Included in this issue: - American Baptist Churches of the Central

FOCUS
Growing Healthy Churches to Fulfill Christ’s Mission
April 2015
Kansas Baptist Convention, Inc.
5833 SW 29th St.
Top5833 SW 29th St.
Topeka, KS 66614
(785) 272-7622
Fax: (785) 272-5860
www.abccr.org
Vol. 33 No. 4
Last spring, while my 89-year-old mother was visiting from California, we walked
through the tulip gardens in Topeka. My mother nearly cried — the tulips were so
beautiful. We discovered a few weeks after tulip season that the local tulip society
has hundreds of volunteers who dig up the tulip beds and then sell the bulbs to the
public for pennies. Certain that we could recreate those incredible tulip beds in our
own front yard, Connie and I bought over 100 bulbs and I dutifully planted them at
the appropriate time. I went online to get reliable “how to” coaching on planting
a beautiful tulip garden. I read about how deep to plant the bulbs and how close
together. We even bought a special tool to plant them just right. … And then we
waited for spring and the amazing tulip bed that would grace our front yard.
Dr. John Williams
Executive Minister
Included
in this issue:
* Planned Giving
* Progress Report
* Experiencing the Spirit
And now, spring has sprung. The tulips have come up. Some have even bloomed.
Individually, some are quite beautiful; but collectively, they are a disappointment.
They came up a bit sparse. Some must have been too deep, for they are nowhere
close to blooming, and the petals of the tulips next to them will be wilted and gone
by the time they do. I should have planted more rows to give greater depth to my
tulip garden. Frankly, the whole thing looks a bit scraggly! I suspect my mother
would cry over my tulip bed, not because it is so beautiful but because it is so disappointing. I guess I have much to learn about growing tulips.
Many of us long for a church experience that looks something like the professional
tulip gardens my mother so enjoyed. Instead, we wind up with something more akin
to the less than satisfactory tulip bed in my front yard. Rather than bemoan the fact
that church doesn’t look like we think it should, perhaps it would be better to rejoice
in the fact that every person that blooms is a thing of incredible beauty. It is God’s
design that matters; not our flawed understanding of what church should look like.
We must faithfully tend and water the garden, plant the “bulbs” where we can, do
the work God has called us to do and watch as the Spirit of God brings the increase.
We can plant more rows. We can learn to be more careful about how deep to plant.
We can pay more attention to the proper feeding and watering of the “garden,” but
we cannot control who blooms and when.
* Prairie Adventure Camp I don’t pretend to be any kind of gardener. I like to putter around in the yard, and I
love to see things grow; but my horticultural skill really is sadly lacking. So don’t
* Region Camping
take my advice to make your yard look better. But I have spent 25 years as a local
* AB Women’s Ministries church pastor and 15 years as a Regional minister. I’ve experienced my own frustrations about making the church what I thought it should be, and I’ve heard the
Summer Conference
frustrations of many pastoral sisters and brothers across the Central Region. My
reminder to us all is that “we” do not control who blooms. We do, however, control
* Parish Paper
how conscientiously and carefully we work “our gardens” and how often we plant
new bulbs.
* CBTS News
We do have some choices in how we feed and water our “gardens.” We can shine
the warm light of God’s love and grace. We can preach the good news of new life in
Christ. We can make sure the water of life flows freely through our congregations,
nurturing and blessing all it touches. We can watch to prevent clumsy, uncaring and
predatory folks from stomping through our “gardens” and damaging those growing
there. We cannot be lax in the work we are called to do; but we can be trusting of
the God who has called us to do it.
In my scripture reading this morning (John 20), the resurrected Jesus entered
the locked room where the disciples were meeting, gripped by fear. He appeared and said “Peace be with you,” and then He showed them His hands
and side. It occurred to me that Jesus’ words of peace had to be followed by
the physical demonstration that God is greater than those things they fear.
The disciples’ next response was one of rejoicing, and again Jesus spoke words of
“peace be with you” followed by their being sent out into the world.
