Whatever you do, do it for the Lord
A few years ago, Erin Wathen wrote a commentary entitled “Your Church Does Not Need Volunteers.”
She introduces her view beginning with: “I know I’m not the only one who cringes when someone sees me, without kids in tow, and asks if my husband is “babysitting.” Well, no. I mean, yes, he is at home with the kids tonight. But I do not think you can effectively say “babysitting” when it is your own dang kid. I’d say we could just call that parenting.
She continues, “I feel the same when people talk about “volunteering” at church. And yes, I know it’s just a word. But it’s the wrong word, for a lot of reasons. If you ask a grandparent or an elder of your church, I’m pretty sure they will tell you that the church they grew up in never asked them to volunteer. Historically, the church has asked people to serve–as deacons, as greeters, as Sunday school teachers, or on the property committee. Whatever the job, it was considered a service. A ministry.”
But as she notes, the meaning or definition of “volunteer” has changed and perhaps it is time we stopped using the word in our Parish.
“But I balk at the secular nature of what it means to volunteer. To volunteer means that you are an outside resource, stepping in to help an organization in need. Volunteering is what we do when we pick up trash at the park, or build a house with Habitat, or help sort food at the local food pantry. Volunteering is what I do at my kids’ school on Fridays.”
“In other words, it’s what you do at a place that is important to you–but not at a place that belongs to you.”
Wathen believes that what we do with and for our Parish is so much more than just volunteering.
“And I guess that is the important distinction for me… You cannot volunteer at your own church, in the same way you cannot babysit your own kid. Because the church belongs to you in the same way your family does. It’s your own place, your own people. So, of course, you help take care of it. Of course, you do yard work and make coffee and teach the kids and sing in the choir and whatever all else it is you do for the home and the people that you love.
A volunteer, in most cases, is just visiting. A fly-by. Maybe it’s a helpful fly-by, but it’s not the same as belonging to something. It’s not the same as contributing to something bigger than you, something that’s part of who you are.”
All that said, we live in the world we live in, and we cannot realistically extract this word from the life of the church. It is both a noun and a verb, and it’s the one that just rolls off the tongue when we are asking people to come and do work. Which, in the church, we are forever asking people to do. Still, as I plan for a summer sermon series on discipleship and what it means to let the church be the church, I feel a strong nudge to challenge how we talk about–and think about–the time and energy we spend in ministry. It’s important to recognize those gifts for what they are–ministry–and I’m not sure the word “volunteer” does justice to the depths contained in the work people actually do in their churches.
Call it serving. Call it discipleship. Call it the priesthood of believers, or mission, or the ministry that we all share together. Admittedly, “Priesthood of Believers” does not look great on a t-shirt. And it maybe doesn’t invite visitors to ask you where the bathrooms are… But whatever we do, we should remember that we don’t just belong to the church–it belongs to us.
And we do not babysit that which is ours.”
So, instead of us considering an opportunity to volunteer at St. Columba Church, perhaps we need to view our role as something more. And as we change how we see our role(s), we will find our place in a Parish community that is indeed, ours.
Many of our Parish activities and organizations are for everyone, giving everyone an opportunity to contribute, to participate in age-appropriate activities that benefit our church community. Saint Columba Parish has many ways for you to become involved. Take a look at the list below and see where your talents lead you. Get in touch with the organization’s contact person and help serve our Parish.
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Angel Tree Project
Our mission is to serve the poor by bringing Christ to others, sharing our treasure, and giving hope to the youngest of our community.
During the Advent season, we display gift suggestions for needy families in our area on a tree in the church.
Gifts are purchased, wrapped, and returned to the tree by a designated date.
Our gifts are then sorted and delivered to the designated families for their Christmas.
2022 ANGEL TREE PROGRAM
Applications for those in need are available at the Parish Office from now until Friday, November 4. Delivery of the Angels will be Sunday, December 18. For those new to this long-standing program, the angels from families that are in need are put on a tree at the beginning of Advent. The angels on the tree list the child’s age, clothing sizes, and any requests made by the parent for their child (please note that there is a spending limit of $50 per person).
You take an Angel from the tree and wrap the gifts you can provide for that child. Make sure you attach the angel securely to the gift then bring it back to the church and place it under the tree.
We are asking you return your Angel’s gift only on weekends of December 11/12 and 18/19. We sort and deliver them on December 19 after the 10:30 Mass. Yes, you can help sort and deliver the packages; we are always looking for help.
May your heart go out to those families that are asking for diapers, coats and boots. Please consider picking an angel and getting a gift for these children. Our focus at Christmas and all year long is love so if you do not want to participate in the Angel Tree Project, please consider giving to the Love of Neighbor fund, Your Loving Choices, visiting those who are homebound, or some other form of outreach over the Holidays to express and share the Christmas Spirit. May Christ continue to bless you for your generosity.
If you have any questions about this program, please call Gary Honabach @ 570-594 -2492
Contact
Gary Honabach
570.594.2492
Views: 173
Bloomsburg Food Cupboard
The Bloomsburg Food Cupboard offers nutritious foods to anyone in our service area who requests help. We are open two days a week and feature a market in which each family can choose from different categories to select foods their families prefer.
Visit our website for more information
We distribute food every week on Tuesdays, from 11:30am-2:10pm and on Sundays, from 9:15am-10:15am. All we require is a proof of residence in Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Benton, Millville, or Southern Columbia School Districts.
The Food Cupboard is supported by dozens of churches, schools, organizations, and community businesses.
