Meet Elaine Johnson

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 1Peter 4:10 Our church is known in the RB area for our community outreach programs. The members of our church family participate enthusiastically in the Saturday collection of food and other supplies for our community neighbors, food packing extravaganzas, lunch packing on the patio and many other activities. The events seem to go seamlessly and without hitch. We all know that this does not happen without someone at the helm who is very organized. That someone is Elaine Johnson, volunteer Outreach Ministry Coordinator. Her name is quite familiar because she is always providing us with opportunities to share our love of the Lord with others. As a student at Ohio State, her desire to serve others led her to choose a major in social work. She started out as a vocational counselor for high school students and adults while working on her Masters in Guidance and Counseling. Elaine earned a PhD in Human Behavior and Leadership in 1993. After 32 years in education, she retired as principal of Bernardo Heights Middle School 12 years ago. Elaine credits her years in Girl Scouts for her career choices. She loved the opportunities for service the Scouts provided, and she wanted to share that love with others. Service has always been a part of her life. Her career gave her the way to involve kids in service and to encourage women to help other women succeed. In 2017, when Elaine was asked to be the Outreach Coordinator, the goal was to get people out of the pews and into the community. There was some success with Habitat for Humanity and Solutions for Change. However, everything changed with Covid, and the outreach efforts with drive-through events really took off. The Outreach Ministry is funded by the Missions Committee, but it’s the monthly collections of in-kind goods donated by the congregation, the community and the Deacons that have increased the presence of RB Community in our area. Elaine reaches out to non-profits regularly, finding out their needs and how we might be able to help. Her living room serves as her storage area. Making deliveries is her reward when she sees the expressions of gratitude and amazement on the faces of those helping to unload her car. (Due to privacy issues, we never meet the actual recipients.) She would love to have others ride along with her as she delivers our gifts. Elaine also serves on the Missions Committee, HR Committee, Pastor Nominating Committee, and in the Welcome Center. She spends the rest of her free time playing pickleball, reading, entertaining grandchildren, and planning or going on getaway trips. The Lord has given Elaine a heart for service. Her joy is to fulfill the example of Jesus when he said, “If we do this for others, we do it for Him.” From Irene Dunny and Elaine