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Opened Eyes to PACE’s Ministry
by B.J. Wilkins, PACE Intern
This summer, I had the privilege of participating as an intern with Pennsylvania Christian Endeavor (PACE) at their Mission Work Camp in Pittsburgh for two weeks. They partnered with several local organizations to continue the clean-up, rebuilding and repairing of homes damaged by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. In previous years I have gone on several Mission Work Camps as a camper (volunteer worker), but never once did I realize how much work was done "behind the scenes." From organizing deliveries to typing up paperwork to tracking finances, and preparing for campers each week, the jobs that were done in the office were more involved and harder than I had imagined.
On past trips, I would go out to a site and work; when I returned, it never occurred to me where the food that I ate came from. I knew that the kitchen crew worked extremely hard to prepare the meals, but I never asked, “Where did the food they cooked come from?” The obvious (but overlooked) answer was the hard-working staff. They would have food stuffs, drinks, paper products, cleaning supplies and all other ministry supplies delivered by truck. They also would go out shopping for the cheapest bulk products after they sorted through what they already had to determine what they were lacking. Then they organized it all. Along with all the buying of products came the paperwork involved with it. Numerous bills and logs had to be kept up-to-date and filed away where they belonged.
Also included in the paper work were multiple other tasks. There were lists of phone calls to be made, thank you certificates to be typed and printed, and bills to be paid and tracked. Although these may seem like trivial tasks, they needed to be done to be accountable to the finance committee and the board of directors.
Another critical aspect of organizing and running the Mission Work Camps is planning the work sites and assigning the groups. This involves making sure the number of individuals and their skill levels match the work that needs to be done. Then the tools and materials are listed and matched with the site to make sure the work can be accomplished efficiently.
After the work is finished and the meals eaten, the evening program must be planned, coordinated and carried out. The speaker has been hired and a worship team from a local church has volunteered to lead the singing. The videographer has been out all day videotaping and then editing what he is going to present each night. Appropriate announcements are listed and everyone gathers to praise God and to hear the speaker’s talk as part of the rally each night.
The work that I observed "behind the scenes" is most important in running this central program to PACE’s ministry. While many suspect that there is work done that they don't know about, they probably don’t realize how imperative it is to keep PACE running smoothly. Not only does it give order to the Mission Work Camps, it also maximizes the efficiency of the groups that are sent out to help others, and it enhances the benefit to the communities that PACE helps. My experience as an intern this summer made my appreciation for the work done by PACE even greater. |
