Thank You Volunteers!
Summer is a wonderful time of year; there are so many ways to connect with people. We can go to outdoor music festivals, parades, music events in the park, farmers markets, area festivals, fairs and the list goes on and on. It’s so much fun to look ahead, plan and then attend these events locally or far away. I’ve always enjoyed going to events, and I also like to plan events, like the volunteer appreciation picnic, where we can connect and say thank you to each other.
This year our picnic will be on Sunday, July 28, from noon until 2pm. I’ve planned some great games for all ages, which include our water bomb fight that everyone enjoys either participating or watching on the sidelines. We will have a bubble station to blow bubbles and may have two or more corn hole games. Of course there will be lots of yummy food and a birthday cake for Pastor Karyn, since it is her birthday that day. We’ll have iced tea, water and pink lemonade. We’ll have a drawing for the centerpieces where “the mouse needs to be in the house,” a.k.a. you must be present to win.
We put on this event to say thank you for all that our volunteers do throughout the year. We cannot say thank you enough for those who help out in all the ways we do ministry at First Lutheran. I would love to list them all, but there are just so many. The one thing I can do is thank you by hosting this picnic and give my thanks to God for each one of you. As 1 Thessalonians 1:2 says, “We always give thanks to God for all of you.” I am always thankful for those who see a need on Sunday and step up to help out and of course a huge thank you to those who sign up ahead of time or those who come every month to help out in some way. I’m thankful for everyone who volunteers every week; those of you who help behind the scenes and those who are willing to be in front of others.
This picnic isn’t just the staff’s way to say thank you for all the volunteering you do, but it’s also a time for us to thank each other. It’s a great time to thank someone for using the gifts God has given them. I’m always thankful when someone uses a gift they have that I don’t have. It’s a time for us to connect with one another, giving our thanks for God for each other and the gifts we have been given.
If you have volunteered just once this year or every week, I want you to come and enjoy our time together, thanking each other and God for all ministries we do here. Let us know if you are able to attend, sign up at the welcome center, on Facebook or call the church office at 608.783.2236 and let Tamara know you will be coming. I hope to see you all there. It’s going to be so much fun.
