The links that are included below will take you to the Good Works website where you will find more complete descriptions of the initiatives listed.
WORSHIP
Spiritual Formation as Worship
A Work Retreat is a continuous worship experience with each activity being a catalyst to spiritual formation. It is our desire to cast a vision for spiritual formation to help us see that whatever we are doing, and the attitude that we bring to it are all acts of worship…offering up our lives as living sacrifices. We do what we do because of what God has done in us. Part of this spiritual formation experience is recognizing that God is always speaking to us in many and various ways in order to draw us into His goodness. But are we willing to listen? Are we willing to receive the goodness God has for us?
The Development of Relationships as Worship
Relational engagement is not just a by-product of the service; it is the reason we do what we do. It is the formation of relationships that is transformational. We must constantly be asking ourselves if the “connection” is happening. Connecting people is the heart beat of the mission of Good Works. We must foster, nurture and enable these relationships to take place in each of the contexts into which we are serving.
Part of this relational development is among the group members themselves. We want the Work Retreat to be an opportunity for you to deepen your relationships with one another. In addition, we want you to develop relationships with GW staff, interns and our local volunteers. And we especially want to see you connect with those in the community we are serving.
Service as Worship
We also want a Work Retreat to be a time when the group accomplishes something that makes a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve and for the ministry of Good Works. These tasks are an important part of the Work Retreat experience, because the task is the catalyst to spiritual formation and the development of relationships.
Worship That is Transformational
The overall objective of the Work Retreat experience is transformation of all who are involved – staff, interns, volunteers and those we serve. We experience the Kingdom of God by creating relational connections with people that cross social and economic boundaries. This we believe leads to the transformation of our lives.
Planning the Work Retreat
We view the planning of your Work Retreat as a joint effort. While we have a structure we are working with, we also want to be attentive to the unique needs of your group
One-Day Work Retreats can be planned for March-May and September-November each year. These are usually set up for a Saturday, but can be arranged for Wednesdays and Thursdays as well. Arrival time is 8:15 and departure is 4:00 with a break for lunch at 12:00. (We do not plan for half day Work Retreats.) For Student Groups of Ohio University who are looking for a volunteer experience, we have a section for OU Work Retreats.
Your Commitment
Good Works has always developed ministries of loving our neighbors with the commitment of welcoming people from the community to volunteer to serve with staff, interns and the people we are seeking to help. In other words, without you, we don't do what we do. The structures we create are designed to invite people into the community. We are making a commitment to you on the basis that you are making a commitment to Good Works. And it is out of these commitments that we experience the kingdom of God.
For a One-Day Work Retreat, any size group from 2-15 people is welcome. For individuals to volunteer there is a separate process. See Good Works Volunteer Opportunities to learn more.If your group is larger than this, talk with us first before proceeding.
The One-Day Work Retreat Application
The application for a One-Day Work Retreat provides you with some basic information about this initial step and provides us with a basic sense of your group. Once we have your application and deposit, the day you requested will be confirmed and set aside for your group.
The One-Day Work Retreat Team Profile
The Team Profile is the next document we will need. This provides us with the detailed information about your group that will help us to plan for your Work Retreat.
- Who is coming: anything you provide is helpful. Age group, special interests or skills are all helpful in planning for who your group will serve.
- Arrival and departure times: This gives us an idea of when we can expect you. Please let us know if we need to make special arrangements for your arrival.
- The goals for your Work Retreat: We want to work with you to meet your goals for this experience.
- Who are the key leaders of your group.
Requested Donation
May the following serve as a guideline…
Often groups want to come and serve for a day, which we welcome. The Requested Donation for a One-Day Work Retreat is a $100 deposit which is due with the application. This is good for any size group.
While there is no specific Requested Donation for the actual day of service, we do encourage groups to consider an additional offering. Good Works has many needs that we are trusting God to meet. If you would like to contribute to any of these needs, please let us know.
Organizing a material donation drive from our needs list is another way in which you can help us. You can learn about some of our ongoing needs by viewing our online needs list or we can send you a current urgent needs list. We are trusting God to move his people to help with HIS MINISTRY here.
