OTHER DUTIES AS REQUIRED

I often joke that all the staff at ACS have “other duties as required” written into our contracts (it’s in white ink…😉). But it doesn’t come from a contractual obligation, but a passion for the mission and vision of ACS and our desire to serve God in this place.

My Annual Tradition

Just in case you ever wanted to know, but 275 dozen doughnuts fit in the back of a regular pick-up truck box. That’s how many Krispy Kreme doughnuts I picked up last week. This is a time-honoured tradition of mine. You see, I used to live in Langley, and Langley is much closer to Delta than Abbotsford, so…“other duties as required.”

“Mike, can you drive to Delta and pick up the doughnut order?” Absolutely!

I now live in Abbotsford, and this is still an annual tradition of mine (most of the time…thanks, Roy). I don’t mind early mornings, I don’t mind driving, and this is a simple act of service that I can do to support our staff and students who are part of our important partnership with our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua.

Not Just Deep-Fried Goodness

My doughnut run took on a different meaning for me this time.

This year marks the 16th anniversary of the Nicaragua trip and I’m excited to go this year! I’ve been at ACS for 17 years and this is the first time I’m going with the team.

So, it wasn’t just boxes of deep-fried goodness, but these doughnuts represented a wonderful team of staff and students excited to see God at work in a completely different physical and cultural context. It’s about seeing God work through His people in relationship with one another.

Is spending 10 days with a group of staff and students “other duties as required”? My introverted self may, at times, say yes…but in reality, it’s another opportunity to step into the work God has called us to do.

I get to do this!

Not Another Duty

During my two hours of driving that day I chose to listen to Streetlights.“The idea for Streetlights Audio Bible was born in a Chicago basement next to a small church, where Esteban Shedd noticed many young men struggled to connect with traditional Bible reading due to educational and cultural barriers. He recorded a dynamic version of Acts 2 and 3 over a Hip Hop soundtrack, which deeply resonated and sparked the vision for a multimedia Bible resource.” (Streetlights link).

As a Christian, an educator, a leader, and a parent growing in our faith isn’t an “other duty;” it is a required response to a life in Christ. This desire to engage with Scripture isn’t contractual but comes from a calling to grow in my faith in response to what God has done in my life and share that with those in my life.

I hope and pray that all our staff, parents, and students will respond to what God has done in their lives with Scripture as an essential part of that response. It’s a response, not a duty. Nothing we do, or don’t do, will separate us from the love of Christ.

I’ve got big plans to continue with my “other duties as required”…happily, in fact.