Importance: 30%
The Big Idea: Answers sent to call committee of Santa Maria Todo: split out ideas in here into their own notes
A little bit of a preamble will help me set the stage for my answers to your questions. A core tenet of my philosophy of life and ministry is that continued learning, and experimentation is not an option, but a necessity for continued personal and community growth. The second a person (or group) begins to think “I have it all figured out” is the second stagnation and eventual decline has begun to set in. I find this especially true in my own preaching and teaching. Something as simple as neglecting to continually learn from Scripture quickly leaves me drained, and flat. This is also true of churches as well. When programs, committees, and church structures become so locked down that there is no openness to learn and try something new, their slow demise has begun. It is only through continued connection with the Word of God, and His people, that we can challenge one another to dig deeper, learn, try things, fail sometimes, but ultimately grow and mature as the Body of Christ.Â
- Â Â Â In your ministry, what gives you the most joy and what has been your biggest challenge?
There is nothing that compares to fanning excitement around a particular ministry or team. For example, I have had the joy of standing up a community outreach team and have gotten them to the point that they are now primarily self-sufficient. What started as only an idea and a desire to reach out to the people of our community is now a team thirty members strong and counting. Another example is our confirmation curriculum. When I arrived the past program averaged a walk away rate of 70%. It took a lot of planning and convincing, but over the last two years I overhauled the curriculum aiming to not only teach, but to connect our confirmands with our broader church. It has been a joy to hear feedback from parents, members and confirmands themselves about the difference they have seen confirmation make in the activity and even conversation of our confirmands.Â
Ironically, my area of biggest joy has also been an area of great challenge. Growing up on the East Coast did not prepare me well for comfortable midwest living. I believe that being mission minded is an essential piece of our commission to make disciples. Yet over and over I have run into reticence and apathy toward outreach and mission in favor of comfort. This is by no means an insurmountable issue, but it is frustrating to run into this lack of priority continually.Â
- Â Â Â What are your thoughts as what we as a congregation can implement to draw in new people?
“New People” is a wonderful and challenging topic. In my experience, current church members often like the idea of new people, but the reality of how new members change social dynamics can quickly become a pain point. This means that a church who truly wants to incorporate new people into their community needs to approach this topic from many different angles. These angles include considerations like:Â
How does the physical environment of the church assist or make difficult welcoming visitors?
How can information and opportunities for connection with the church be communicated in accessible ways?Â
Is there a clear pathway for someone to move from being uninvolved all the way to being a member?Â
What are unspoken roadblocks new people may run into? For example, having a rambunctious two year old or feeling unfamiliar with the church’s worship practices. How does the church help lessen the impact of these roadblocks?
Where and how might an average member of the community actually hear about our church? What are we doing to meet people where they are?
These kinds of questions are the conversations that need to be happening (not only from leadership but around the congregation) to remain aware and identify opportunities for engaging new people as they arise. Specific outreach programs and initiatives will come and go as the cultural context around a church shifts over time. But by cultivating this kind of awareness, a congregation can remain agile to reach out to real life people. So often it is easy for churches to get distracted by programs and “mechanisms” that promise imaginary new people at the experience of noticing the actual real people right in front of us.Â
All that being said, I have been blessed to work within a variety of creative and engaging ministry models:
On vicarage I was given opportunities to preach at and lead “The Table.” Which was a weekly homeless outreach consisting of a mobile shower trailer, as well as partners offering other basic services such as a nurse, laundry, etc. that all led up to a meal and worship service.Â
These are two good examples from the congregations I have served putting the kind of conversations outlined above into action.Â
-    We have a preschool. If the Lord led you to our congregation, what do you see as your role and the congregation’s role in relation to that ministry?
I believe that a Christian school environment is an undertaking that should not exist near a church, but be deeply integrated with God’s people and her Pastors. I operate with the understanding that all ministry is team ministry. Teachers, Administrators, Pastors, and all lay Volunteers are essential parts of the team. Paul’s description of the body of Christ pictures this beautifully with all members working together toward the common goal of sharing the love and good news of Jesus.Â
On a personal level, a Christian school environment is very important for my wife and I as we raise our two daughters (ages 4 months and 2 years). My wife Katie is a Synodically trained teacher and has taught preschool for four years (one while I was on vicarage, one my final year of seminary, and two at our current congregation). I am also officially involved with our current church’s school in a variety of capacities such as leading day school and preschool chapels, teaching 7th and 8th grade religion, as well attending and assisting with many school functions.
I have been blessed to work within healthy church and school relationships over my vicarage and current call. What this has looked like practically are things like sharing a budget, pitching in when unexpected situations occur (i.e. I picked up hot lunch for the school when the usual staff member was unavailable) and regularly gathering for devotions and Bible study as a staff. Â
Furthermore, a congregation that is connected with a school has a very unique opportunity. An opportunity that is easy to neglect or down play. However, being able to speak into the lives of the next generation is a mission field of unmatched depth. For example, a practice that my wife started in the preschool at our current congregation is planning a special service to hand out free Beginners Bibles to all students (those that did not come could get theirs in class later). The stories that came out of such a simple practice are heartwarming: students excitedly reading their new Bible in the car ride home, or bringing it in six months later as their favorite book. The impact little things like this can have not just on students - but whole families - is incredible. These impacts far outweigh any financial or manpower restraints running a school may impose.  Â
Raising up the next generation in a healthy and Christ centered school environment is a blessing that seems to be disappearing in many parts of America. I believe that it is a pastoral and congregational responsibility to fight for, work alongside, and support our schools in as many ways as possible.Â
- Â Â Â Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I am approaching my third year of service “out in the field” this coming June. My close mentor Dr. Bruce Hartung told me something that has stuck with me: “There is a difference between years of experience and years of service. You can do the same thing for ten years, but do you really have ten years of experience or one year on repeat?” I have worked to apply this and continue building new experience these last few years. There have been ups and downs but I am happy with the trajectory of things at Our Savior’s and am not actively seeking to leave.Â
That being said, I firmly believe the Holy Spirit is active in the call process. Reading about the lives of our ancestors like Paul or Luther, it was in the times of the most unexpected transitions that amazing things happened. Jesus is Lord of His church and He will be leading and guiding it long after my momentary ministry is ended. But while I am here, I pray that He would employ me where He sees fit.