who we like to serve. Its like giving Vietnamese fire victims- with Costco gift cards… and good bye-ESL. Sometimes I am advised, Butch lets get out of this Long Term Recovery stuff, we have already done our share. I will tell you that is not enough. (Read 3) Today we have to go beyond the streets and lanes but to the main highways! We have to lift the ministry of ACS from church neighborhood to a wider plane of State level involvement and advocacy. Conference leaders this time we have to be serious in doing and dealing our mission to the higher levels. Local conversation is not enough. Our reflection should be reinforced with advocacy to alleviating suffering and helping governments in constructing frameworks of service ministries.
- Another ex. of civic action after community intervention is in post- flooding disaster of the Arctic region after ACS participated in Statewide humanitarian relief efforts. ElouiseHawkes (our Mental Health Nurse Volunteer) facilitate a Mental Health Coalition of Community Volunteers in drawing a contextualized approach to issues of depression in remote Arctic villages, they formulate a framework of allied support in teen substance abuse and suicide prevention. Our congregation should contribute in shaping formulations of government and community initiatives that uplift our society. Pursuing further civic action change our reputation as a vegetarian church, we need a real authentic reputation- a church who cares.We have to move beyond doing our ministries along the small streets and byways (return slide) but we have to bring our social action to the higher level (the Super highways) not only in the Information highways but State and National level of engagement.
- In this working meeting with State, local officials and leaders of NGO we are discussing post disaster issues that affects homeless veterans and other handicapped groups. In Alaska, we are partnering with wider alliances in Homelessness Coalition, Substance Abuse Coalition, Women and Child Protection, Youth Development and even Suicide Prevention Council. In Suicide Prevention where there is a gap in faith based participation; with our Native Ministries Director, we participated in a Statewide Council in formulating a primer for Emergency mental health intervention. Now we are the biggest FBO that collaborates with both State and Tribal government in Suicide Prevention.
- You know of course that there are a lot of factors that will convince us to engage civically. But this statement from David Smith of National Conference on Citizenship is also convincing. (READ) Religion plays a major role in civic engagement, as 40 percent of respondents who reported they are frequent participants in religious services noted they had increased their level of civic engagement.The results indicate that social engagement through church, friends or even via social networking sites can have a significant impact in countering the negative effect of the current civic depression.
- Congregation-based Community Organizingrelies on one-on-one relationship building as the foundation stone for locating and developing community leaders and building trust through a mutual understanding of self interest and values.
- Even the national government is reinforcing this as a priority issue. The National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), is the only organization chartered by Congress to promote civic participation, engagement and citizenship. NCoC wasdirected to work in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service to expand the reach and impact of the Act and the Civic Health Index and to help communities harness the power of their citizens.What is obvious with this initiative was for both Civic Engagement and Volunteerism to succeed it needs something to happen and that is –investing in Social Capital.
- 1. Organize a social gathering to welcome a new neighbor2. Attend town meetings3. Register to vote and vote4. Support local merchants5. Volunteer your special skills to an organization6. Donate blood (with a friend!)7. Start a front-yard/community garden8. Mentor someone of a different ethnic or religious group9. Surprise a new neighbor by making a favorite dinner–and include the recipe10. Tape record your parents' earliest recollections and share them with your children11. Plan a vacation with friends or family12. Avoid gossip13. Help fix someone's flat tire14. Organize or participate in a sports league 15. Join a gardening club16. Attend home parties when invited17. Become an organ donor or blood marrow donor.18. Attend your children's athletic contests, plays and recitals19. Get to know your children's teachers20. Join the local Elks, Kiwanis, or Knights of Columbus
- One of the reason why this Civic Engagement act was legislated was because of the primary finding of US Civic Health Index last year was (READ) The value of connecting with the community is presently affected by our present economy, it shows that the economic recession is causing a civic depression. The national survey finds that 72% of Americans say they cut back on the time they spent volunteering, participating in groups, and doing other civic activities in the past year, during the same period when the economy was free-falling. “The economic crisis has triggered civic foreclosure,” said Michael Weiser, NCoC Chairman
- Volunteerism is a real-life education and work experience wrapped into one. The Center for Social Innovation in Stanford noted that the 3 top values for reflection and learning for volunteerism is teamwork, leadership and responsibility. There are more but the top 3 are the most widely appreciated.
- Scott Cook of Intuit Corp in his article in HBR: The Contribution Revolution: Letting Volunteers Build Your Business. (Read slide) In this article I can also identified the value of this “contribution resources” in doing our mission. Volunteerism here was indentified as a system of contribution. Today I like to challenge you all as leaders of FBOs to follow the lead of innovative organizations such as Google, Wikipedia, World Vision, Oxfam—in tapping the contributions of countless people beyond ourorganizations in volunteerism and civic engagement (contribution systems) thus transforming their management competencies in developing their non-profit mission.
- Typically we belong to no. 1 most of our volunteers are coming from the neighborhood of responders. Ex> flooding in Arctic villages during spring breakup causes disaster that is so complicated to manage when responding, it is too far and we need the community themselves to participate in disaster intervention either by boat or dog sled.
- Volunteers from the responding group coming from Women and handicapped groups are noted in this slide. That lady lost her arm in shark attack.
