Ministry Over the Long Haul

I had no clue that I would be in ministry. Or that my husband would be in ministry.

It's not a bad thing. It just wasn't on my radar.

Ever.

My dad and grandfathers are/were not pastors. In fact, on a personal level I have known nothing of what "pastoral ministry" should look like. No up-close-and-personal pastoral role models to show me if I wanted to be in pastoral ministry or not. Just never considered it.

But when Jody came to Denver Seminary and began his studies, I got a job at a church on the other side of town. And while I'd grown up in a church of about 2,000, I never worked there. I had no idea what it was like on the 'inside.'

Fast-forward four years. I've been at Southeast - in the Missions Department - for four, long, wonderful, stretching, great, challenging years, and this is what I've learned.

Pastoral ministry is a marathon. 

You can truly tell you're made for it, when you can stick it out and still love the capital "C" Church. You can still believe that it's the Bride of Christ, and flawed and broken as it is, it is nonetheless worth fighting for. Your heart can affirm Jesus' words to Peter that He would build His church and the gates of hell would not overpower it (Matthew 16:18).

And - probably the biggest things I've learned - is that you're much more likely to stick it out if you have good boundaries. Thankfully, I have very little trouble saying, "No" without feeling guilty. It's a beautiful thing. And, I know it's because I cannot give when I am running on empty. Then I just give from tired, old, burned out me. And no one wants or needs that. People need Jesus. Desperately. And I can only point to Him well when I am full of Him. So I am learning that boundaries are what makes the marathon doable.

Last month our pastor's wife organized a dinner for all the staff. It was so wonderful. I confess I was a bit overwhelmed by how many people (spouses included) are on staff at Southeast. But it was a great time to get together and celebrate the work that God has been up to at the church. I am truly blessed.

The theme for the evening was gardening. And I just love it. We got some seeds, a shovel, some gloves, and these beautiful reminders. I just had to take some pictures, because I didn't want to forget them. Thank you for all your hard work, Donna!

I am also thankful that my husband and I are a team as we support one another in ministry. Because it really is a marathon.

Panama: Another Adventure!

I have the wonderful privilege of working in the Missions department of a church that values true transformation. In the past almost four years (!) that I have been at Southeast Christian Church, I have grown in my knowledge and understanding of the work that it takes to "pull off" a short-term mission trip, as well as to build healthy relationships with missions partners all over the world. 

Another aspect of my job has been to learn what a healthy, solid missions partner looks like. I have seen how many non-profit organizations there are "out there" and most of them are not solid enough that I would support them financially, nor is their program strong enough that I'd want to send teams to come alongside them to help fulfill their long-term goals. In one word, I've developed more discernment. I have learned that well-meaning and well-intended organizations can often cause more harm than good by creating dependency. And I've learned that truly healthy missions partners work to give the native peoples all the tools they need to succeed, in short, to work the 'foreign missionary' out of a job. With that lens, I have become more critical (in a good way, I think) of potential mission partners, and I've become even more appreciative of those partners that have a healthy program.

One of those missions partners that we do love and fully support at Southeast is David's Well (La Fuente de David), at work in the country of Panama. The past few years I've helped get so many teams ready to head south to help this organization - healthcare teams with doctors, RNs, dentists and non-medical assistants, construction teams full of people who come alongside Panamanian construction workers to assist them in building homes, schools, churches, etc, and even our first youth team last year that was such a smashing success. It's been so good and so rewarding. Of all the missions partners we've had as long as I've been on staff, David's Well has been one of the most stable and consistent in being a good investment - always. They are about the business of equipping, empowering, and releasing the people they are reaching, the Ngöbe Indians, to their full God-given potential. They are unabashed about their ultimate goal: to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Along the way, they provide healthcare, build schools & churches, and ultimately show the people of Panama the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

But now... I get to go! I'm so excited. My boss, Steve, has asked that I go with the healthcare team that will be heading out next month, and I'm truly looking forward to it. I will be a lowly gopher (yay!), helping in the 'pharmacy' as we hand out the medicines that the docs prescribe. I can't wait to be part of this trip. I hear the insects and rodents are huge (lovely.), it's incredibly hot and humid, that it's remarkably similar to the backpacking/camping Jo and I already do, and that it changes you from the inside out. I'm so ready!

