Repurposed: A Volunteer Highlight

I spent decades in ministry, but nothing quite prepared me for my first deployment with California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

After retiring in 2019 from Clovis Hills Community Church, I was not looking to slow down. I was looking for where God would lead me next. That direction began to take shape in 2020 during the Creek Fire, when my church served as a distribution center for those affected.

That experience piqued my interest in disaster relief ministry.

In 2024, when a California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief training was held at my church, I signed up. I initially trained in mass feeding, and later completed chaplaincy training as well, preparing to provide spiritual and emotional care to those impacted by crisis.

Still, training and deployment are very different experiences.

The unknown stood out to me the most. I did not know what to expect, including the sleeping arrangements, the accommodations, or what the work would really be like.

When I arrived, those concerns quickly eased.

The warm welcome I received from the team members already there is what I remember most. I was also struck by how organized everything was. It may have been my first rodeo, but it was clear it was not the team leaders’ first.

By the second day, everything began to fall into place.

I felt comfortable serving at the disaster recovery center and alongside the team. I began to clearly see the value in what we were there to do.

Much of my work took place inside resource centers, where survivors came seeking help after the Los Angeles fires. There, ministry looked very different from what I had known as a pastor. As a pastor, people come to you and often respect your spiritual perspective. In disaster relief, you are a stranger, and you do not automatically have the right to be heard.

Instead, I learned to lead with a different posture. I listened more and talked less. I tried to be a safe person for others to share with, recognizing that I did not have to have all the answers.

Throughout the week, I had opportunities to pray with individuals and families. One moment that especially stood out to me involved people working alongside me.

I was deeply touched when a couple of individuals from other organizations told me that when they saw me praying with someone, they would also lift up a prayer. They were not part of faith-based organizations, but they were people of faith.

I also found great encouragement in the CSBDR team around me.

Disaster relief includes some of the finest volunteers I have ever encountered. There is a shared purpose to serve others in Jesus’ name and a willingness to remain flexible in whatever way is needed.

By the end of the week, I knew I wanted to continue serving.

It gave me a glimpse of what God can do with willing volunteers.

For me, disaster relief became more than just another opportunity. It became a continuation of my calling.

I like to say I did not retire. I just repurposed.

Most recently, I deployed to a Multi-Agency Resource Center in Chicken Ranch, California, serving survivors of the fires in Chinese Camp. While California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is not typically a rebuild ministry, this assignment focused on helping families navigate the long road to recovery.

To me, this is a sign of God’s grace over this ministry. The state of California specifically wanted us there because of our reputation for providing spiritual and emotional care.

Looking back, I see a clear thread through it all, a faith that is meant to be lived out.

Several years ago, when Pat Hill was the head football coach at Fresno State, he said something that I adopted as a personal motto: “Shut up and hit somebody.” He was telling his players that talk does not mean anything. You must act. You must do something.

Over time, that idea became more than just a sports phrase. It became a spiritual conviction for me. Drawing from James 2:14-18, I see faith as something that must be lived out, not just spoken.

Perhaps my motto now should be, “Shut up and serve somebody” and I am grateful for California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief for giving me that opportunity.

This article was written by CSBDR volunteer Dave Love of Fresno, CA