Randi Meyer
Thursday 3/26/2009
Week 10: People Work
The best way one can learn how to work with people is to simply work with people. There are many helpful books and other sources that can give you good information and advice on how to deal with people. Although these are helpful and should be read, it must be combined with practical experience. One must get involved in numerous and diverse social aspects. Since college I have learned that I become better at working and loving people when I expose myself to different atmospheres of people. It is easy to work with people that are like you and are easy to love, but it is a completely different story when you have to be kind and loving to those who make you angry or are not like you at all. The reality of working in the church is that you will have to work with all different kinds of people, so you might as well expose yourself to it now.
For me personally, I have been doing this in a variety of ways. Since freshman year at college, I have been working with my “little sisters” from the Boys and Girls Club. Both of the girls come from poor, African American families. It has been great to learn their different lifestyles, family life, and beliefs. I also have been working with a middle class youth group at Grant United Methodist Church. Most of these kids come from broken homes and have interests different than mine. It has beneficial for me to learn how to relate to them. I have volunteered at different soup kitchens and got to know the people that come there for food. This summer I am going to Las Vegas to work at a church and counseling center for drug and alcoholic addicts. At churches, I have also been exposed to working with adults in Sunday school. At IWU, I am constantly surrounded with a community of people my age. Each of these experiences open my eyes up to different people and reveals to me how I have to adapt my ministry to them in unique ways. In conclusion, my point is that if you want to get better with working with people you must do it, and work with all different kinds of people and age groups.