I have talked about it and wrote about it and carried on about it, but now is the time to actively seek God's will. I am working hard to discern things about this community ministry. I have to give credit to Karen Ainsley who talked to me about the need for definition. To that end I also have to thank Carl Dudley and his book for giving me some ideas about definition. I was looking forward to reading David Bos' book since I knew him and his wife Johanna was my advisor in seminary, but I just can't recommend that book for other than a general survey of community ministry.
I think Jesus had some of the problems that I am having. Remember when He spoke to the Syro-Phonecian woman and had to revise his ministry focus? I am pretty hung up on getting the boundaries of the ministry defined and that seems to be a big stumbling block as does the focus of the ministry. I don't know why I am so hesitant about partnering and I think I'm just going to do that to start. I also am pushing myself to get something started and not waiting for God.
Discerning God's will for the ministry is a challenge. I am laboring over this and working too hard I think. I need to sit and let God's presence flow over me so that I can feel the Spirit. Please keep praying for me.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
It's all open
What is community ministry? What does the Bible say about community ministry? It seems to me that the ministry of the disciples was a community ministry. I'm trying to imitate that with the work that I do. I am going about them and if I'm not received I shake the dust and move on. Curiously, the rudest guy was the one living next door to the church.
I am faced with the challenge/opportunity of defining and creating a community ministry on the northwest side of South Bend. This is a huge area filled with needs and I am challenged to discern and define this ministry. A blessing and curse of this is that I have no one I have to answer to and no one to turn to for guidance. I don't know anyone who has done this sort of ministry and I'm feeling sort of at loose ends.
I think I need to re-read Acts because I feel a lot like Paul and what those original disciples dealt with as they began those first churches. I don't know what to write because I'm still sort of reeling from this experience. This is what I have asked for and I do approach ministry differently than the presbytery does usually. For example, I asked the churches for a commitment to pray and that is part of my position description. I am surprised that this was such an unorthodox thing to say when designing a ministry.
Pray for me.
I am faced with the challenge/opportunity of defining and creating a community ministry on the northwest side of South Bend. This is a huge area filled with needs and I am challenged to discern and define this ministry. A blessing and curse of this is that I have no one I have to answer to and no one to turn to for guidance. I don't know anyone who has done this sort of ministry and I'm feeling sort of at loose ends.
I think I need to re-read Acts because I feel a lot like Paul and what those original disciples dealt with as they began those first churches. I don't know what to write because I'm still sort of reeling from this experience. This is what I have asked for and I do approach ministry differently than the presbytery does usually. For example, I asked the churches for a commitment to pray and that is part of my position description. I am surprised that this was such an unorthodox thing to say when designing a ministry.
Pray for me.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
History
Advance warning! This is not one of my better posts. I hope you will understand as you read it, but it loses its way at the end.
This week I started my community ministry gig with two churches in South Bend. I'm really excited about this and challenged, but other things put this onto the back burner.
The daughter of a friend was in a car accident and she is in the intensive care unit of Memorial Hospital with some brain injury. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be those parents. Fran and I have been trying to be present and involved offering faithful support. We pray for a miracle for Lauren.
For me this is especially difficult as I was in a car accident when I was 18 (a year older than Lauren). I too had a brain injury and was in a coma for some days. While I was comatose and not really aware, this experience is bringing a lot of those memories and feelings up. "The accident" was a defining event in my life and I am in ways reliving that event. I wish I could name and better examine what's going on with me, but I can only say that I am affected by this experience in ways I never thought I would be.
This has all started me thinking about the power of history and what those past experiences, even the ones vaguely remembered, do to us. I guess I am wondering how society has experienced church or Christians and how that experience shades the common perception. Certainly the news leads people to look at us askance. I was talking with someone this week and they were telling me about a huge disappointment they experienced with a Christian person when they asked for help but that person told them no because they had to go to church.
As I am engaging in this community ministry I am struck by the need to live out the gospel rather than read it. When we can sincerely live what we believe is when the world will start to change. Now, though, the world we live in is beset with fear of others and social interaction. It's almost as if society has taken on a life of its own and we feel powerless to do anything about it. The sense that the world is greater than we are and so we cannot stop its movement, even when we disagree with the direction in which its going. Hmm, started with memories and their power to move to accountability/responsibility. I'm wondering how this fits.
This week I started my community ministry gig with two churches in South Bend. I'm really excited about this and challenged, but other things put this onto the back burner.
The daughter of a friend was in a car accident and she is in the intensive care unit of Memorial Hospital with some brain injury. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be those parents. Fran and I have been trying to be present and involved offering faithful support. We pray for a miracle for Lauren.
For me this is especially difficult as I was in a car accident when I was 18 (a year older than Lauren). I too had a brain injury and was in a coma for some days. While I was comatose and not really aware, this experience is bringing a lot of those memories and feelings up. "The accident" was a defining event in my life and I am in ways reliving that event. I wish I could name and better examine what's going on with me, but I can only say that I am affected by this experience in ways I never thought I would be.
This has all started me thinking about the power of history and what those past experiences, even the ones vaguely remembered, do to us. I guess I am wondering how society has experienced church or Christians and how that experience shades the common perception. Certainly the news leads people to look at us askance. I was talking with someone this week and they were telling me about a huge disappointment they experienced with a Christian person when they asked for help but that person told them no because they had to go to church.
As I am engaging in this community ministry I am struck by the need to live out the gospel rather than read it. When we can sincerely live what we believe is when the world will start to change. Now, though, the world we live in is beset with fear of others and social interaction. It's almost as if society has taken on a life of its own and we feel powerless to do anything about it. The sense that the world is greater than we are and so we cannot stop its movement, even when we disagree with the direction in which its going. Hmm, started with memories and their power to move to accountability/responsibility. I'm wondering how this fits.
Monday, August 1, 2011
First day
Today was the first day of the new ministry. I don't know what I expected, but what I did is bike around the northwest side of South Bend in 90 degree heat. Not a well thought out approach.
I did get to know the neighborhoods a little better and that was fun. I don't know what I was expecting, but what I found wasn't that. I found some seemingly well integrated neighborhoods and, judging by the lack of grafitti, not much gang activity. The area to the south is clearly in a lower socio-economic strata with an enormous number of rental houses.
As I biked I tried to keep open to hear God's call. I prayed that I might have an open mind to where God leads. I don't really know how God is going to speak to me about this or how I will be lead, but I am trying to throw off those preconceptions and be responsive.
I was talking with a Baptist pastor today and his word was "all things work for good". I need to keep that in mind as I pursue this ministry.
I did get to know the neighborhoods a little better and that was fun. I don't know what I was expecting, but what I found wasn't that. I found some seemingly well integrated neighborhoods and, judging by the lack of grafitti, not much gang activity. The area to the south is clearly in a lower socio-economic strata with an enormous number of rental houses.
As I biked I tried to keep open to hear God's call. I prayed that I might have an open mind to where God leads. I don't really know how God is going to speak to me about this or how I will be lead, but I am trying to throw off those preconceptions and be responsive.
I was talking with a Baptist pastor today and his word was "all things work for good". I need to keep that in mind as I pursue this ministry.
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