O ne of the challenges we face as faith- based organizations focused on serving homeless individuals is how to bring people in our communities face to face with the harsh realities that our clients experience on a daily basis. As missions, we serve individuals who are facing very deep traumatic life situations, and at times this experience can be disconnected with the local church and well-intentioned volunteers who want to make a difference. Our ministries need to be places where we not only provide a fun and engaging way to serve, but also challenge the stereotypes and assumptions that volunteers bring with them into our space. Volunteerism at its core speaks to this organizational struggle. It breaks down the barriers of class and race and fear of the unknown to provide an opportunity for people’s world- views to change. We can ignore this real- ity or see it as an invitation to challenge and help people grow in their under- standing of the world around them. Now more than ever, we need to be willing to go deeper with the issues our world is facing, to allow volunteers to rub shoulders with people who look, act, talk, and believe differently than they do. One way we’ve done this at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities is through our quarterly book club. Volunteers have the opportunity to read resources pertaining to homelessness and poverty and then participate in discussions. These discus- sions challenge and inform our volunteers about their service experience and how their faith directly correlates to every part of their life. They learn that their volunteering doesn’t end when they’re done serving a meal; it’s just the beginning of where our faith and praxis meet. Christian the- ology was never meant to only be head knowledge, but lived out for our world to see. If we expect this type of engagement from our volunteers, we as mission staff also need to be intentional about having these conversations daily. We need to create spaces for our staff to grow in their own worldview, and to challenge them in ways that will cause them to stop and think about the purpose of their calling. Then the Holy Spirit will be able to move in amazing ways and compel us to serve more boldly and confidently than ever before. The best leaders are the ones who understand that no matter what your title is or how many degrees you’ve earned, we all struggle with everything life throws our way. Great leaders understand that we all have the capacity to serve and make a difference.  50 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2019 DAY­TO­DAY Practical help with the operations and ministry of your mission VITAL VOLUNTEERS Josh Windham Grasping the Bigger Picture Developing great volunteers who can change our communities Josh is the volunteer services manager at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities in Minnesota. He has worked in a variety of nonprofit settings in volunteer management and community development. He is passionate about bringing people in his community to a deeper understanding of issues like social justice, homelessness, and poverty. You can email Josh at jwindham@ugmtc.org.