If you cancel your scheduled Work Retreat, the deposit can be used to re-scheduled the Work Retreat within the same calendar year. However, we cannot guarantee you another available day. If you are unable to reschedule within the same calendar year, you will not be able to apply the deposit to a Work Retreat in the following year.
Why do we call this a donation?
Although this could be called a fee that is due, we prefer to consider it a donation. We want Work Retreats to be accessible to all groups of various economic levels. Each year we have a few groups come that are not able to give the requested amount to us. We recognize that for some churches and groups this donation request can be a challenge. For others, this is not difficult. Please do not allow this request to stop you from coming and serving with us. We would like to adjust this requested donation according to the circumstances of your group. If you find that this suggested amount is too much, please discuss this with us so we can work with you to come up with a more workable option. Your presence with us and the relationships that will form is what is most important to us.
The Request Donation is what makes Work Retreats possible. It is an important financial resource to fund the maintenance and development of the Good Works properties and facilities. It also helps to defray the expenses associated with your stay in the Hannah House. Most importantly, your support enables the ministry of our staff, interns and volunteers, including your group, to make an impact into the lives of many people in our community.
Orientation
At the center of the Work Retreat experience is the desire to develop relationships that honor God and one another. How we do what we do is more important than what we do and who we are comes before what we do. What follows is an intentional effort to do this.
A One-Day Work Retreat begins with your arrival at 8:15. Once on the Good Works property (located at 7857 Luhrig Road, Athens, OH 45701) you will go to the red building called Hannah House. This is where we will begin our day together getting to know one another.
At 8:30, we will share a devotional time together, considering carefully the Word that God would speak to us as we begin our day of worship in service.
Following this, we will provide a brief orientation to Good Works, providing a little background on the mission of Good Works and how this is fulfilled through our various initiatives. We will give you a glimpse of how your participation in a Work Retreat is also a participation in the mission of Good Works.
Following this, we will discuss the specific areas of service in which you will be involved. This is a great to ask questions about what you will be doing. We will then makes assignments as to who will be serving in what area.
Meals with Good Works
We believe that sharing a meal together is a context for experiencing the kingdom of God, especially when our meals go across cultural, economic and social boundaries. These meals are an opportunity for us to come together as the people of God to be nourished physically and spiritually. And together we give thanks. Your group is assisting us in making this experience possible.
What we are asking from you...
Each day for lunch, we seek to bring the community together for a shared meal. It is a pause in the day to experience the kingdom of God. The meal is a reminder that we have been brought into a community.
We ask that you would prepare a lunch for everyone to participate in. This includes the members of your group, GW staff, interns and volunteers. This will also include the people we are serving: who are struggling with poverty. Our Transformation Station volunteers and those we serve in Neighbors Helping Neighbors could also be participating in the meal. It is difficult to estimate how many people this will be on any given Saturday, but you can consider 5-10 people in addition to your group as a starting place. As we get closer to your Work Retreat day, we can provide a more specific number.
The Meal
The meal itself can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Having a lunch of sandwiches and chips is enough to create the community experience we are seeking. Groups have also had someone come who spent the morning preparing a special lunch for everyone to enjoy. We welcome those who are so gifted. Either expression is a gift to the community.
Good Works can also contribute to this meal. You may use the food in our food pantry to assist with the meal preparation. We often have an abundance of condiments that can also be used.
Gratitude
The intentional practice of gratitude is part of the meal experience with Good Works. Before we begin filling our plates with the food that has been provided by the Lord and prepared by you, we offer thanks. This is done by sharing our name and something we are grateful for at this particular moment. Gratitude is worship and this is a wonderful way to experience the kingdom of God. Following this, someone can offer a word of thanksgivng unto the Lord as we join our hearts in prayer.
Thank you!
Thank you for providing this meal as a way of experiencing the kingdom of God. We recognize that we are asking a lot from our groups to provide this meal. We thank you in advance for the extra effort you make to move this from just eating lunch to creating a community experience over a meal.
