Agents of change: Stepping forward in faith

By Jon Ruis

Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it is accepting fear and having the faith to do something about it.

Jon Ruis sits with one of the village leaders during his time in the Peace Corps. in Thailand. Above, he is with his host family. (photos submitted)

My heart races a little when I remember sitting in my home and hearing music coming from the village. I had made a promise to myself, and this was my cue. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Northeast Thailand, my job was to bring my experiences to the incredible people living in my area and help affect change. How do you start when you speak the language as well as a 4-year-old, as my host family liked to tease me?

It starts with a simple step: Hear music, go. I will come back to this later.

One of the hardest things for us to come to grips with is that change happens with or without us. For thousands of years, writers and philosophers have been trying to help us understand this aspect of our life. Plato wrote, “You could not step twice into the same river.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 states “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,” highlighting the cyclical and changing nature of life’s events.

We cannot stop the flow of the river or the changing of the seasons; our efforts can be better spent deciding how we can take advantage of this change.

As a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sartell, I am worried about what changes our ACCs will need to go through. But let’s remember, courage isn’t the absence of fear, it is accepting fear and having the faith to do something about it.

Jon Ruis works in the rice fields in Thailand.

In my work, I’ve been privileged to witness the transformative power of faith in action. Whether helping an organization that provides resources for grieving families or supporting the vibrant growth of a children’s museum, one truth remains constant: change begins when individuals step forward, ready to answer the call.

As baptized Catholics, we are called to be more than passive participants in our faith; we are invited to be active agents of change, carrying forward the evangelizing mission of the Church. This is not an abstract ideal, but a living call rooted in the Gospel and brought to life in our parishes, families and communities.

Being an agent of change means embracing this identity. It’s a role that asks us to step outside of comfort zones and engage deeply with the needs of our communities.

Answering the call to be an agent of change starts with a personal decision: to say “yes” to hearing the music and going. How do you affect change in a small village in Thailand when you barely speak the language?

Hear music, go to the party! Show up, be present, ask questions, make relationships, share your knowledge or lack thereof and ripples begin. In Thailand, it was meeting the head of the local clinic and bringing health education to hundreds of school kids. It was meeting someone that asked what I knew about organic rice farming and connecting them with another peace corps volunteer who knew way more than me. (Those farmers now sell their organic rice right here in St. Cloud!)

It all started because I heard the music and went.Here are three practical steps to help you begin:

Get Involved:

Take the first step. Reach out to your ACC leadership or attend a parish meeting. Ask questions, share your ideas, and ask how you can help. Your involvement matters.

Invite Others:

Change is more impactful when it’s shared. Encourage your friends, family and fellow parishioners to join you. Together, you can inspire even greater transformation.

Understand  and Accept:

When you start, you have no idea where you will end. Do your best, understanding that your way isn’t always the right way, and accept that doing it together means finding balance in all our ideas. We are part of a vibrant community of faith, united by the Eucharist and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Together, we can become agents of change in our ACCs and beyond.

The work of the Church is never finished, and that’s a good thing. As agents of change, we carry forward the mission of Jesus Christ, knowing that even the smallest act of faith can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.

Will you listen for the music? Will you say “yes” to the call? Let us work together to transform our communities.

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Jon Ruis is the owner and principal of Ruis Consulting Group. Jon lives in Sartell with his wife and two children.

Podcast with Jon Ruis and Joe Towalski, chancellor of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

Author: The Central Minnesota Catholic

The Central Minnesota Catholic is the magazine for the Diocese of St. Cloud.

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