The joy we have in Jesus must be tempered with His peace but also focused and
directed beyond ourselves to those to whom we are sent. Jesus then breathed on
the disciples and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” God is greater than our fears and
frustrations and, indeed, has power to create new life where there was none. We can
trust God to do what God desires to do. We can also partner with God to joyfully
and peacefully go as we are sent, breathing in the power of the Spirit and exhaling
the good news of life in Jesus wherever we go.
Beloved, plant and tend your gardens, the gardens to which you have been sent.
Plant as many bulbs as you can. But trust God to cause them to blossom and look
like the church of God’s choosing.
Blessings,
John Williams
Planned Giving
 FOCUS is a newsletter published
for professional church leaders
in the Central Region, and it is
distributed monthly. It is also
available on the Region website,
www.abccr.org.
 The deadline for FOCUS is the
first of the month of publication.
 A variation in content and format
is required for copy to be printed
in two or more successive issues.
American Baptist Churches
of the Central Region
5833 S.W. 29th St., Ste. A
Topeka, KS 66614-5505
editor@abccr.org
785/272-7622
www.abccr.org
Annual
Reports
Has your church completed
a 2014 Annual Report? Forms
are available on the Region
website, www.abccr.org.
If you have questions, please
call the Region office, 1-800511-3645.
Puppet
Ministry
First Baptist Church, Olathe,
has puppets available for a
church interested in puppet
ministry. For details, please
contact Pastor Derek Varney,
pastorderedv@gmail.com.
Destination Is Important,
But Don’t Miss Out on the Journey!
In today’s fast paced society, we always seem to be in a hurry to
get to a particular destination. During spring in Kansas, we are nearly
always faced with road/street construction and detours. Do we allow
those detours to upset us or do we enjoy the new beauty of God’s creation that we might not have noticed before because it’s not on our
routine path?
Life also has detours and is not always like we planned it or wanted
it to be. God might have some detours for us so that we can gain new
understandings of struggles or pain. Every moment of our life is a
training ground for what God has prepared for us to accomplish.
Do we have our agenda all planned and our finances all arranged
according to our desires, or have we consulted God about His plan for
our lives and the financial blessings He has given?
Everything that we have or will ever have is a blessing from God
to be used for His glory. Do you have some children or youth in your
church or community who might accept the Lord as their Savior if they
had the opportunity to attend church camp? Is God urging you to help
provide scholarships for them? Perhaps God is urging you to help financially so that there will be facilities to accommodate the camps? Or
maybe God wants you to contribute extra to your local congregation so
that you can expand ministry to those in your own community.
Have you arranged your will/trust or designated beneficiaries so
that only your families benefit? Or have you considered that God might
be glorified to a greater extent by giving more to ministries that might
be able to win countless more souls to the Lord? God wants us to learn
to depend upon Him – not ourselves. Unfortunately, those with ample
finances often find it difficult to do that as they feel self-sufficient. So
are we really doing our children or grandchildren a great favor by bequeathing them a lot of money?
One way to give children or grandchildren a continual reminder of
how important God has been to you is to make them the beneficiary of
a Charitable Gift Annuity. Every year they would receive a gift from
you and be reminded of how much you loved your Lord because of
how you provided it for them.
I’d love to discuss various possibilities with you. There is no obligation or charge for my services, so please contact me.