Service During the Work Retreat
We are God's workmanship — God's masterpiece — created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Ephesians 2:10
Our acts of service are all offerings of worship unto the Lord, arising out of God's redemptive work of reconciling us to God. And these are all done with gratitude in our hearts for God's goodness to us that we in turn share with others. This is what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Areas of Service
Throughout your day with us, you will be involved with several expressions of loving our neighbors through service. In each of these, we view the service experience as a catalyst to the development of a relationship.
You will be serving our elderly and disabled neighbors with needs they have on their property. We seek to address many needs, some as simple as mowing and yard work, and other skilled tasks such as building a ramp or replacing rotting floors.
Good Works Development and Maintenance Projects
With the help of many volunteers, Good Works has grown in its capacity to respond to the needs of people in our community who are struggling with poverty through community based initiatives. These volunteers have also helped us to keep these properties in good order, keeping them safe for the community. Your group will be involved in these throughout the week.
GW Staff and Interns with Your Group
Your group will be serving alongside our staff and interns. We have several objectives in our leadership role with your group:
Facilitate the Formation of Relationships
During a Work Retreat, there are many contexts in which you will be present with the people - our neighbors - whom we are loving and serving. We will help you develop a relationship with our friends during your time with us.
Supervise the Overall Experience
Our staff and interns will oversee the project assigned to your group. In some cases, they will have the skills to accomplish this and you can rely on their leadership to do this. At other times we will rely on the skills of your group to complete the project. In either case, we ask that you be attentive the GW leadership provided. For teen groups who come to serve, we ask that there be one adult present for every four teens in your group and that there be an adult present where the project is being completed. The staff or intern are also responsible to make sure you have safe, working equipment available. We also want to make sure that the necessary materials are on site to the best of our ability, though it is not unusual to make additional trips for unexpected material needs.
Be attentive to safety issues
It is our priority to keep everyone safe. We do all that we can to create a safe environment for the members of your group. If we see unsafe behavior or situation, we will do our best to address this quickly and with respect. You can help us keep people safe by using your eyes and ears as well.
Look for teachable moments - mentoring
We would like to see the older members of your group take advantage of the teaching opportunities that arise during the various aspects of your Work Retreat experience. We view these opportunities as fulfilling Jesus' command to make disciples of all people. Disciple making and completing a project can happen at the same time and are exciting times of connections.
Other Volunteers Serving
Good Works has many individual a group volunteer opportunities. All of these have the mission of Good Works — to connect people from all walks of life with people struggling with poverty so that the kingdom of God can be experienced — as a central focal point. On average, we have about 1000 volunteers participating in these volunteer opportunities each year. It is our desire that at some point during your Work Retreat you will connect with these other volunteers.
Our interns have made a commitment to the community for the sake of growing in their discipleship journey with the Lord. There are several internships with which you may intersect:
Summer Internship - an intensive 9-week experience leading our summer Work Retreat groups, living in the Hannah House.
Hannah House Internship - a part-time internship for those still in school of varying lengths while living in the Hannah House.
Week of Service - this is a week-long volunteer opportunity for anyone 16 and older who wants to experience the community of Good Works while living in the Hannah House.
Other Groups
Occasionally we have more than one group present at a time. This could be a family who is staying in the Hannah House with you. Sometimes another volunteer group will be present. And at other times you may be intersecting with the sponsoring group of Friday Night Life.
These individual volunteers make a commitment to volunteer with us for a certain period of time, coming out once a week or once a month.
Our Transformation Station volunteers create the opportunity for the members of your group to move from "doing for" to "doing with". Rather than serving the poor, you come alongside and serve with someone who is struggling with poverty but who is trying to access a resource to help themselves. Transformation Station creates the opportunity for people to enter into a volunteer capacity and building relationships with others, while at the same time accessing items that have been donated to Good Works: vehicles, appliances, bicycles and food. Your group members are simply volunteering alongside them and sharing a meal with them during lunch times.