Giving and Receiving

By Al Jepson (MDiv '58)
Past Chair, Alumni/ae Council

On the flight back home to Philadelphia after attending the October Alumni/ae Council meeting, I realized that in a few months I would conclude my years of service on the council. My six-year term ends June 2010. I did a quick review:

• 11 cross-country round trips
• Many hours of meetings--complete with reports, discussions, and votes
• Excellent and informative updates on Fuller from faculty and administrators
• Delicious meals and great fellowship with colleagues

Were the time, energy, and effort worth it? Absolutely! Would I do it again? Of course! Why? Because this has been an opportunity to reconnect with an important part of my life--three years as a student at Fuller. These council meetings have provided occasions to see the current Fuller, not the seminary of 1958 when I graduated. What wonderful growth and change have transpired! Being a member of the council has also afforded for me the opportunity to "give back"--to offer something of what I have experienced and learned in life, and perhaps to contribute just a bit to Fuller's vision for an expanded role of alumni/ae in the future. In short, serving as a volunteer and sharing in the mission of a cause because one believes in that mission has its own rewards.

Jesus is reported in Acts to have said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." True, yes; but as we give by volunteering, the surprise is how much we receive.