Rev. Wilma E. Engle, Director of Planned Giving
6745 Interurban, Wichita, KS 67204-1323
Email: wilmaengle@juno.com
Phone: 316-838-3065
American Baptist Churches of the Central Region
Mission Giving for March 2015
United Mission
ABW Ministries Love Gift
American Baptist Mission Support
2015
2014
$68,707.78
$4,976.57
$127,452.81
$88,341.70
$4,495.41
$145,582.75
Increase
(Decrease)
-$19,633.92
$481.16
-$18,129.94
% Increase
(% Decrease)
-22.22%
10.70%
-12.45%
Increase
(Decrease)
-$881.10
-$1,264.86
$1,949.08
$4,875.64
-$17,344.33
-$20,792.97
-$17,247.07
-$53,331.15
% Increase
(% Decrease)
-7.47%
-27.71%
17.10%
35.12%
-56.70%
-78.55%
-32.50%
-13.13%
Mission Giving March YTD
ABW Ministries Love Gift
One Great Hour of Sharing offering
World Mission Offering
Retired Ministers & Missionaries
Region Offering
Institutional Support Process
Specifics
American Baptist Mission Support
2015
2014
$10,905.57
$3,299.20
$13,345.42
$18,757.88
$13,243.30
$5,677.54
$35,812.62
$352,610.00
$11,786.67
$4,564.06
$11,396.34
$13,882.24
$30,587.63
$26,470.51
$53,059.69
$405,941.15
Our Church's Giving for March
United Mission
One Great Hour of Sharing offering
American Baptist Mission Support
$__________________
$__________________
$__________________
Cross Wind Conference Center
8036 N. Hoover Road
Hesston, KS 67062
Ph: 620-327-2700
Email: office@crosswind.ws
Complete and return with fee to:
Amount enclosed: ___________
Registration Deadline:
Monday, May 4, 2015
(inc 5 meals & 2 nights lodging)
Cost: $ 75 (All rooms Single)
Please complete a separate form for
each person registering and enclose
registration fee (copy as needed).
E-mail: _____________________
Phone #: ____________________
Church: _____________________
City/St/Zip: _________________
Address: ____________________
Name: ______________________
Registration
Today’s world presents a wide
variety of ways to practice
spirituality, even within established
Christian traditions. Experiencing
the Spirit is purposefully designed
with a format to encourage peer
interaction. The interactive opening
discussion allows each participant to
bring their own understanding and
practice of connecting with God to
the general discussion, even as we
explore practices from several
Christian traditions. The majority of
time will focus on participation in a
variety of personal and corporate
spiritual practices. These structured
explorations will be augmented by
personal reflection on the practice
and how/if the practice might be
incorporated into the life of the local
congregation.
Experiencing the Spirit
Sponsored in partnership with the
American Baptist Churches of the
Central Region and the Central
Region Minister’s Council.
May 11-13, 2015
The Spirit
Experiencing
Schedule
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
7:00 am Corporate Experience:
Bible Study
8:00 am Breakfast
8:45 am Corporate Experience: Service
11:15 am Free Time
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Corporate Experience: Labor
4:00 pm Personal Experience:
Meditation
(Walk/Labyrinth/Scripture)
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Corporate Experience:
Experiential Worship
8:00 pm Free Time
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
7:00 am Corporate Experience:
Bible Study
8:00 am Breakfast
8:45 am Personal Experience:
Meditation
(Walk/Labyrinth/Scripture)
9:30 am Reflection: Spirituality for the
21st Century
10:30 am Corporate Experience:
Directed Prayer
11:00 am Closing
Monday, May 11, 2015
1:30 pm Opening Experience
2:00 pm Overview – Spirituality
3:00 pm Overview – Spiritual Experience
4:00 pm Personal Experience: Solitude
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Corporate Experience:
Taize Worship
8:00 pm Free Time
David Schirer
Opening & Closing Worship
Spiritually Old & New, Donald G. Bloesch
(InterVarsity Press Academic: Downers
Grove IL, 2007)
Four Views on Christian Spiritually,
Bradley Nassif, Scott Hahn, Joseph D.
Driskill, and Evan Howard (Zondervon:
Grand Rapids MI, 2012)
Suggested Resources:
Personal time with God
Early Morning Bible Study
Facilitator
Reflection Activities
Taize Worship
Service
Labor
Experiential Worship
Directed Prayer
Corporate –
Solitude
Prayer Labyrinth
Meditation Walk
Personal –
Forms of Experience
Prairie Adventure Camp
May 26 – 30, 2015
Dates: Tuesday, May 26 (1:30 PM) –
Gather at Hesston AmericInn (east of I-135 on Hoover Road)
& backpack into Cross Wind
Ends Saturday, May 30 as parents join campers for a
Closing Campfire (10:45 am)
Cost per Camper: $130.00
Ages: 13 – 16 (Grades 8-9-10)
Meals: Served Chuck Wagon style
(cooked by campers around outdoor fire)
Activities: Plant Identification, Map Reading, Knot Tying, Lashing,
Roping, Archery, Geocaching.
