Uncategorized admin on 16 Feb 2008 04:55 pm
Volunteering
St John’s University Students with Campus Minister Patrick Tracy volunteering at Agape
| Philosophy Volunteers and Interns who live and work at Agape are entering the various dimension of communal life which include: worship;daily prayer; contemplation; silence;close contact with nature; office work; homesteading and public witness. The richest experience occurs when an individual enters the total life at Agape, staying for a year or longer.
Prayer We see prayer as vital to community life. Abishiktananda, a Benedictine contemplative writes: “To live in constant prayer is nothing else but to live in the actual presence of God. |
Prayer Schedule The community prays three times daily; 7:30 a.m. - gospel readings, interperative commentary and reflections with intercessory prayer. Noon - the Angeles. 9:00 p.m. - the Christian Office. Meditations in silence on Wednesday evenings replace spoken prayer. Use of Hermitage The hermitage is available during early morning hours and during free time. The community encourages use of the hermitage one day each month as a “hermit day.” |
Work Rhythms
Interns and volunteers are invited to contribute their gifts to the community during the work day which begins after prayer at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m.
We observe Sabbath from noon Saturday until Monday morning.
Interns and volunteers may work on a variety of tasks: 1. Education Ministry 2. Homesteading 3. Outreach to inner city youth 4. Special Community Events 5. Witness Activities 6. Liturgical Celebration 7. Prison visitation. A daily rhythm emerges around these areas suitable to community needs and the desire of the intern and volunteer.
Education Ministry Tasks for the education ministry include office coordination, phone calling, computer work and publicity. Participation in the actual education program is an option if the intern’s/volunteer’s background and experience are appropriate to Agape retreats and programs on nonviolence.
Wrtiing for and assistance with layout and dissemination of Servant Song, our semi-annual journal, are intregal to the education ministry. Writing and editing skills are assets in the production of Agape’s journal, as is a working knowledge of computers.
Homesteading Working on the land from March through November is a time for woodcutting & splitting and organic gardening. Ongoing building projects and maintenance of the homestead may require some carpentry skills but not professional expertise. We encourage men and women to experiment with untraditional work tasks.
Mateu Mbundo from Kenya with Agape co-founders Suzanne and Brayton Shanley
Daily LifeMeals We eat individually and informally at breakfast and together for lunch and dinner during the week. Simple vegetarian fare is a priority as we remember the starvation in the world.Agape places a high priority on health, seeing it as a constituent part of the spiritual life. All gardening is organic and the community’ s diet is vegetarian.Interns are invited to join in the weekly fast, which is water or liquid fast starting after dinner Saturday night and broken at Sunday night’s dinner.
Free Time Hikes, bike rides, and trips to Quabbin Reservoir are some of the activities that many interns, volunteers, and guests enjoy. Bike and hiking trails are plentiful. State parks and ponds for swimming are within 6-10 miles of Francis House. This area is rich in colleges and cultural activities.
College Interns College students may inquire about internships with college credit during the acdemic year.
Length of Stay We always welcome volunteers who would like to come to experience the life at Agape a few hours a week. Please contact us if you are interested. We are also interested in people willing to commit to life here for a year minimally, leading to possible membership. If you are interested you may download & fill out an application, and mail it to us at : Agape Community 2062 Greenwich Road, Ware MA 01082
Download our Internship Application MS Word Format
