Friendly Hands at Work

This past weekend I had the chance to be part of another ministry that happens here at Calvin. It occurred in conjunction with the "Let's Worship" Conference (see that Blog entry for info on that) held at Calvin CRC. A group known as the "Friendly Hands" (FH) catered the conference event. Let me tell you a bit about the FH. They are a group lead by Rita and Anne, with a host of other helpers. Their mission is to provide food for events at Calvin CRC. They cater weddings, dinners, and funerals throughout the year. I like this ministry for many reasons. First and foremost, I like the two ladies in charge. They are kind, compassionate people who desire to put on top notch catering events. They work hard and the results of their labors of love are always outstanding. Another reason I like this group is because it quietly goes about it's ministry, but does so much more than just serve food. They help make weddings great places to fellowship. They provide comfort in the midst of the difficult task of hosting funerals, and they make you feel good as you are served a meal from their "Friendly Hands." There's more. The group of volunteers that gathers together to prepare the meals long before they occur could better be classified as a small group within our church. The camaraderie amongst this group is amazing. You can always hear laughter coming from the kitchen as they cut and dice and prepare their meals. I made a point early on of offering to volunteer at a FH function. I wanted to "infiltrate" the organization to get to know those in the group. As a Youth Pastor, it's no secret that you need to make friends with all sorts of "groups" in order to do effective youth ministry. Sometimes it's political, always purposeful, and yes, even selfish, when it comes to youth ministry. However, as the years have passed, I've struck a nice friendship with Anne and Rita. I've come to appreciate all that they do at our church, and more. I've come to see that many in the group are of the more "mature" side of life and they love to get together for an event. It's like holding a small group meeting time. The conversations that go on vary greatly. Sometimes it's "commenting" on church life, other times is encouraging one another as they struggle with life. It always seems to be edifying in the end. So, I found myself involved once again serving with the FH. I'm not sure how the rest of the group views the "Youth Pastor" coming in to serve, but I know that Anne and Rita enjoy it. I think it's important to be a servant once in a while, and not always leading in the church. When I'm a FH person, Rita or Anne are in charge and if they say JUMP, I say HOW HIGH!!! : ) Below are some pictures of the event we just did. I'm so appreciative of the ministry that they do, and it is a ministry of Calvin church. Thanks Anne and Rita for all your work. I know how much time it takes for you and what it takes out of you. I'm not sure how many people really do. : ) May God grant your ministry group many more years of events together (though we could do with less funerals eh) and fellowship. You are much more than just a catering group. You are a blessing to our church, and to each other.

Rita hard at work.

More of the group, taking a break.

Back to work.

Work, work, work.

Pastor Ron making up the new name tags that were just purchased.

Pastor Ron showing off all the new name tags. Strange man, eh!

Pastor Ron ensuring that guests feel welcome and are taken care of. A standard and important job of every FH.

Once the work is done, one of the perks is that we who volunteer get to eat the fruit of our labor. I'm getting some delicious soup to eat. It was worth the work. : )