Nightly Camp Fire: Singing, Storytelling & Fun
What to Bring: (suggested)
Backpack (to carry all personal items into camp)
Clothes: 1 pair pants; 1 pair shorts; 2 pair socks, 2 pair sock liners; 2 T-shirts;
swimming suit; underwear; sturdy hiking boots/shoes;
Optional: light jacket; rain gear; comfortable camp shoes
Personal toilet items (tooth brush, tooth paste, comb, washcloth, towel, soap, etc.)
Sleeping Bag and ground pad
Water Bottle
Small Flash Light/Head Lamp and Batteries
What NOT to Bring: cell phone, electronic devices, knives, fireworks
Tents will be provided
Prairie Adventure
Camp
May 26-30, 2015
(One form per Camper)
Last Name: __________________________________________________________________________
First Name:
MI:
Parent/Guardian Name:
Home address:
City:
______ State: ___
Zip:
_______
Phone:
Parent Email:
Date of Birth:
Gender: Male ____ Female ____ Grade: ______
Church: ________________________________
Pastor: _____________________________________
Please list any special needs, health problems or dietary restrictions: _____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Cost: $130.00
PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE (REQUIRED):
x
x
I give permission to CRCCC to use photographs of campers for promotion
I give permission for my child to participate in the challenge course and
Climbing tower while at camp. I release the Cross Wind Camp & Conference
Corporation, the camp, and all employees, staff and volunteers of the camp, and
any affiliates from liability and risks associated with participation in these
elements.
CRCCC Office Use Only:
Date Recv’d: ___________
Check #:
___________
Amount:
___________
Parent/Guardian Signature:
All correspondence and questions, including registration, refunds, cancellations, e t c . , should be
directed to the Cross Wind Office at 620-327-2700.
Date:
Camp Name:
Director:
Early Bird
Discount:
Cost:
Day Camps:
June 1-4...……..Cross Wind Day Camp…………………...Joel Grizzle…..……….... $70………..... $85
June 18-19…….Camp Christy Day Camp………………... Linda Artz………………..…30………...…. 45
Primary Camp
June 15-17 ….. Camp Christy Primary…………………….Nancy Sprock…………......75…………. 100
July 17-19…… Cross Wind Primary……………………... Rita Adams………..……...120…………. 145
July 31-Aug 2. Westminster Woods Children’s**……... Marvin George…………...120…………. 145
Junior Camps:
June 8-12…... Camp Christy Junior Camp……………... Jim Autrey………………...100………….. 125
June 15-19…... Cross Wind I Junior Camp……………… Steve Neal …………….....195…………. 225
July 13-17……. Cross Wind II Junior Camp……………... Kathy Carlson………….…195…………. 225
Middle School Camps:
June 1-5……….Camp Christy Middle School……………. Jared Young……………...100…………. 125
June 22-26…… Cross Wind I Middle School……………...Matt Lee……………….....195………….. 225
July 6-10……... Cross Wind II Middle School……………. Jason Porter…………......195………….. 225
Senior High Camps:
June 21-25...….Camp Christy Senior High………………. Rob Fabin………………...100………..…. 125
July 20-24…….. Cross Wind Senior High Camp………... David Glavin………….…..195…………...225
Specialty Camps:
June 8-12……...Cross Wind Praise and Worship*………. Mary Fabin…………….....195…………. 225
July 27-Aug 1….Ozark Canoe Camp*…………………….. Andrew Taylor………..…..275…………. 295
Early Bird — May 1 for camps in June. June 1 for camps in July and August.
*Age Limit for these camps is grades 7-12.
**Age Limit for this camp is grades 2-6.
Age Groupings
Day Camp — K-2
Primary Camp — 2-4
Junior Camp — 4-6
Middle School — 6-8
High School — 9-12
Canoe Camp — 7-12
All grades are the grade the camper will attend
in the fall.
