Life as a Green Lake Conference Center Volunteer

Don Wimpelberg and Barb Richards have been volunteering at Green Lake Conference Center for 15 and 9 years, respectively. However, Barb has been coming to the grounds for over 25 years. She used to attend  the Holy Spirit Renewal and Math Conferences each year, which allowed her to “grow to love this place” as it is a “holy space that I wanted to make my home away from home,” she said. Meanwhile, Don found Green Lake Conference Center through his wife’s ministry travels and has been coming back ever since.

 

I had the pleasure of sitting down with these two volunteers to hear why they love spending their summers volunteering at Green Lake Conference Center. Read pieces from our conversation to hear their stories.

What is your favorite part of volunteering at Green Lake Conference Center?

 ”I love getting to meet adults and children of all ages from around the world,” Barb said. “Not only the attendees, but also the other volunteers. Most of us are retired, and now we get to return to each other each year and share our lives, faith, and experiences.” 

“ I have volunteered in many different areas, and I love seeing and serving all of the attendees, Don said. “Plus, these grounds are beautiful. No matter where you go, it’s heaven.”

How does volunteering here impact your faith and personal growth?

“I always feel closer to God when I’m here and not just because of our Sunday services,” Don said. “ You don’t have to do anything more than just take a look around to be encouraged and to see God working here on the grounds. All it takes is driving through those front gates to feel that this is a totally different atmosphere filled with God’s presence.”

 Is there a memory that stands out to you over your time being here that you’d like to share?

“Each year, we have kids come in to the Padelford Country Store with their Ziploc bags filled with all the change they’ve kept from their allowances throughout the year,” Barb said. “They dump their money on the counter and get as much candy as they can. One ten-year-old boy last year came in with the biggest smile on his face and said, “This is my favorite place ever! I just love it in here because of all of the amazing candy!” and that moment just brought me so much joy.”

 

Are you interested in learning more about volunteering at Green Lake Conference Center? Visit glcc.org/volunteer/ or contact [email protected] for more information.