time after time
day two in the office and i can't help but think i should be doing something other than reading....
so i take a break and surf the web for spiritual gift inventories and other fun stuff to use with the congregation...and then back to reading: old newsletters, the constitution, taking the random break to quiz myself on names in the picture directory. it's so weird.
6 months is an absolutely awkward time to spend in a congregation. as we sit and plan out the year....i will only be here for some of it. how can i help support different programs without involving myself so much that i will be a gap to fill when I leave? it is a strange feeling to just be here planning for what comes after me.
oh that was terrible - i know it's not all about me. well, maybe it is just a little bit about me. there's a part of me that is investing interest in being involved in the activities in this place. not to mention all this involvement is key in building relationships and an important aspect of ministry.
maybe the struggle for me arises in the desire to be a longer term presence within the context of a congregation. friends and loved ones are beginning ministries where the end cannot be seen. mine, on the other hand, is pretty clear. the congregation had a chuckle when i told them that month 7 on internship is when things started feeling comfortable...month 7 here, is one month too late. how can you speed up that process? i'm not so certain how possible it is. building relationships take time. getting to know one another takes time....and time, it seems is the one thing this match is lacking.
i definitely underestimated my 'nesting' instinct. (no babies here!) but nesting in a congregational setting, being a part of members lives for more than just a year.
don't get me wrong, this experience will be invaluable. as joe said, 'you'll probably be the most experienced first call pastor, ever!' true story. it's just hard waiting.
i suppose i should continue reading...
+paz
so i take a break and surf the web for spiritual gift inventories and other fun stuff to use with the congregation...and then back to reading: old newsletters, the constitution, taking the random break to quiz myself on names in the picture directory. it's so weird.
6 months is an absolutely awkward time to spend in a congregation. as we sit and plan out the year....i will only be here for some of it. how can i help support different programs without involving myself so much that i will be a gap to fill when I leave? it is a strange feeling to just be here planning for what comes after me.
oh that was terrible - i know it's not all about me. well, maybe it is just a little bit about me. there's a part of me that is investing interest in being involved in the activities in this place. not to mention all this involvement is key in building relationships and an important aspect of ministry.
maybe the struggle for me arises in the desire to be a longer term presence within the context of a congregation. friends and loved ones are beginning ministries where the end cannot be seen. mine, on the other hand, is pretty clear. the congregation had a chuckle when i told them that month 7 on internship is when things started feeling comfortable...month 7 here, is one month too late. how can you speed up that process? i'm not so certain how possible it is. building relationships take time. getting to know one another takes time....and time, it seems is the one thing this match is lacking.
i definitely underestimated my 'nesting' instinct. (no babies here!) but nesting in a congregational setting, being a part of members lives for more than just a year.
don't get me wrong, this experience will be invaluable. as joe said, 'you'll probably be the most experienced first call pastor, ever!' true story. it's just hard waiting.
i suppose i should continue reading...
+paz
posted by jake, eh at 1:02 PM
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