“You never know what’s gonna’ happen as a result of your volunteering effort.”
– Tom Ruiz
Tom Ruiz has played many different roles in his life. He served in the army, in higher education, as a father and husband, and as a city councilman and mayor, among other things. Currently, as a resident of Middle Tennessee, he serves a small congregation at the First United Methodist Church in Nolensville. His resume of service is not only impressive, it is also quite diverse and heavily based on his religious upbringing.
Growing up as a Roman Catholic, Tom’s service journey began as an altar boy. He has since served every church he has been a part of by helping to strengthen his community, developing church leaders, and taking on other useful tasks. Currently, he has a mission of establishing a Stephen Ministry at his current church – a ministry whose purpose is to accompany those facing a life crisis like illness, death of a loved one, divorce, and other life difficulties.
At his previous church in Texas, Tom’s Stephens Ministry connected with a man who was diagnosed with brain cancer. This man requested help with staying close to God because he knew his days were numbered. As part of his effort, Tom visited the man in his hospital bed to learn about his unexpected and sudden diagnosis that came after a spell of terrible headaches. He then spent the following days helping him to reconcile with his fate and with God. Ten days after their first meeting, the man had passed away with a better relationship with God.
Initially,Tom did not know about the passing of his new friend. He called and left messages to share scriptures and thoughts. A few days later, he got a call from the man’s son who wanted him to know that his father listened to every message he sent him. The son mentioned that he, too, had begun listening to those messages since his father’s passing.
“You never know what’s gonna’ happen as a result of your volunteering effort,” Tom says.
He learned that he made a positive impact on both a dying man and his newly-grieving son.
To hear more about Tom’s story, listen to his interview on the Doing Good podcast.
