life as a volunteer children's minister

Okay, so here is the deal. I find myself without a paid ministry position but attending a great little church that meets in the Westmount area of Montreal.  It is a small church, approximately 150 people including a number of children.  They have one full time priest and two other part-time staff, one as a youth coordinator and one as a administrator and the current budget is stretched as it is. So when the need for a Sunday school coordinator came up I was approached.  Our priest knew of my 15 years of children's ministry experience, both paid pastoral experience and volunteer experience, and he was very careful as he expressed the need while stressing the fact that there was no budget for an extra staff.  He stated that he didn't want me to feel taken advantage of, being asked to do for free something that I used to be paid for.  That got me thinking. Why should I withhold something that God has given me a passion for, experience in, and the right education, just because the church can't currently pay for it.  I heard a sermon once, many many years ago about giving God our very best, not just what is left over at the end of the week, and it has stuck with me over the years.  So many times as a pastor I would hear people say that they didn't want to use their gifts, talents or experience to further God's kingdom. Well actually it sounded more like this "I don't want to teach Sunday School because I am a teacher and I teach all week" "I don't want to work on the church books because I am an accountant and do that all week"  and so on and so forth.  But what I heard was that they didn't feel like they could give their best to God. They didn't have the energy.  Don't get me wrong, I totally understand, everyone needs a break at times.  We have all been there, But who better than to teach the children than the teacher? Or to be trusted with the finances that the accountant?  I was challenged by that sermon so much and still am that I in turn I try to challenge all those who use that reasoning with me to really think about the reasons they are not using those specific gifts in the church. Maybe they really need a break, they are burnt out, craving restoration. If that is the case, I would encourage a time to step back from may things, focusing on renewal, not just to look for a change in activity.  God has blessed us with education, experience and talent in many different areas, why would we step out of those giftings and do something in the church that we are less skilled, less talented and less experienced, just so we can have some variety in our lives.  Well I think we can all get a new hobby or join a book club for variety, and stick with what we are best at when it comes to serving the Church.
I don't know, this is just a passionate thought on my part right now, as I have been working through my own volunteer experiences of late.  Maybe I will think differently after spending some time in a classroom.  Maybe not.  Only time will tell I guess.  In the mean time, I am now a volunteer children's minister, as I just can't let a need go unfilled, especially when I  have the training, education and experience to do it well.

Technology dependant part II

Ok, so my computer crashed late last week and that kept me a bit behind and a bit bored at my desk for Thursday (Friday is my day off) and Monday as my new computer was getting ready for its new home.
So since Tuesday I have had my new computer and I feel just as silly sitting at my desk staring at it as I did when I didn't have a computer. I have this big beautiful looking Mac sitting on my desk now and I am just learning the differences between a PC and a Mac. Right now I feel like it is taking me twice as long to figure things out and that I am not nearly as productive as I should be. Oh well, it will only take me a few days and a lot of playing around to figure out some of the silly little differences.

I do like that my Iphone syncs really nicely with the ical. Over all it will be wonderful, it will just take me a little while to stop looking for the close screen x on the right.

Feel free to send any pointers my way :)

Technology dependent

Here I am sitting at my desk without a computer, because mine was not behaving itself, with little to do. What do you do at work without a computer? I pulled out my phone to check my emails, Facebook, and twitter just to keep up with the world, I ran errands, and cleaned my Sunday school rooms.

Now I guess I wait.

My new computer is suppose to be ready this afternoon.

What would you do if you didn't have your computer at work for a day?

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Location:Taylor St E,Saskatoon,Canada

faith is good

I have a lot of faith in my volunteers . I just know that they are going to show up, come prepared and be happy. I wish that I could take credit for this, but I really can't . The intrim children's ministry director did a wonderful job showing them importance of volunteering, the changes that they make in the lives of children and I am guessing that the volunteers feel appreciated and blessed. I have been at EBC for two months already and I haven't had a single no show. Boy, that is just unheard of.

So, now my job is to find out from my volunteers what they think of their volunteer positions, what they like and don't like. I need to talk to Carie, who put many of these volunteers into their positions, to see what she did to encourage them, train them and/or value them. And I am going to have to implement those practices in the other volunteer areas that I over see.

I need to not take for granted that my morning people are faithful. I need to learn from that and try to encourage all areas to have the same faithful feel.

I can't believe it is Saturday night at 7:30 and I am not worried about who is going to show up. My volunteers rock.

Making friends up and down the hall

Ok, so here is the thought of the day. How do you make friends up and down the hall of an office. I have to say that I love my job, I also really like the people that I work with, but I am really lonely. I am surrounded by super nice people, whom I have known for 2 months now and really don't feel a strong friendship with any of them.

True I work mainly with introverts, when I am an extrovert. So my overly excited invites for coffee or my constant attempt at starting conversations tend to scare people off than build friendships.

My office is also all the way in the corner of the church, not near most of the of the other offices, so distance can play into the problem a bit.

We are all rather busy here at the church, which does not allow for tons of social time, so that plays into the situation a bit as well.

And I'm the new one, and they are not, so they already have social groups within the office and the church, when I just don't.

So, does my lack of office friendship affect my work? No, the opposite actually. I am very productive sitting all alone in my quiet lonely area. Does it affect the way I view my job? No, I still very much love my job and the people I work with. So what does it affect? Why do work friendships matter? I'm not sure. It affects my mood. But a mood can be changed, controlled and managed.

I will not let this affect my job or my feelings toward my job.

But if anyone has any tried and true ideas on making friends as an adult, or being an extrovert in an introvert's world. Let me know.

one of these things isn't like the other

I was at my denominational pastors' meeting today, meeting the guys for the first time. I had to chuckle at the group I was in. I was the youngest in the room and was 20 years younger that 80% of the attendees. I was one of two women. I know that those numbers shouldn't surprise me but they do. I love what I do and I have come to realize that right now I will stand out in a crowd like that, as the young female children's pastor. I'm ok with it.

Life as a pastor and a mom

So today my worlds bumped into each other a little, as my son's daycare was closed (well it wasn't closed, the teacher was away and I was uncomfortable with the alternative arrangement that was made) so my son is at work with me today. He is almost 5 and an only child, so he is pretty used to playing by himself. So far we have been here two and a half hours and he is doing great. This makes me so proud!

I am also thankful for a job that not only allows me to bring my son on the odd occasion, but encourages family time. It is a real blessing.

You know what else is a blessing? My son's Nintendo DS. Boy does that thing come in handy. :)

Wow What happened

Ok, so I can't believe that this blog is still just sitting here begging to be taken care of. Maybe I should start again. Maybe I should erase my two sad little posts and start clean. But then I would be missing a part of me, (my lack of focus and dedication part, mind you). So I won't start again, I won't delete my past, I will work from now.

So where am I now? I find myself in Saskatoon SK. I am at a new church, with a new job (long story, I'll fill you all in later). I am now and children's pastor at a baptist church and I have to say that I love it. God has performed miracles to get me here (well they seemed like miracles to me) and I know that it is for his GLORY that I am here.

I will post the journey. But not tonight. :)