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Working Together to Serve Together

November 11, 2015
Participants take part in a team activity at Serving 360.

Participants take part in a team activity at Serving 360.

Ken Bosveld, ServiceLink

What do poverty, safety, justice, healthy relationships, and spiritual care have in common?

All of them were discussed as part of ‘Serving 360’, a volunteer orientation for people who are planning to volunteer, looking at possibilities in volunteering, or who lead volunteer teams.

About 20 participants and 15 organizers and session leaders met last weekend at the Canadian office of the Christian Reformed Church for the two-day event, coming to Burlington from all over southern Ontario and parts of Michigan.

Most people realize that there is a lot more to volunteering than choosing a cause and showing up, but questions arise: “What else is involved? How do I prepare to be a volunteer? What do I need to learn, and where can I learn it?”

Serving 360 hoped to answer some of those questions and help with the preparation process. Designed to equip people for short-term or longer-term missions, the event addressed both the big-picture topics, like worldview and justice, and details – sometimes unexpected – like culture shock and re-entry.

“Many people are surprised at how many aspects there are to it – logistics, health and safety, cultural sensitivity, relationships, worldview, teamwork…. Even seasoned team leaders learn new things,” said Ken Bosveld of ServiceLink, a CRC ministry that helps link volunteers with opportunities and one of the event organizers.

“I’ve heard from staff in the field that they can tell who has or hasn’t had the training. It makes a big difference,” said Bosveld.

“We tap into different areas of expertise, and we try to have field staff on hand,” said Iona Buisman of World Renew, another organizer.

The organizing team, which has been putting the event together annually for about six years, includes session leaders from Christian Reformed World Missions, World Renew, the Office of Social Justice, the Canadian Aboriginal Ministries Committee, and others.

“We work hard to bring a well-rounded view,” said Buisman.

The orientation usually brings new people each year, but people are welcome to redo the training for interest or as a refresher.

This year’s participants included a seasoned World Renew board member, a high-school student, and people of all ages and experience levels in between.

The goal is both to build capacity for the individual and to build up teams by investing in team leaders. “With team leaders,” said Buisman, “we’re equipping them, and then they go back and equip their teams.”

Many of the sessions were interactive, asking participants to discuss, problem-solve as teams, and try new ways of doing things.

 “I didn’t know what to expect,” said Mary Wright of East CRC in Strathroy, Ontario. “I’m pleased with what we’re learning and the people available with extra information.”