- Volunteers from native, immigrant and youth groups. Sled injuries does not limit your volunteer spirit.These are mostly “responder contribution system” the volunteers coming from the responding community. But sometimes we have to mobilize volunteers coming from the affected host population or from “beneficiary/ client contribution system”
- Why are you laughing? Oh Im sorry, they are not qualified to volunteer? Sometimes we need to rescue first the volunteers. Before we mobilize them.
- One of the most challenging issue in disaster response is when you are collaborating with tribal government. Initiating partnerships at the onset of the response is always complicated but once you have successfully engage them, the resulting relationships are your entering wedge to pursue other community outreach priorities. Having earned our reputation in assisting them on time of suffering it is easier for us to advocate efforts about intervention in substance abuse or mental health programs like suicide prevention.
- A unique situation in AK is Teamwork is already too complicated to achieve due to human variables. Sometimes we need to learn from experiences of leaders doing Volunteer mobilization thru Inter-species Coordination specially if the target population has no Interagency capacity. When the local community resources are limited, local responders need to involve both human and animal resources in coping with the situational response.I am just showing to you some unique dimension of volunteerism in the country of Alaska.
- There are as many reasons to serve as there are people who serve. Volunteering is not just an altruistic act. It's an opportunity to advance in all areas of your life. Here are a few of the things you can gain when you give your time and yourself:Some Benefits You Feel, Other Benefits are Real Perhaps the first and biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community and country. The intangible benefits alone—such as pride, satisfaction and accomplishment—are worthwhile reasons to serve.
- NCoC executive director David Smith noted of ongoing erosion of what he believes to be the most fundamental indicators of good citizenship: trust in neighbors and institutions and connectedness to community and religious organizations. Trust and connectedness is lowest among the so-called Millennial group — 14-to-29-year-olds. "To me this is one big red flag," Smith says. "The very foundations of our democracy are threatened if our youngest citizens do not maintain the fabric that has connected us the past 200 years."
- Captain Igor, with volunteer Pastor Dan Lesch in Kodiak: Community Outreach in native coastal villages.
- In this picture VOAD volunteers in Yukon River sorted some items from ACS Warehouse in Fairbanks during last year’s flooding.Our ACS Network in Alaska has donated more than 1,000 collective hours in this relief effort. There is tremendous savings in paid time budgets.
- During our ACS Health Expo at the Alaska State Fair, we mixed student volunteers with volunteer health professionals. Thatexperience can play an important role in their personal development. Proponents of service programs suggest that these benefits to individuals may include such things as increases in social capital, social networks, civic literacy and civic competence, self-esteem and personal efficacy.Young student volunteers can learn tremendous life skills just by rubbing shoulders with professional volunteers. The informal mentoring is so valuable that some young volunteers agree that applications of their theoretical knowledge increases their confidence and competence.
- Valdez is a town famous for the oil spill with small Adventist Congregation with no pastor but with deep interest with Community Services and Tsunami Disaster Response preparedness. I told them to coordinate their efforts with LEPC composed influential citizens (their officers are inactive Adventists) but these LEPC guys have some conflicting issues with city executives. So I told the Adventist lady (she owns a big motel) to host a meeting about Disaster Response and I told her I will share some information about Donations Operations. So the Motel resto becomes the neutral place to have some serious discussions about the understanding each other.
- This productive meeting makes our church an agent of reconciliation in advocating a common cause, both sides understand their roles, I was able to share our ACS Mission, I gained something about Tsunami preparedness and the meeting gave ACS something valuable- the LEPC gave us control of the (2) 40ft Conex which we can preposition disaster relief goods. That is convergence of social capital.
- Feel needed and valued
- Sometimes you meet other target communities, immigrant groups or other marginalized groups.
- Last year June during the height of Yukon flooding, ACS Alaska was looking for a warehouse to stage our donations operations. I was able to met these retired officers and ask them if they can share a space for us in their flight hangar. I gave them a snap presentation about ACS and told them about the VOAD activities and the collaborative efforts of response we are organizing. They are impressed, they removed their airplanes from the hangar and when they noted the overwhelming response, they volunteered their planes to fly our donations, so they became our distribution partner. 4 planes flying for ACS.
- One time I visited a small town library and they are close on that Monday so I came back the following day and ask the Librarian why they are closed when it was not a holiday, then she told me we don’t have a volunteer on Mondays, so I told her perhaps I can help and she said… well a lot have told me about that.. So I share this to the church and one young lady told me I like to do that kind of community service so in short that small town Library was open for the community because of that church member. How many libraries here in US will be open full week if our members are volunteering to serve our community?
- I told our Alaska Conference Executive Committee. (READ) We have to reengineer our image from being a social worker but a nation builder and future kingdom maker.
- Before I close, Civic Engagement and Volunteerism is a sacrificial ministry. But this is also a higher breed of service, a ministry that has a complete dependence on God. I believe too that I can convince you to dare for God. Have you notice that our natural inclination is not to dare? Because we like to fertilize our presumptions. All the factors that hinder us to engage and go outside of our comfort zone to help or engage our neighbors is the argument that feeds the sin of presumption. Psalm 19: 13; Deut 18:20, 2 Peter 2:10 and Numbers 15:30 validates that it is a transgression that can burn you and eliminate you to the fellowship of God.
- I hope that this convention will be your time of reflection and be a daring agent of change to your community. Practice to be a real citizen here in this world and inspire others to be a good citizen to the new kingdom that is soon to come.END