Neither snow nor rain nor heat...
Armed only with whistles, brightly colored vests and winning smiles, the members of Parkside's Parking Lot Ministry stand firmly in the middle of swirling traffic to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles in, out and around Parkside's Bainbridge campus each Sunday. Mike Janotka, who took over the director spot from Mike Coy in 1999, leads the crew as he directs traffic with the vigor of a music conductor directing a symphony orchestra. "I started with the parking crew in 1994," explains Mike Janotka, who is retired from his custom car detailing and polishing business and now keeps himself busy working as a handyman. "I was working with the two year-olds during first service and I was on the parking crew second service, just helping out." Mike credits his time in the nursery as a great training ground for the parking lot. "It was invaluable because, almost like a mother, I learned to get eyes in the back of my head," laughs Mike. "When you hear something over there, you know that little kid just picked up something he wasn't supposed to. When you're in the parking lot and you hear that 'tick-tick,' you know it's somebody's blinker and it must be a car."
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That added awareness helps keep everyone in the parking lot, and on the road, safe. Directing traffic may look simple, but it involves juggling several competing interests. The parking crew's goal is to create a safe, smooth, and efficient flow of traffic for the people attending services at the church while respecting the local residents who are often caught waiting for an opening in the church traffic. Adding to that challenge are the distractions that drivers face inside their vehicles, e.g., restless children in the backseat or the irresistible ringing of a cell phone. As a result, drivers do not always dedicate their full attention to the task of driving their car. "That's why the optic colors and whistles are mandatory," explains Mike. "You've got to have that whistle because it breaks their concentration from the phone. And at least with the phone, people are looking at you. With texting, they're looking down, not even looking out the window."
Jo Ellen Alexander, a home-care nurse with the Cleveland Clinic, joined the crew this past summer. "Communicating with your hands when you're used to communicating with your mouth is difficult. It's been challenging and a good learning experience," says Jo.
Rick Reid, a carpenter by trade and a Parkside usher and parking crew member since 1993, has watched and learned from Mike. "The way he handles traffic and takes control of situations inspires me," says Rick, and adds, "I haven't yet mastered the whistle as well as Mike has."
Service with a Smile
Even with the inherent hazards of standing in the middle of traffic, the parking crew recognizes that they are the first face of Parkside. Mike points out that "for those people who are coming to Parkside for the first time, we are the first people they see. It's important that we are assertive, yet kind."
Bursts of Service
Mike's dedication to the parking lot ministry may confuse those who are considering it as a possible place to serve. Because Mike directs traffic every Sunday and at special events when he is available, people might have a misconception of the requirements. "[The other crew members] are only out there one Sunday out of four," confirms Mike.
Jo also adds that the service time is minimal. "We come out after each service lets out. It's really only about twenty minutes [after each service]."
Go on, Give it a Try
Dave Shold, a corporate patent attorney and veteran member who joined the crew in 1993, recommends that if anyone is thinking about joining the parking lot crew they should give it a try. "Parking crew work is entirely different from the office work that I do the rest of the week, and it's a nice change of pace," says Dave. But he cautions that it's not a job for bossing people around, "rather, it's for helping people to navigate smoothly and to behave politely." Both Dave and Jo enjoy getting smiles and waves from drivers and seeing who is visiting from far away places. Rick also adds that "it's a service ministry that is a lot of fun. I serve with great people on small teams and we get to know our teammates well. Plus, you get a free cup of coffee!"
People who are considering volunteering for the parking lot ministry "should have a working knowledge of traffic from a driver's point of view, but also an idea of things like bigger vehicles take longer to stop, smaller ones are more speedy," explains Mike. "I would also recommend that if a person is a new driver, they wait until they have a few years of experience behind the wheel. You have to have the experience of dealing with rain on windshields, slippery snow and conditions like that."
The Heart of a Volunteer
Mike believes that if anyone has "the wherewithal to volunteer, they got that calling from God. They didn't get it from the pulpit and they're not going to get it from the Bainbridge police department. You might be thinking that you might like to serve, but you're worried about the cars moving too fast," offers Mike. "You might think, 'Maybe I'll try something on a smaller scale, like with the three year-olds.' I say, 'No, maybe you're safer out in the parking lot!'"
With only seven volunteers, it is a challenge to ensure that the crew members serve on a once-a-month rotation. Next month, the crew will temporarily lose Len Hohenfield, a parking lot ministry crew chief, who will be undergoing shoulder surgery. And, Mike, whose previous work took a toll physically, is starting to notice a touch of bursitis in his own shoulders that makes waving traffic through a little more of an effort. But Mike always likes to look on the positive side of things, "We're all fingers of a hand. God is the hand and we're the fingers. If one finger is broken, you just go to the next one. And if you go with three, fine. If you have no fingers, then you know that you have the power of God," laughs Mike.
If you would like more information about volunteering for the parking crew, please contact Sandy Mansell at (440) 543-1212 or by email at smansell@parksidechurch.com.
