Comments on: The Swiss Army Knife Volunteer

By: Heather Villalta

Heather Villalta — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:18:20 +0000

I am an SAKV to the max…and luckily, I'm in college and not married and not dating, so I don't have someone who is needing my time.

I have actually taken this month (May 2010) pretty much off after spending March and April being one of the main people helping to move my church from one building to another.

The first week was easy, the second was torture, and the third and fourth have been tolerable.

But it's definitely not always easy and I need to watch myself very carefully for taking on too much and getting burnd out.

By: melanna

melanna — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:10:22 +0000

since I'm a year behind in commenting, I didn't read all the comments, but I did catch a few that have mentioned the neglected SAKV families.

Let me tell you, a TRUE SAKV has their family with them. My mom was (is) a SAKV and she brought all 5 of her kids with her to everything she volunteered at. We could do even more because we were home schooled. I would even say the best SAKV isn't just one who comes with a SAKV spouse, but also a whole brood of kids. I think she saw the best tool in her belt as "training the next generation" of SAKV's. And it worked. We all do it, and bring our kids along to help.

By: Candy

Candy — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:49:43 +0000

we adopted a toddler from Ethiopia and I stopped reading blogs for ummm, 8 months while we "adjusted" to our new life. Really, adopting puts you in some sort of weird time warp and you have no idea life is going on outside your house.
I'm reading your last 200 posts today…. I'm glad you didn't get into UNC- they would have taken all the fun out of you. I almost fell over a minute ago when I saw the picture of your dad. I thought- how did I not figure out Mark Acuff was your dad a long time ago? Anyway, my husband is a pastor in Chapel Hill and we've met your dad at "pastor stuff" and at the Baptist House at UNC. If you do something with you dad in Chapel Hill I would love to meet you. I'd bring skittles! hmmm… I have 160 posts or so to read, maybe you've come and gone?
Thanks for making me laugh. I love your posts and thoughts on God.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:05:51 +0000

This is how Children’s Ministry THRIVES.

Of course, playing to people’s strengths is, well, one of my strengths. That is, guiding them to find their strengths and develop those strengths. If a ministry volunteer is serving in accordance to how God has gifted them, burnout is that much further away. (but still an imminent threat if they’re at the church more than some of the part-timers)

By: Caitlyn

Caitlyn — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:11:00 +0000

I have a few SAKV skills (chair-folding, for example) mostly picked up from my husband, who was definitely an SAKV in high school and college. Still would be if I hadn’t taken a firm stance while we were engaged, but now he sets saner limits on his time and activities, and I have veto power if I’m feeling neglected.

By: kablot spot

kablot spot — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:03:00 +0000

One thing I would change about this list is the vacation part. The SAKV should get a few points for every year that every vacation they had for the whole year was spent at youth camp/ children’s camp/ or putting on the “Alone with God” singles retreat.

By: Jarrod Haggard

Jarrod Haggard — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:43:00 +0000

Dude…THIS was funny! And I’m so bummed that you already sent the manuscript because this would have been an excellent entry.

By: Stevie-O

Stevie-O — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:50:00 +0000

I was reading post #527 “Thinking God needs you” and then read a paragraph in #526 and though i would give you a challenge. The paragraph (about starting a church) read “We talk all the time about what to name it, where to hold it, etc., but one thing I’ve failed to help him with thus far is the list of people you can’t start a church without. I mean you need a pastor, but what about all the other people that a good church requires?”

I saw the word “need” and I thought “to start a church do you really ‘need’ a pastor?”. Can’t God take a group of individuals who want to practice the one anothers, want to worship together, and want to impact their world for God…and that’s more than sufficient to be considered a church?

Just sayin…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:09:00 +0000

So where will the church be and what will it be called? I don’t live far from Chapel Hill and am curious . . .

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I GO TO UNC! i’ll try and visit your dad’s church.
GO HEELS!!!