As a ministry developer, I seem to be in transit between churches and congregations much of the time, if not literally, at least figuratively. I switch gears many times each day between projects but also between focusing on one church or congregation versus another. I generally preach and lead services at two different churches on a Sunday, often for three services in boomerang fashion. That means totally different audiences with totally different personalities, and thus often different sermons depending on how God might be speaking to me as I pray over the readings and get further inspired while standing in the pulpit.
The Sunday morning of worship services might then be followed by pastoral visits for a vacationing clergy person from one of those churches or even a third church or a fourth. Oh, and what about the mid-week services? It may be easy to find supply for the vacationing clergy on a Sunday, but what about the mid-week services? With bi-vocational clergy in so many of the churches, they are unavailable to help with that need, so if means I get the opportunity to spend time with a different pocket of parishioners who frequent the mid-week morning or evening services.
Or what about any weekday nursing home services that rotate between the area Episcopal and other churches? Oh yes. Which ministerium or ministeriums should I join? And do their meetings or liturgical discussions overlap or can I attend them all? As the coordinator and supervisor of some of the other Episcopal clergy, should I even not be involved, to allow the truly local clergy have their own fellowship and educational group with “the supervisor” also attending?
And what about the Episcopal transplant to our attractive and ever-growing retirement destination? The shut-ins without any attachment to a specific local parish should not fall between the cracks merely because they have no local connection to a church. Thus, I am graced with the opportunity to actually have a small “congregation” of folks—albeit they do not meet together—that considers me their pastor as I visit with them and bring them communion.
And I really must not forget the ministry development components of the position. Another shifting of gears is needed. Thank goodness for e-mail and phones, especially mobile ones! I also must not forget my trusty GPS for those visits to little corners of the region. It really is not very helpful to follow a local’s directions when the directions involve turning by the “old Walmart” and then the Smith farm when the Walmart building is now something entirely different and the Smith farm is now a residential development and have been so long before I moved to the region.
Maybe it is the detective in me, but the mystery of where my day might lead keeps my day interesting and helps me increasingly love doing what I do. Admittedly, keeping track of my whereabouts and proposed whereabouts is not easy. So, when I actually tell folks that I need to check my calendar/date book, remember that I really do!! I simply cannot keep track of it all in my head, and I don’t even try to! Let’s just hope I don’t lose my datebook! Or it may mean a very lost Theresa!
Theresa