The trip is January 17-25, 2013, and I'm just getting ready to go. Please be praying for me, for the team, and for the Ngöbe Indians in Panama whom we are going to serve. Pray for our health, for all the traveling that we will be doing, for God to move mightily in their midst. If you want to help me get a few things I need for the trip, feel free to support me here.

For an overview of the ministry of David's Well, check out this video!

Glimpses of God's Bigger Plan

Do you ever wonder what God is up to, and if He really knows what He's doing? I know I have. I like to say that sometimes I've got some really great ideas about how things should turn out, and that maybe He should listen to me. (Ha!) But usually those plans end up biting me in the butt, and I am reminded that God is on the throne; He knows what He's doing, and He really does have a 'Big Plan' that He's working out. Sometimes He even allows me glimpses of what He's doing behind the scenes. And - in the meantime - I must exercise faith and wait upon Him and His timing.

2007
When Jody and I returned to Korea in 2007 as a newly married couple, we settled in an international church called LifeChurch at the time that met at in international school in Suwon. The founding pastor of the church, Jack Reid had also founded an organization called MountainChild that serves the unreached people groups of the Himalayas. At the time, Korea served as his home base, and several teams from LifeChurch went on trips to Nepal to work alongside the organization. The church - now called The Nations International Church is still alive and kicking. Several of our friends still go there (We miss y'all!) 

But I digress... Back to MountainChild. So, a couple whose lives often intersected with ours in Korea - John and Soyon Thompson - ended up moving to Kathmandu and serving with MountainChild full time. The backstory on our friendship with them is here.

Fast forward a few years....

2010

I had been working at Southeast Christian Church, in Parker, CO for a few years, and I begin to see that the driving force of Missions here at Southeast seemed to align quite well with the work of MountainChild. I asked John and Soyon to send me some promotional materials for the work of MountainChild. They did, and those materials sat on my desk for probably a year, as I waited for the right time to present them to my boss Steve as a potential partnering organization for Southeast.

2011
Last fall, I finally felt peaceful about handing those promotional materials to Steve, praying that if it was right, God would make it clear if MountainChild would be a good fit.

2012
Jack and his family were in Denver for a short spell, and I was able to connect him with Steve and two young men in the church who are interested in the work of MountainChild.We had lunch and were able to hear from Jack all about the work that MC does in the Himalayas.

This November we're sending a small team to check it out. Yay!

I am excited and humbled that God would use me to intersect lives and ministries in His Kingdom. We'll see if it goes anywhere... but in the meantime, I am excited and slightly jealous. So wish I could go, too! :)

The Compassion Experience: Change the Story

IF YOU LIVE IN THE DENVER METRO AREA:

Compassion International has just launched a mobile 'display' called 'Change the Story' that will be travelling around the country, and after Heaven Fest it will be coming to Southeast Christian Church!

Two 18 wheelers will be driving up in the parking lot Wednesday, August 1st. The display will be open for tours August 2-5, and anyone will have the opportunity to walk through the "homes" and daily lives of three children in poverty whose lives have been transformed.

 Walk-ins are welcome; however, due to the space limitations of the mobile display and to help orchestrate the flow of traffic during peak times, we are encouraging everyone to go online to compassion.com/change/ in order to reserve your spot to take the roughly 20 minute tour. The hours the display will be open while here at Southeast are:

·         Thursday, August 2^nd -  12-8pm

·         Friday, August 3^rd – 12-8pm

·         Saturday, August 4^th – 11am-7pm

·         Sunday, August 5^th – 9am-2pm

The Change the Story Experience is open to the community, so feel free to spread the word!