Community development, maybe even just the concept of growth in the right direction, has come to a standstill in our age. With “community” being accessible by clicking a button. The idea of human involvement is somewhat lost on the younger generations because everything they have ever witnessed and feel as though they have witnessed or experienced themselves has been done through a screen. Everything they can search has been provided in some form of content from an app. However, community and growth are a God-given ability for human beings that once utilized, provide truly unparalleled results. This activity comes from the heart, and impacts the heart in an unfathomable amount of ways. And that jargon is enough to make me cringe but it is the truth, and the application of this is a death sentence to the work of Satan and a step toward healing.
In our small community of Prattville Alabama there is a church known as Prattville Community Church. This church is known for creating shelters for local families, providing community dinners every Wednesday, and simply making themselves available to every aspect of the community in which they find themselves, be it at a ball game, a grocery store, or simply around town. But what if it was more than just an image many local churches put on? What if it was a true commitment to being the hands and feet of Jesus in an undeniable manner? What if the commitment of community outreach programs were to a specific group (AFSCME Council 13 Master Agreement), honoring them and their service to the community and country by providing them with necessities not only at a low price, but a quality price, where the purchasing at low prices, could yield high quality items? Herein becomes the beauty of the AFSCME Council 13 Master Agreement.
AFSCME stands for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is a union. This union is an organized group of government workers across the state that advocate for better pay, work conditions, and job security. They essentially are the overseers of the public sector and are dedicated to fighting against corruption in our public sector and have fought against getting those in public office from having the ability to get away with something that would not be tolerated in the private sector. This union is not corrupt itself, it is in fact a major asset to the community. Employees of this union dedicate themselves to making communities thrive through advocacy of better pay and job security for those working for the public sector. The AFSCME Council 13 Master Agreement is essentially an agreement stating the basic rights and benefits of each employee of this union. It covers everything from what items an organization must provide for the employees of this union to pay raises frequency and benefits, to proper working conditions and work equipment.
I, myself, found the AFSCME Council 13 Master Agreement to be a very helpful tool in understanding the integrity of these employees. After reading the agreement I came to the conclusion (and firm belief) that these employees are essentially the backbone of local communities. Many go about our everyday life without even realizing how much these employees do to benefit us all. To see that there is an organized group diligently working for the communities that do not have resources to advocate for themselves, was extremely refreshing and revitalizing. And the more that I learned about these employees and what they do, the more passionate I became about seeing to it that they received the things stated in the AFSCME Council 13 Master Agreement and more. I, myself, spent weeks getting to know employees of this union and understand what it was that they needed that was covered in the Master Agreement, but was either lacking entirely or not met in a sufficient manner. It poured in me a desire to learn more about the basics of these employee’s day-to-day work lives. And the majority of my focus was making sure that they received what the insiders understand is a necessity to their work day – work boots.
Providing work boots to those in AFSCME 13 were not only beneficial to the employees getting them, but beneficial to the community in which those employees serve. Because perhaps the greatest joy at all is when these employees are seen during a local community event such as a high school football game or weekend softball tournament not wearing white sneakers like office employees, but wearing work boots under their khaki pants. This not only shines a light on the benefit they have gained from their union and unlikely and often unwanted work, but also allows for fellow community members to realize the quality of work these employees do and without their sacrifices, growth would be nonexistent. Not to mention it starts conversations that can open new doors of knowing who they are and what they do for the community. I watched these employees shine when they were able to wear their work boots and at times those who even needed a new pair would say, “These feel amazing. It is such a small but such a huge blessing.”
Watching this happen was to me the most rewarding part of being involved in the organization and communicating with the employees what it was they existed and worked for every day. And while the AFSCME 13 Council Master Agreement states exactly how many work boots a member should receive, it does not limit a church or any other group wanting to provide for these employees to only providing what is stated by the union. The union in this case, is not the bad guy. The union desires to ensure that their employees have everything they need to do their job well and be rewarded for it. And as a church, we can not only recognize them as an asset to our community but we can make sure they are recognized and honored with the tangible needs they are in want of, be it work boots, gloves, safety goggles, or anything else they believe they lack to effectively and safely do their job. What the AFSCME Council 13 Master Agreement provides is absolutely grand and to be honored with all diligence. However, it is not the final say in what these employees deserve to ensure their proper works. We must remain vigilant and ensure, as a community and as a body of Christ, that these employees are well taken care of as they care for others.
But more than anything, it poured out of me a desire for churches, and really anyone on a daily basis, to seek out the needs of those around them, all while also seeking the needs of their own household. It is the beauty of the body of church and the works in which God desires us to be active participants in. I personally believe the best and most effective way to grow as a member of an established and growing church, is being the hands and feet of Jesus, discerning what the body needs, and finding a way to help fulfill those needs, be it a tangible need or emotional and spiritual. And in that, honor the need to fulfill your own.
The beauty of being involved in a local church, being involved in a local community, and being a servant to God, is that we get the pleasure of watching the growth take place. Both in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. This growth does not happen when we are not understanding of one another and do not exist in a manner in which we are not willing to be advocates for one another. The AFSCME Council 13 Master Agreement reminds us that we are all in this together and that we cannot expect the employees of the union to do all the work, we ourselves must have initiatives to support those that are supporting us whether while we sleep, work, or live life in general. And this will take us miles into the future. And while it may seem like it only scratches the surface, there is such depth to it. And a commitment to providing the needs of the members of our community is the outpouring of Kingdom work.
For more information on community service and its impact, you can visit USA.gov.
