What was the journey that led you to your current post at Rock Church?
I was a salesperson for a company that really cultivated a culture of ethical compromise in order to increase sales numbers—and I was miserable. I was in a spiritual battle every day. What was weird was that I was so upset about my job that I did terribly and my sales numbers were awful, yet they kept firing people for underperforming, who’s numbers were better than mine! I kept thinking, How do I still have a job? I was attending Rock Church and I heard Pastor Miles say that you should make room in your life for Jesus, to treat Him as if He is right there with you. So I actually cleared a spot in my office for Jesus to come be with me. I kept a Bible on my desk, and even when management told me to put it away, I protested and kept it visible. They stopped harassing me about it. But I was resolute in giving my life and job to God, and pleaded with Him give me a new path.

At the same time, I started volunteering with the Recycle Ministry here at the Rock. I loved it so much that it made me feel even more miserable about my day job. Serving God made me happy—working for my current employer did not! A job with the Rock’s Events team opened up and I applied thinking I would be a shoo-in because I had events experience and I was already a part of the Recycle Ministry. But I never heard back. I was crushed. God, haven’t I made room for you in my life?

Then the Recycle Ministry leader put in a good word for me with Debbie Smith who was trying to fill the Volunteer Development Coordinator position. I got the job. God’s timing was not my timing, and I’m glad it wasn’t.

So what is the actual function of your job?
Between the people who are affected by the acts of service Rock Church provides, and the volunteers who actually provide those services, there is my Volunteer Development team and I. The way it works is that people find themselves attracted to the Rock’s heart for service, they want to get involved, and then they contact the church. Our job is to find the right ministry for them, where their talent and interest will be the best match. Our prayer is that we guide them to the place where they will be the most fulfilled, and make the biggest difference.

You didn’t like your last job. This one is better?
I love my job! It’s extremely fulfilling! To give you some idea of how much I have come to love developing volunteers—I love, love, love the Celebration of Hope event where the church gets together to show how much we appreciate our thousands of volunteers who have stepped up to make a difference, and bring the love of Jesus to the world. It’s the highlight of the year for me. They really deserve our gratitude. They make San Diego a better place to live everyday. When the Chief of the San Diego Police Department comes to the event to personally thank our volunteers because she believes they significantly reduce the pressures on the men and women of the police force, and the taxpayer, it’s a powerful thing.

Is it hard to keep the difference your making in the forefront of your mind?
It can be. I think anyone who is in an administrative role can start to get inundated with the stacks of paper and meetings and get lost in the day-to-day tasks. But every once in a while, God allows our jobs to come full circle—to actually meet a person we have helped place in a ministry—and we get to hear how their lives have changed by service to others. It’s such a gift because you get to see how God is blessing others through you.

Anything else you would like the church to know about your job?
That’s an easy one. We need people to volunteer to be a part of the Sunday team. Help!

»» To sign up to volunteer for a Sunday Ministry, click here!