When Volunteering Becomes Ministry
Last year, Hilary Godin was a new member at St. Mary’s, and when she joined the Garden Committee she wasn’t sure what to expect. She was an amateur gardener, and has an insatiable love of learning. So when the committee expressed the need for a map of the gardens, she jumped at the chance and took a unique approach to the year-long project, which has resulted in a working map of the property as well as, a photo gallery exhibit outside of Walden Hall. “My first task was to familiarize myself with the many garden areas or ‘rooms,’” she explained. Equipped with her iPhone 16 Pro, she set out to explore and document the grounds throughout the growing seasons: spring, summer, and fall. The goal of taking the photos was to document location, placement and type of plant or flower, yet the results were beautiful images that captured the magic of the grounds. “While my primary objective was to track what bloomed, when, and where, it was easy to create beautiful images when the subjects were flowers, trees, and shrubs. Over the course of a year, I discovered that early morning truly is the golden hour for photography.” In addition to her work on her mapping project, she regularly participated in monthly committee meetings and garden workdays. Working in the garden is special too, she said. She enjoys the physical work, but did not anticipate how it would make her feel . “It really feels like a ministry, I dig in this dirt and can feel the people who came before us to build the garden,” she says. “There is a history to the property, and I am participating in the legacy of the original planners.”
Hilary’s photo exhibit is displayed on the wall outside of Walden Conference Center for all to enjoy.
Hilary and her husband, David, began arriving at the 8 a.m. Sunday service early during the “golden hour” of light so she could slip away for photo shoots. “I’m grateful to the ushers who rang the bell to alert me just before the service began. Many times I would arrive with wet shoes, and other times my husband had to text from the pew to let me know the service was already underway.”
5
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online