By Rachel Johnson, BVS Unit 335
In the past year and a half, I have had the joy of serving through Brethren Volunteer Service. What started off as just a gap year and break from classroom learning has given me so many wonderful opportunities to grow as a person, travel, and meet many new people. My original plan to serve in BVS for only one year has now also turned into two years – spending my first year in the Church of the Brethren FaithX office, and now my second year as the Church of the Brethren National Youth Conference (NYC) Coordinator. While I am very much enjoying my time in BVS, there are still some moments that are challenging or less exciting than others.
If someone was to shadow me in my role as 2026 NYC Coordinator, it might not look like the most exciting job. Much of my day consists of sitting at a desk – sending emails, making phone calls, researching what is possible for NYC 2026, and lots and lots of meetings. To someone who has not had this role before, it can seem a little anticlimactic. But through all of the emails I send and phone calls I receive, I get to meet tons of new people, share my passion for my role, and help excitement for NYC grow. When I research what is possible for NYC 2026, I get to dream big about all the possibilities and ways that NYC can be an impactful experience for youth. When I am sitting in meeting after meeting, I know that these are the very people who help make NYC the best experience it can be for youth. And pretty quickly the mundane and less exciting tasks start to become more and more exciting. They are all small parts of a larger picture.
This is a big part of the joy of being a BVSer – each volunteer fills a unique role, but together we form a group that is working to do good in the world. We each work in different towns, with different organizations, and on different tasks each day. But we create this larger BVS community that brings us together. It is comforting to know that I am a small part of something bigger. Brethren Volunteer Service has been around for quite some time, and each volunteer each year contributes to the larger BVS legacy.
The year and a half that I have spent serving with BVS has quickly become more than just a gap year. I have realized that even small moments, small tasks, and individual people can have a large impact on a volunteer organization and the world around us when we all work together to form a larger community of people.