The final week of April was volunteer appreciation week. It is with deep gratitude I offer thanks to all of the ways you give of yourself in the caring for, with and about others. You give in so many ways that go unnoticed and unacknowledged, but is appreciated beyond measure. Please see the Moderator’s thank you here! Thanks for all you do.
If you have not written down any of those key learnings of where this is kept, or how that is done, or when this happens, or why we have a thing or do a thing, make sure you have it all recorded. Whether it is the UCW list of how many potatoes are needed to serve two hundred people, those cherished tried and true recipes, or certain idiosyncrasies of making a thing work well, who the fix-it contacts or the labelling of all the breaker switches or where that special used only once a year thing is stored, an inventory is so important.
If your community of faith has not done so recently, it is also a great idea in your spring cleaning to see what needs to be sent to the archives to keep preserving the stories of our faith. Don’t forget to capture your stories of this one hundredth. Are you capturing and collecting the stories told by your local members, who have great wisdom? Do an interview series, collect up photos and tell the stories of your artifacts. As you think about thank you and stories of your community of faith and your neighbourhood, what new thing might emerge to better connect. Is it time for a local recipe book for 2025 family favourites gathered throughout your city, town or village? Perhaps you are reminded of old-fashioned outdoor games and picnics and a neighbourhood gathering in the local park might happen? Is there a local cause you can be a community partner with to support and grow awareness and advocacy? Check in with your neighbours on what might be an uplifting thing to do together this spring and summer!
Sharing our stories: Let’s lift up hope together!
At the recent FDEE AGM, people had the opportunity to share a few sentences to communicate a message of hope they are experiencing in their community of faith. Let’s keep the stories going!
