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Vacuums ready! Don & Jerry

'Have something I can do?'

This is the story of two retired guys. They are willing and available. They love the church. And some years ago, they started noticing stuff. Doughnut crumbs. Smudges. Carpet yardage that exceeded the reach of the custodial crew.

One of the guys, Jerry Zinn, “started stalking Harris (Schneekloth, on the custodial staff). I saw that at times he was awful busy.”

“Have something I can do?” asked Jerry, newly retired from drivers’ education training at West High School.

Harris didn’t hesitate an instant. “Boy, do I,” he said. “Show up tomorrow at 8:00.”

“Well, that seemed a little late,” thought Jerry. Nearly every Monday morning for five years, Jerry has arrived at 7 a.m., ready to do what needs doing.

For the other guy, Don Megown, 1998 marked the year that he traded in the printing business for a vacuum and mower at St. Paul. Early every Monday morning, in the far reaches of the church building, Don stuffs cleaning rags, dishtowels, tablecloths, and red aprons into the washing machine. He dries and folds too. “No ironing though,” he quips.

Over the years, over chores and cups of coffee, Jerry and Don have struck up a friendship that keeps them laughing and finishing each others’ sentences. They’re grateful to be in the ranks of Odd Jobbers (although the label is just now taking hold). They’re St. Paul people who take great pride in their church home, and discover camaraderie, community, and meaning as they serve.

Don chases red and purple doughnut crumbs with his Monday-morning vacuum. Staples and glitter embedded in classroom carpet challenge Jerry’s vacuum acumen. He carries a spoon in his back pocket to pry loose the most stubborn specks. Don prefers scuffing up ground-in crumbs with his heavy-soled sneakers.

“There’s a lot of carpet here,” chuckles Don, surveying an expanse of the 90,000-square-foot church building.

They help sling chairs from one room to another. They wear orange vests on Easter Sunday to oversee parking challenges. Jerry sometimes takes extra duty behind the Sunday coffee counter, where he delights in the community spirit that grows out of caffeine and sweets. “A lot goes into the Sunday-morning operation,” says Jerry. “People have no idea.”

Here’s what Jerry and Don have learned about their congregation:

  • We really like doughnuts and “low-priced lattes” here. And those coffee flavors are “like cement” when they dry on the counters.
  • There are a lot of us. A growing number. That means more and more cups and bulletins to bag up on Mondays. “Big church. Big job,” the guys say.
  • People say “thank you” here a lot.
  • It’s work, but it’s fun.

These two are not the only Odd Jobbers at St. Paul, by any stretch. There’s Evalie who stops in to polish windows. Judy weeds the flower beds. Mel takes charge of a mower each week in warm weather. Don and Jerry look to the example of D.A. Paustian, who died in 2008. D.A.‘s ingenuity and unwavering dedication keep on giving. The custodial crew and their helpers have D.A. in mind every time they heave a bag of garbage into the customized cart D.A. designed with cast-off bicycle wheels.

For Don, the motivation to serve is quite simple: “I love St. Paul. I get a lot of satisfaction seeing the church clean and neat, the equipment and shop rags ready to go. I take a lot of pride in the place.”

Jesus’ commandment to love God and love the neighbor keep Jerry charged up, he says. “For me, it’s gradual steps in growing faith.” So Jerry’s steps keep pace with a vacuum, preparing a place for people to come to learn about loving God and neighbor. “It’s a ministry. Except we don’t preach,” chortles Don.

Keeping this church clean, neat, and in good repair for others is endless and weekly. But it’s anything but thankless. It’s all about love — for God, for others. Follow the lead of Don and Jerry. Swell the ranks of Odd Jobbers at St. Paul!

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"The new Eve or Adam which comes forth in Christ Jesus, takes shape not over and above the ordinary, but deep down in the contrariness and complications of the everyday." ~Jack Fortin