Anne Fowler follows in the footsteps of Laura Mash and Joyce Gardner in heading up our vital outreach to South Main members who are no longer able to attend worship services each week. This ministry we call MainTies is an important pastoral effort of our church and Anne’s vigilant eye for spotting and responding to the ongoing needs of our elderly members, and her always open-hearted graciousness continues to connect many of the saints of South Main to the congregation and the life of the church. Thanks Anne for being such an encouraging force to MainTies participants and MainTies ministers alike.
— Greg Funderburk
When and why did you begin volunteering with MainTies?
I probably began visiting some of the SMBC “homebound” members in about 2007. I became very involved with a member whose husband had died, and she had no family.
Although I can’t remember specifically, I probably read in the church paper or heard an announcement asking for volunteers to help with the MainTies ministry, which was led by Lura Mash at the time. Lura had taken on this ministry by herself for many years and had enlisted church members to visit and keep in touch with members who could no longer attend in person. When Lura’s health declined, Joyce Gardner took over leadership of MainTies and led us until just recently. We currently have 13 individuals or couples serving as volunteers.
What does volunteering with MainTies entail?
Suggested guidelines for serving as a MainTies minister include monthly visits by phone, quarterly in-home visits, delivery of seasonal Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies, and maintaining contact with the individual’s family to help understand the changes in the needs of the homebound member. Mainly, I consider that being a MainTies volunteer means being a friend to someone who can’t get out anymore and who might be lonely and just need someone to cheer them up!
What’s one of your favorite things about volunteering in the MainTies Ministry?
A favorite thing about volunteering is that I always come away feeling happy and uplifted. The joy I hope to have shared with our contacts comes back to me, and I receive the blessing. It’s always interesting to hear these friends talk about their life experiences and faith stories.
What has changed with MainTies since you first began?
Changes in the MainTies ministry are mainly technology related. The personal contacts are the same—nothing can take the place of in-person visits. We usually try to place a volunteer with a MainTies homebound member who lives in the same general area of Houston to help facilitate these visits.
How does volunteering serve the larger congregation?
Volunteering with MainTies serves the larger congregation by creating a connection and communication with a SMBC member who can no longer attend in person but who can still feel the love of their congregation. Eventually, many of our members will be potential MainTies ministry recipients. That’s a nice connection (and resource) to know about as a member slowly moves into senior status.