2015 Camp Registration Form
Mail to: 5833 SW 29th St., Suite A, Topeka, KS 66614-5505
Only one camper per form. Please complete all information. Do not leave any spaces blank. Incomplete forms
will be returned. Camps are designed for the grade the camper is entering in the fall. Transitional grades of
Junior and Middle School camps may opt for either one. For insurance reasons there can be no exceptions.
Camp Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Camp Location:
‰ Camp Christy
‰ Cross Wind
‰ Westminster Woods
‰ Other
Camp Dates: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Last Name: ______________________________________________________________________
First Name: ______________________________________________________ MI: ___________
Parent/Guardian Name: ____________________________________________________________
Home address: __________________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________________
Phone: ________________________
Date of Birth: ________________
State: _________
Zip: ___________________
Parent Email: ___________________________________
Gender:
Male
Female
Grade in Fall:___________
Church:_______________________________ Pastor:____________________________________
Prayer Partner from Church: _________________________________________________________
Has the camper previously attended an ABCCR camp?
T-Shirt Size (Shirts are part of registration)
YM
YL
Yes
YXL
No
AS
AM
AL
AXL
AXXL
Please list any special needs, health problems, diet restrictions, etc.: ________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Each camper must bring a completed health form to camp. Forms are available at https://abccr-camping.squarespace.com/)
Total Amount Paid: ...........................................................................................$___________
Anticipated Scholarship/Church Financial Aid: .......................................................$___________
(A
ALL FEES MUST BE PAID IN FULL BY THE CAMP START DATE. Campers applying for scholarships should consult Scholarship Guidelines
and fill out the 2015 Scholarship Application, which are available by calling the Camping Registrar at 785.272.7622 or at https://
abccr-camping.squarespace.com/. A $30 fee will be assessed for all returned checks.)
PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE (REQUIRED):
ABCCR Office Use Only:
x
I give permission to ABCCR to use photographs of campers for promotion.
Date Recv’d:_________
x
I give permission for my child to participate in the challenge course and climbing
Indiv. Chk #: ________
tower while at camp. I release the Central Region Camping Program, the camp, and
Amount: $ __________
all employees, staff and volunteers of the camp, and any affiliates from liability and
Ch. Ck#: ___________
risks associated with participation in the low-elements challenge course at Cross
Amount: $ __________
Wind and the climbing tower and zip-line at Camp Christy.
Canc. Date: _________
Parent/Guardian Signature: __________________________________
All correspondence and questions, including registration, refunds, cancellations, etc.,
should be directed to the Camping Registrar at 785.272.7622.
Amt. Ref: ___________
Camper ID#: ________
THE
PA R I S H
PA P E R
IDEAS AND INSIGHTS FOR ACTIVE CONGREGATIONS
Editor: Cynthia Woolever - www.TheParishPaper.com
April 2015 - Volume 23, Number 4
Copyright © 2015 by Marcia Clark Myers
Finding God’s New Call in the Same Place
Bill is fifty-five and has been at Fairdale Church
for fifteen years. Ministry there has lost its shine. He
resists routine pastoral visits and even preaching has
become a chore. However, in the current job market,
finding a new call that can provide the salary he
needs to support kids in college is tough. He has
been looking for a while without success, so feels
stuck. Church participation is down and the board is
worried.
Ann has been at Oakdale for four years now and is
happy in ministry with the congregation. She is feeling comfortable in the role of pastor and has some
successes to celebrate. Ann's husband has a job that
he enjoys and their children are thriving in school.
However, her seminary friends ask “What next?”
She is ready for new challenges, but wonders what is
best for the family and congregation.
First Presbyterian Church in Crossroads has experienced a revolving door of leadership for the past
two decades. Pastors right out of seminary developed their ministry skills for a few years before
moving on. Membership declined and lay leaders are
discouraged.
Why Do We Feel Stuck?
Both pastors and congregations get stuck. Pastors
who are burned out, geographically bound, or financially squeezed get stuck, as do congregations who
are waiting for stable leadership or a pastor to leave.
Pastors usually discern God's call to a new ministry
without involving the congregation until the decision is made and a new call has been finalized.
