I’ve spent the past several weeks driving, literally, the width and breadth within the confines of the North Georgia Conference. I’ve seen a lot and even eaten some pretty good barbeque. I’ve learned a lot. Here’s just a few:
- All the Superintendents really do appreciate the work of their clergy. I saw support, compassion, respect, and encouragement. They’ve got a tough job, they work hard, and I respect them even more.
- All the Superintendents do things a little bit differently. This is to be expected. Between personal preference and the context of each district there’s a variety of ways to lead. And it all seems to work out.
- There’s a wonderful diversity of churches, clergy, styles of ministry in this Annual Conference. Small town, intown, suburban, county seat, circuits, part-time, full-time, station appointments, family chapels, roadside chapels, churches in the middle of a community and churches with no community. I’ve seen a few and listened to a lot of clergy share of how theyand their people try to impact lives for good.
- Vital Churches look different from one place to the next. There’s no one way to do church and there’s definitely no one way to do church well.
- But they all seem to have a few things in common–a focus on the people not-yet in the church, a trusted partnership between clergy and laity, and an abiding sense of joy in the tasks of ministry.
- Respect people’s hard work, listen, and encourage where you can–this is what I’ve learned about myself.
I’m thankful for the journey and looking forward to the next time I get to head out on the road.
And if you want to ever talk about foster care ministry in your community, give me a call.
