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Assisting with service
Molly Sila and Melissa Short make service happen. Both work in the Christian Service department of Mennonite Mission Network where they help coordinate service assignments for hundreds of volunteers each year. "We would be lost without the staff that faithfully makes sure the details of the programs are actually implemented," said Del Hershberger, director of Christian Service. Sila is the program assistant in the Newton, Kan., office for the Mennonite Voluntary Service program. She coordinates the AmeriCorps programs for MVS, DEO (Discipleship, Encounter, Outreach) and Service Adventure. She spends a lot of her time as a resource person through e-mail correspondences. "I would say the most enjoyable part of my job is working with the participants,” Sila said. “I enjoy being a resource for them because when they call or e-mail for help with something, I get to hear how they are doing too. I enjoy hearing what they are learning, and what God is challenging them to." Short is the program assistant in the Elkhart, Ind., office for SOOP (Service Opportunities for Older People), Youth Venture and recruitment. She coordinates computer and organizational tasks that help the service programs operate. "Melissa is very quiet and goes about her work unobtrusively,” said Hershberger, “but if she wasn’t there doing it, we would go from unobtrusive to chaotic in a hurry." "It's the little things that make a job enjoyable," Short said. "When you get word that a person was profoundly impacted by a Youth Venture trip, so much so that it changed their future plans – that is what makes the job worthwhile." Working for a Christ-centered organization challenges these women to pay attention to how God is working in the world, influencing their spiritual growth. "I have to choose to invite God into my work and allow him to influence me," Sila said. "Just having 'Mennonite' on the letterhead is not enough. Praying for our programs together, encouraging each other [and] worshiping together are all things that help me to stop and invite God to be the center of this work." "You see God working in the world in their faith and willingness to take risks," said Short. "Working closely with people who are spiritually inspiring and insightful is constantly an encouragement." Christian Service supports programs such as MVS, RAD, DEO, DOOR, SOOP, Service Adventure and Youth Venture to help people of all ages fulfill their call to service. Christian Service participants have served in more than 30 states and provinces in North America and internationally in 12 countries. In this issue: Features Highlights Viewpoints |