However, those decisions change the course of ministry for all involved. Research shows that clergy
mobility affects congregational vitality.1 When congregations focus on getting a pastor, developing a
relationship with a pastor, or the loss of a pastor,
less congregational energy is available for externally
focused action such as evangelism and mission.
Congregations without pastors, exhibiting “holding
pattern” behavior, generally are less attractive to
newcomers.
In the past, it was more common for a pastor to
come to a community from seminary and remain
for an entire ministry. Pastorates for twenty years
or more were positively regarded. Now, pastors
confide that they feel pressure to move on in order
to be successful in their ministerial career. Accepted patterns of clergy mobility have established expectations of short first calls. In fact, the most effective years of a pastor's ministry come after five
years in a congregation when relationships have
been built and tested and a true shared ministry has
been established.2
The Feeling Stuck Fallout
Both congregations and pastors often feel that the
best solution to conflict is to part company. When
that happens, neither learn from the relationship
and do not develop skills to deal with differences
without breaking relationship. Opportunities are
missing for living forgiveness, reconciliation, resilience, and developing skills as Christian leaders.
Rather than seizing opportunities for new ministries
in response to God's call, congregations resist
change, hoping that the pastor and his or her unsettling ideas will soon move on. Such congregations
become self-focused and stagnant while the pastor
begins to feel the stress of being stuck.
A stressed pastor decides that the best solution is
to seek a new call and move on. That brings added
pressure to pastor and family with the activities of
the search, decisions, and physical move. Furthermore, our culture teaches us to measure our value by
salary and the size of the church we lead. This goal
is likely unobtainable considering the current membership patterns of churches. In fact, researcher Patricia Chang found that a seminarian preparing for
ministry today has a 1 percent chance of ever serving as Head-of-Staff of a large congregation.3 The
long-established pattern of pastoral steeplechase is
dead.
Internalized measures of success and worrying
about a new call contribute to heightened stress, low
self-esteem, and depression. Pastors feel stuck and do
not do their best work—congregations and ministry
languish. Often they look for the solution for
“stuckness” in the mechanics of ministry—a new program, new leadership, or a new strategy. Yet the root
issue is the loss of a sense of God's call: the energy,
passion, and focus that they experienced sometime in
the past.
Finding a New Call
The Apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy,
“Rekindle the gift of God that is within you” (2
Timothy 1:6). This is the secret to keeping vitality in
ministry. Frederick Buechner tells us that to discover our call, we must look for the place “where your
deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.”4
Experienced pastors who have stayed with the
same congregation for fifteen or more years are often able to describe a series of distinct calls in the
same long-term ministry. Tom settled into the challenges of congregational life with worship leadership, pastoral visits, and church programming. Five
years into ministry, he recognized that he got many
requests from the community for pastoral counseling, which he enjoyed and was gifted at. The church
board encouraged him to expand this outreach and
supported him in continuing education to enhance
his skills. Some years later, divisive social issues in
his community drew Tom into a new leadership role.
He understood this work as a new call in his longterm ministry. Rather than becoming stale, both he
and the congregation gained new energy by discovering a series of new calls as he led them for thirty
years before retiring.
As small congregations face dwindling resources,
it is becoming common that they cannot continue to
fully support their pastor. Recognizing that her congregation was nearing this situation, Mary used her
continuing education and some time with a spiritual
director to discern a new call. She agonized over
the fact that she loves her congregation and her
community and did not want to uproot her family.
The suggestion that she was gifted in spiritual direction surprised her. Excited by the idea of a retreat ministry, Mary developed a business plan and
talked with her church board. The board embraced
the possibility of transitioning from full-time
church employment to a bivocational ministry that
would allow her to continue in the pastoral role and
develop her blossoming new ministry.
By considering the activities that bring us joy and
meet the needs of the world God loves, and building
a ministry at that intersection, it is possible to discover a new call in the same place. Pastors and congregations are healthier when they are able to move
from stuck to being re-called by rediscovering passion for ministry. By reshaping ministry in partnership with their congregation, it is possible for pastors
to find the “sweet spot” of vital ministry and care for
family. Consider these questions whenever you
begin to get that stuck feeling in your current call.
