Interesting times

It’s an interesting feeling but, then again, it’s been an interesting time.  

I blogged in December that change was afoot for me in 2014.  From 1 January, I reduced my paid hours as co-leader of Church from Scratch by 50%.  Back then I said: 

“ One thing is clear already – we need to halt the process of centralizing (ideas/decisions/power) on stipended ministers and take greater steps to encourage, equip and draw upon the skills of all.  That is hard to achieve unless leaders reduce their paid hours. Our church also needs to reduce its spending and ministers' stipends are the largest budget item. “

So how have the first 3 months of the new way been?  Well I would describe the experience as wholesome, feeling right, fulfilling, timely and (mostly) fun.

Church from Scratch remains my spiritual home and Southend the community in which I am rooted. The past three months have brought into sharp focus for me that the choices I face daily about how to use more limited time lie often between ‘doing’ and ‘equipping / encouraging others to do’. 

Paul, writing to the Ephesians, speaks of this:  “ Others have a gift for caring for God’s people as a shepherd does his sheep, leading and teaching them in the ways of God…that God’s people will be equipped to do better work for him, building up the Church, the body of Christ, to a position of strength and maturity. “  A pastor who does too much robs others of the opportunity to learn.

I am deeply grateful to colleagues and friends who have continued to check that all is well - which it is. This was the right change to make. 

The other side of my time is now mostly working with Paul, Jean and Sarah from Ten Spires community interest company.  Ten Spires assists Christian churches and charities to make better use of their buildings for mission and to bless the communities they serve. This creative and fun team supports urban churches as they choose new ways to share the good news of Christ, as well as managing major development programmes, usually without significant financial cost to the churches.  Most of our clients are Anglican, although we have hopes that we may find some others as the year unfolds. 

I am also working with two church leadership teams to help them explore new ways forward for their work. 

From Easter Monday I will be taking sabbatical leave from CFS (but not Ten Spires) until early July. Again, it’s a strange feeling for an activist.  I am looking forward to it very much and hope that the few things I have arranged will help structure the time without my falling back on tinkering with work.  Just to be clear, I would welcome ‘coffee and cake’ moments with friends during that time!

I thank God for all these experiences and especially for my friends, for your prayers and encouragements. 

What does a minister do?

  

A short while ago graphics like this one were all the rage in social networking sites.

Of course we all know that ministers wear their collars back to front and lead church services.  Except that my church doesn’t have any services. We don’t have any mid-week Bible studies or half-nights of prayer. We no longer have a youth club. We don’t have a Mother’s Union.  We don’t have a building. And I’ve never worn a clerical collar in public (that’s got you thinking, hasn’t it?)

So, it’s not easy to see the pegs on which Joe or Joanne Public would hang their ideas about the regular content of my diary.

The fact is that most people do not know what ministers/pastors/priests do with their time.  My friend Les tells everyone that I’m on holiday every week (thanks, Les).  

A while back, in a rash moment, I promised to offer my church a kind of “Week in the life of….” glimpse into my diary.  Every time I have attempted to do this, I have ended up asking questions about what is a typical week - and when was the last time I had a typical week?
  

So here’s what I did in a recent week.  Is it a typical week?  No. This is just a week. Next one will be different.  I:

• accepted one and turned down two preaching invitations for the autumn.
• blogged
• checked Facebook (wouldn’t know what was happening in church without)
• countersigned a passport application
• dealt with (who knows how many?) emails, telephone calls, text messages, post – three-quarters of it unimportant
• drove twice to the edge of London for work-related meetings
• gave apologies that I couldn’t be with either of our Monday night groups for a while owing to other appointments
• held the hand of my dying friend
• home-cured some bacon for colleagues coming to breakfast next month
• listened to my son’s advice and enjoyed his company before he went back North.
• made ‘to do’ lists and tried to make progress in ticking off completed tasks
• organised, encouraged, schmoozed and ranted to get some people to do things 
• parted the waters of the Thames Estuary*
• played Warcraft: Orcs and Humans (it’s a good vs. evil thing)
• prayed
• read a couple of books
• read from the Bible
• reminded a few people in the church why we do what we do
• reviewed a theology book for an online magazine
• shared Communion
• spent time sharing life with the cell community that meets in my home
• spent time with colleagues in other local churches: listening, talking, planning and problem-solving
• spent time with our Life & Faith group, sharing lunch, talking and praying
• spent time with people who were grieving.  Didn’t say too much; just shared their company and their pain
• started to write some small-group teaching resources for the autumn
• started, with others, to dream some dreams about what next for our church – nothing ruled in or out.
• tackled bits of administration that arise from managing a charity
• took a family member to hospital for her oncology and audiology appointments
• took a friend to a half-day cardiology appointment
• took part in a team meeting
• tried to do some thinking
• visited hospital several times, to be with others who were caring for our dying friend.
• telephoned my friend H in her long-term hospital
• visited some people from church – nothing heavy, just tea and catching up with life
• walked five Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs
• went to the pub for an hour
• worked with my close colleague on managing current pressures in the church
• worked with people from 3 other churches, exploring what God might be saying about their next steps together
• wrote two detailed papers aiming to release a substantial amount of money for mission among a group of churches in Essex

Now you might be thinking – not all of that is work is it?  Some of that isn’t 'sacred', it’s everyday. Which is why ministers are paid a stipend as ‘holders of an office’, not a salary – an allowance to enable us live a way of life which isn’t 9-6.  Most weeks it’s a 50+ hour week, some of which will look like work and other parts not. One reason is that people don’t have their spiritual encounters or crises by appointment or during office hours alone.

I wrote this list because people asked me what I do, not to make myself look good or to seek approbation.  I chose this way of life. There are times when it's the best way of life in the world and others when it doesn't feel like that...

*This only happened in my head