Raise the Region donors making an impact at the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard
Thank you to our generous donors during the Raise the Region campaign. We raised over $5,000 that will go directly to our services that will soon be affected by the reduced assistance reality for many families. We are currently serving approximately 350 households each month, and over 250 backpacks are sent home weekly with local students.
AMAZING work done by many!!
Pictured above are a few Central Columbia Middle School 6th graders whose grade-level efforts were noted for their hard work in collecting the most donations of food and money for the school’s annual food drive. They helped load up the donated items into the box truck that DYCO allowed us to use to save many trips back and forth to the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard. DYCO workers, Food Cupboard director Martha Sheehe, and Mr Chad Heintzelman, CCMS principal, are also included in the photo.
Contact
Martha Sheehe
Tuesdays 11:30-2:15 pm and
Sundays 9:10-10:10 am
Want to volunteer at the Food Cupboard?
Just click on the link below
Winter Newsletter
Food Cupboard’s 25th Anniversary Celebration featuring Todd Cummings on guitar, Jeff and Ginny presenting Martha Sheehe flowers and a gift certificate to Turkey Hill, and volunteers from all 25 years at The Links at Hemlock Creek, August 26, 2021.
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Christmas Tea in July
Photo Gallery Page for the Christmas in July Tea 2024!
Images from our First “Christmas in July” ” Tea, in 2023, courtesy of Sam Bidleman and Elaine Luschas.
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Parish Beautification Ministry
Do you have a flair for decorating, a passion for design, or color, or flowers? Or are you willing to help iron occasionally or water flowers?
We are always looking for Parish Friends to help make the church look beautiful, especially during Easter and Christmas seasons, when lilies and poinsettias need extra loving care.
Contact the office or Rachel Lauck to leave your name, and we will be happy to contact you.
Contact
Rachel Lauck
570.466-3864
Views: 25
Parish Picnic
The annual Parish Picnic brings Parishioners together to enjoy one another’s company while strengthening the Parish community through fellowship in the relaxing atmosphere of a picnic.
THANK YOU to everyone who helped to make our Parish Picnic a great success this past Sunday! This event was in the planning stage for months, and we are so grateful to our picnic planning committee led by Jim Gregory, as well as those volunteers who helped with the setup, cooking, cleanup, concert logistics, and more! Thanks to all of our attendees, we appreciate the wonderful food that you brought to share. We were blessed with sunshine despite the rainy forecast, and an inspiring concert in the bandshell by the Scally Brothers, who reminded us: “If there is breath in your lungs, God is not done yet!”Pictures from our 2024 picnic are here.
Parish Picnic Memories
From 2022
Click on any image to start a slide show. Use your arrow keys to navigate.
from 1981 to 2019
Our picnic is usually held on the third Sunday in August, with planning beginning earlier in the summer. Click on any image to start a slide show. Use your arrow keys to navigate.
Contact
Jim Gregory
Sue Haile
SuzanneHaile@hotmail.com
Contact
Rhonda Dougherty
570.784.7615
Views: 169
Volleyball
Several men and women from the Parish initiated a volleyball night in the school gymnasium that takes place every Monday night beginning at 7.30.
This is a fun activity that includes keeping score and bragging rights. This activity is open to young adults and more veteran ones so bring good footwear, knee support, if you need any, and your best bumps and spikes and join in on the fun.
Right now, we are playing 4on4 so you are welcome to join us. We have lots of room for more players.
Contact
Bob Flick
570.784.0801
Views: 50
Volunteer Parish Mailings
A group of volunteers which are called upon twice a year to assist with stuffing envelopes and organizing mailings, for instance, the Advent and Lenten mailings to all Parishioners.
Anyone interested is invited to call the Parish office and be added to the list. This is not a binding responsibility; the office will call and check up on your availability as needed.
Contact
Parish Office
570.784.0801
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Winterfest at St. Columba
WINTERFEST 2024: Please mark your calendar for Winterfest at Saint Columba Church on Saturday, , November 23, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. We are so excited to announce that this year, we will be celebrating our 20th WINTERFEST! Each year WINTERFEST strives to create a “WONDROUS (Christmas) EXCHANGE” where we as a parish family unite with our community for holiday food, friendship and fun! But, we need your help! We will need a large variety of cookies for our “cookie variety” package. We also need fudge, candies, chocolate covered pretzels, tea cakes, pies, etc. plus a variety of soups, and chili; so please start looking through your cookbooks! We are also asking for donations of gift cards and lottery tickets to be used in our raffle. We would love to have your “helping hands”on the day of Winterfest as well! Please call the church office to volunteer your help or if you have any questions. Thank you!
Winterfest is amazing!
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Sunday Fellowship
Let’s get to know one another. Join us after 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Masses for coffee and light refreshments as members of our Parish community. St. Columba sponsors monthly get-togethers in the cafeteria and all are welcome.
If you would like to bring baked goods for the next fellowship, please contact the office to be placed on our mailing list.
SUNDAY’S FELLOWSHIP BRUNCH ON FEBRUARY 19, 2023
Groups of parishioners gathered in the cafeteria after Masses this past Sunday for some tasty treats, good conversation, and the opportunity to meet a few fresh faces. (photos courtesy of Elaine Luschas)
FELLOWSHIP ON OCTOBER 16, 2022
Click any image to begin a slide show of one of our Sunday fellowship breakfasts.
(photos courtesy of Elaine Luschas)
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