The Defacto Pastor

The last few months at church have been interesting. The congregation has finally put together a search and call committee. In the interim period, I and the associate pastor have been doing some of the pastoral duties. For the most part, she has done the lion's share since she is on staff, but I have also been called on as well. Sometimes, it's been pastoral visits, other times, it's been to help a needy person who stops by the church.

Last night, a new member of the congregation invited me and the associate (and our spouses) to dinner. At some point he said something that said he looked to the both of us as his pastors.

It's all interesting.

I reminds me of something I wrote a month ago (not here). I wanted to share it now.

Today, was an odd day in that I kept dealing with stuff concerning ministry and for once none of it sucked.

First, I met up with Amy, a young UCC pastor that is interested in Young Adult Ministry. She has this plan for some kind Young Adult thang, and it seems interesting. What's interesting is that she wants to have something that is basically a young adult thing that would provide some structure to those on the outside, but would allow them to keep going to existing churches. It's an interesting idea. But she isn't interested in doing something like a new church because it's too risky and she needs something that will pay the bills when her husband leaves his job for a PhD program. But the thing that I see is this: if most of the kids aren't going to church anyway, will they want to come to this group? I don't know, I am still listening to see what will come of it, but I am a bit skeptical of the whole thing. I just feel that part of this is trying to fit something that will allow her to have a call and this on the side....



Then finally, Community of Grace. A few days ago, I got an email from someone looking for info about the church, and I had to tell them it didn't exist anymore. I've never took down the website, which is something I should have done long ago. I don't know why I haven't. Maybe I don't want to admit that it's over and done. Or maybe the story isn't done. I don't know. I can say that at times it feels like Community of Grace was left undone. I've also started to think that part of its failure might not have been because of me, but because of some other issues.

I'm not saying I want to go back to doing what I did three years ago. That phase is over and done. But could something new come from the ashes? I don't know. I don't even know if I am making sense.

The journey still continues. At least now, I am starting to enjoy the journey and not looking so much at the destination.

I'm glad I was reminded of that. Most of what I said here a month ago is still true. There are times that the journey is incredibly frustrating, and at times I wonder if this pastor-thing was such a good idea. But there are some interesting things happening along the way. The journey is more important than the destination, but I would like to be able to stop in a nice town along the way.