WorldService Corps volunteers gather after completion of training.

Young Adults Serve through
WorldService Corps

While summer may traditionally be seen as a time young people kick back and relax, 12 young adults chose to spend their summer months taking part in WorldService Corps. Traveling to locations as varied as Tahiti and Australia, the volunteers spend their time serving in ways that best meet the needs of the local community.

The volunteers each have their own reasons for taking part in the program that are as varied as the volunteers themselves. For instance, at World Conference, Dan Gregory (who went to Australia) recognized there was much more to the Community of Christ than the American church he grew up in. He wanted to participate in WorldService Corps in part to see more of the global family that makes up the church body.

Alicia Clore (who went to the Philippines) had the opportunity to study abroad last summer and experienced how different being in another country was from the life she was used to. This summer she wanted to travel again, but in a sense of service to others. Meghan Sullivan (who went to Hawaii) felt it was important to her future ministry to bridge the gaps inherent in a worldwide church and to become world educated in order to serve.

Alisha Bauman (who also went to Hawaii) decided it was time to leave her comfort zone and really trust God in her desire to work for the church.
Before the volunteers could go on their assignments, however, they had to undergo training in order to prepare them for what they would be experiencing. During their training in Independence, Missouri, the volunteers attended a team-building course, several class sessions dealing with issues such as culture shock and faith, and a sending- forth service.

The training brought with it many personal revelations and insights that would aid them during their summer of service. During a ropes course, the group was confronted with the idea that they were setting their goals too low, possibly out of fear of failure. They were faced with the knowledge that nothing could truly prepare them for traveling to a new culture, but they appreciated that although the training was, at times, blunt, it would serve them better than if it were sugarcoated. The training taught them that the experience wouldn’t always be smooth and they would make mistakes, but that a genuine willingness to serve would endear them to those they met. Overall, they agreed that they left the training better equipped to handle what they might encounter and with affirmations of themselves and their church.

All 12 short-term volunteers returned to Independence at the end of July for debriefing. Look for a follow-up in a later Herald issue. For more information on WorldService Corps, visit www.CofChrist.org/WorldService/.

—Tom Anderson reporting