Something that I noticed early on in this process is the difference in size between Wellshire and the church I grew up in. Wellshire probably has twice the number of members, if not more. The Wellshire staff has about 17 paid positions and the Third staff has three. I have realized that I feel much more comfortable and at home in a smaller church. I do not feel led to be a preaching pastor at this point, so the areas of ministry that I am most interested in are really only paid positions in larger churches.
Being within about a year of my first real job and of being truly out on my own, I am thinking about what I want to do as a career, where I want to live, and also what kind of church I want to belong to. If I am led to work in a church, my personal preference of a smaller size likely will need to be compromised in order to find a place where church work can become my career. I know that each church has different needs, and that the Lord's plans will take me exactly where he needs me. For now, my task is to wait for him and bring him glory through this process
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
A Catch-Up Post
I am more than half way through my summer at Wellshire! Here's what I've been up to since the last blog post.
My mentor was gone the week after Music Camp so I took a much-needed slower week, and spent some time with the congregational care pastor. I got to go along on some pastoral care visits, which were hard and wonderful at the same time. We visited a new born baby at her home, just days old, and gave her a gift from the Sunday School. We visited a woman in the hospital who had an infection in her leg, and was so happy to see someone from the church. We visited another woman who had a cracked pelvis and the pastor took me out to lunch, asked me hard questions and paid for my pizza. I was pushed about denominations and the contrast between the way I was raised and the things I have chosen, and the church I am serving this summer. I learned the church work of collating bulletin inserts and accepting new members. I wrote the Congregational Prayer and got to pray it from the pulpit on Sunday morning.
The next week Holly was back and we got to work on setting up for VBS. It was a blast. We made egg shakers and read curriculum. We dressed a rabbit puppet up like a chef. We construction papered, and magic markered, and toilet-paper tubed. And Holly taught me, once again, how to go all in, how to do nothing half way. We ate cinnamon bears, and I was energized by organized lists, and careful planning, and creatively bringing about a vision for the kids.
At the end of the week, my rabbit and I could hardly wait for Tuesday.
My mentor was gone the week after Music Camp so I took a much-needed slower week, and spent some time with the congregational care pastor. I got to go along on some pastoral care visits, which were hard and wonderful at the same time. We visited a new born baby at her home, just days old, and gave her a gift from the Sunday School. We visited a woman in the hospital who had an infection in her leg, and was so happy to see someone from the church. We visited another woman who had a cracked pelvis and the pastor took me out to lunch, asked me hard questions and paid for my pizza. I was pushed about denominations and the contrast between the way I was raised and the things I have chosen, and the church I am serving this summer. I learned the church work of collating bulletin inserts and accepting new members. I wrote the Congregational Prayer and got to pray it from the pulpit on Sunday morning.
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| Moses and his Israelite friends ready to teach the kids about unleavened bread! |
The next week Holly was back and we got to work on setting up for VBS. It was a blast. We made egg shakers and read curriculum. We dressed a rabbit puppet up like a chef. We construction papered, and magic markered, and toilet-paper tubed. And Holly taught me, once again, how to go all in, how to do nothing half way. We ate cinnamon bears, and I was energized by organized lists, and careful planning, and creatively bringing about a vision for the kids.
At the end of the week, my rabbit and I could hardly wait for Tuesday.
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