This morning's Tuesday Coffee Chat is a simple one ... Do you volunteer?
I used to volunteer for everything, especially at church, especially if it involved planning something (cause I love to plan!). But through the years I have realized what a toll it takes on me to do so. When I do something I do it all the way so I found myself making my volunteering activities a priority over my family.
I have scaled way back.
I only volunteer to do two things:
I teach the 4th-6th grade Sunday school class at church. We attend a small Methodist church in our small town (the same Methodist church where I grew up) and I only have a class of about 4-8 kids. Two of those are my own.
But they are a great group of kids, and I enjoy teaching them. Teaching is my spiritual gift, and I feel as if I am disappointing God if I don't use it for His glory.
My other volunteering activity involves teaching, also. On Wednesday afternoons the kids and I host an enrichment class with four of their friends. We have all the kids over for a couple of hours to learn about WWII. We do activities, have snacks, read aloud out of our book, and then they play. When this class is over, we are thinking of dividing up the boys and girls for two separate classes: a Lego class for the boys and a creative writing class for the girls using their Beanie Boos as their muses. We are still thinking about that one.
And that's pretty much it.
And for now that's enough.
It sounds like that keeps you busy! I wish I had more time to volunteer! Right now, it's nearly impossible with all our commitments. We focus on donating as much as we can!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like that is quite a bit in itself! I teach a class in Sunday school at our church too, and it is quite a bit of prep work each week. This year, we moved to a new format where all the kids age 4 to 9 meet together, so we can use all the available teachers. This way I am only in once per month, and get service time for myself too. And not having to do that class every week, allowed me time to take on my Girl Guide unit, so it worked out really great. And I think having two things, is good --- like you say, I am mom and wife too and my family should come first.
ReplyDeleteI will help out with smaller activities at my church when there is a need, but I'm careful not to over extend.
I can completely relate to you right now. I had to let go of my administrative role at church (volunteer coordinator for our religious ed program of 100 kids) because it was taking over my time and honestly my mind. I would wake up at night worrying and not be able to fall back asleep. I would spend hours planning and communicating when those hours probably should have been spent planning for my girls lessons and activities. Yet because it is church, I feel guilty admitting that I could not longer do it. I am keeping my 4th grade class until the end of the year and then I am letting go of my time with religious ed and will find something that I can do on a more limited basis. Thank you for this today! Jessica
ReplyDeleteOur families have got to be our first ministry. I have always believed that, just need that reminder ever so often.
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