Small Church Ministry

I have now been working at my field education placement for two months at a small church about a half hour north of Princeton. My first Sunday there was my first worship service in which I was to be serving in a traditional service as a liturgist, though that hardly seemed to matter. I was thrown into the deep end and had to learn how to swim real fast. It also happened to be communion, which meant I was to be responsible for helping to pass out the elements. Needless to say, I was a little terrified. If you have ever held a tray of communion cups filled to the brim with grape juice, you'll understand my terror. I was so afraid I would trip and send the juice cascading in a purple waterfall upon the elders. I have now helped with two communions since that first one and I have yet to be the cause for a grape juice downpour, but the fear still haunts me. So far, I have learned that in a small church everyone needs to pitch in and it doesn't really matter how much experience you have. Many of my experiences this term have been "sink or swim." Either I figure it out or I don't and I am forced to learn from my mistakes.

Thankfully, most of the time I have been successful thus far. Of course, I have had my fair share of teaching moments. I have been given some guidance on how to be a better reader of Scripture as well as the little traditions that I was unaware of, but overall, God has seen me through. However, the real test is about to hit me. In a week and a half, I'll be leading a prayer retreat for the Elders and Deacons. My pastor needs refreshment so he wants me to be completely in charge of this retreat. I have never lead a retreat before. I've been to many, but nothing geared toward Elders and Deacons. To say the least, this is quite the task for me. It is difficult to plan a retreat with a goal of spiritual refreshment for a church context that I am new to. I'm not sure what the root cause of their weariness is. I want this retreat to be meaningful, but I'm afraid that it will end up simply being a treatment for symptoms rather than a dose of medicine to fight the disease. I recognize that I am not the one who will renew the life of the congregation. Only God can. Frankly, I do not see the same level of general weariness that my pastor sees. Sure, people are overburdened, but I'm not sure that will be fixed by three hours talking about and practicing prayer. It might help them deal with weariness, but inspiring those who will not be coming to the retreat to pitch in and help is the only way to ease the responsibilities placed on the leadership's shoulders.

I guess this leads me back to the main lesson I'm learning. In order for a small church to be really healthy and for all the members to be thriving, ALL the members need to share the load. Submission and service are key elements of a functioning Christian community. For that I will hope and pray.

November already?!

Like the rest of you, I flipped over my calendar on Monday as I always do the first day of the month. As the picture changed from two students strolling down the Hello Walk to enthusiastic Jubilation dancers (yes, I do have a Whitworth calendar. It's one of the perks of being an alumnus and having parents who were so economical as to wrap it up as a Christmas present), I caught myself wondering how in the world it is already November. October seemed to fly by without my noticing it.

November means, among other things, that the semester is more than halfway over. For this, I am completely unprepared. I have multiple large assignments to complete, a prayer retreat to organize and lead, and my first ever sermon in front of a real congregation to give between now and then. Where did the first half of the semester go? I have felt far more busy and stressed this year than any other year of school. No one told me being a middler was so hard before I got here. Now, of course, all the seniors are giving us slightly sympathetic grins as they nod their heads in agreement that middler year is the hardest year of seminary. Not only am I taking a full load of courses, but I'm also serving part time as a student pastor. By the way, small church work takes a ton of time. Though my official hours are not to exceed 15, my time in preparation and at the church generally exceeds this limit. Teaching an adult Sunday school class takes more preparation than I thought.

I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I'm just trying to express that juggling all these different demands on my time has facilitated in increasing the rate in which time has seemed to pass by. It is hard to catch my breath and live in the moment. However, as November also means Thanksgiving, this is the month to do just that. I am reminded to stop and think about all of the blessings I have been given. Studying at Princeton is one of the greatest blessings a person can have. I have a room to myself that is actually quite large, a warm bed, more clothes than I know what to do with, and food that I do not have cook every day. I have a wonderful family that supports and prays for me. Parents who are willing to stretch their budget to make sure that my older brother and myself get to come home for Christmas. Friends who share the burdens of school and walk with me through it. My friends here provide solidarity and occasions for fun and relaxation. My friends scattered across the United States remind me of who I am and help to keep me grounded. I am incredibly blessed.

So as the time flies by, I will make it my goal to stop every now and then and thank God for all that he has given me.