Think about times in your ministry work that
bring you “deep gladness.” What were you doing and what gifts were you using?
x What deep needs of the world have come to
your attention?
x How might you reshape your ministry to find
deep gladness as you meet the needs of the
world God loves?
x
About the Writer: The Rev. Dr. Marcia Clark Myers
formerly directed the PC(USA)’s Office of Vocation
and currently serves as a faculty member in the CREDO
program, which focuses on pastoral renewal.
______________
1. Cynthia Woolever, “When Less Is More; The Consequences of Clergy Turnover,” The Parish Paper, March 2014.
2. Roy M. Oswald, “The Pastor as Newcomer,” Alban Institute, 1998.
3. Patricia M. Y. Chang, Factors Shaping Clergy Careers: A
Wakeup Call for Protestant Denominations and Pastors, Pulpit and Pew Research on Pastoral Leadership, 19.
4. Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking; A Theological ABC
(New York: HarperOne, 1993).
Copyright © 2015 by Marcia Clark Myers
www.TheParishPaper.com
Resources for your
ministry
Dr. Amy Harris Hartsfield
Counselor and
Assessment Coordinator
/
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ˆ‡Ž––Šƒ–ǡƒ•ƒŠ—ƒǡ–Ї‡••‡…‡‘ˆ‘—”Ž‹ˆ‡„‡ƒ”••‹‹Žƒ”Ǧ
‹–‹‡•ǡ™Š‹…ЙЇ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡•ƒ”‡•Šƒ”‡†ǡ‡”‹…Ї•‘—”
‘™•‡ŽˆǦ—†‡”•–ƒ†‹‰ǡƒ•™‡ŽŽƒ•‘—”—†‡”•–ƒ†‹‰‘ˆ
ƒ†…‘’ƒ••‹‘ˆ‘”‘–Ї”•ǤЇ„‘‘‹•›‡––‘„‡™”‹––‡ǡ
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•Šƒ”‡™Šƒ–™‘—ކ„‡›–Ї•‹•Ǥ
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’”‡•‡–ǡƒ‘––Ї…”‡ƒ–‘”ǡƒ†‹–‹•‘–›•’ƒ…‡ǤŠ‹•
”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡•‡‘ˆ—‡”‘—•̶‘™‡”•Š‹’”‡•’‘•‹„‹Ž‹–‹‡•̶
ƒ†ƒŽŽ‘™•‡–‘‘„•‡”˜‡…—”‹‘—•Ž›™Š‡”‡ƒƒ†™Šƒ–
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’”‡ˆ‘”„››‘™‘”‘–Ї”•ǯ‡š’‡…–ƒ–‹‘•Ǥ
‘†ǡ‹‹ϐ‹‹–‡™‹•†‘ǡ…”‡ƒ–‡†–Š‹•™‘”ކƒ†’Žƒ…‡†—•
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‘†̵•’”‡•‡…‡ƒ†’”‘˜‹•‹‘‹•‘—”
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‘†̵•’ŽƒǤƒ‹–‡ƒ…‡‹•ƒ†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž––ƒ•Ǥ–
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„‡Ž‹‡˜‡Ž‹ˆ‡‹•–‘„‡Ž‹˜‡†ˆ—ŽŽ›ǡƒ•
‘†’”‡•‡–•—•–Ї
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‘†̵•‰”ƒ…‡ƒ†„‘—–›Ǥ‡•–‡”†ƒ›̵•
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’”‡•‡–ǡ‡–…ǤЇД‹•–‹ƒ–”ƒ†‹–‹‘ƒ††”‡••‡•–Š‹•–‘’‹… –‘‡‡–
‘†‹–Ї‘™ǡˆ—ŽŽ›ƒŽ‡”–Ǥ
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’‘”–—‹–›ˆ‘”‡–‘™”‹–‡›„‘‘‹•‘™Ǥ’”ƒ››
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…‘—”ƒ‰‡–‘ƒ…–‘–Ї•—’”‡‡‘’’‘”–—‹–›
‘†‰”ƒ–•—•
’”‡•‡–‡†Ǥ
‡‹‰̶‹–Ї’”‡•‡–̶™‹–Š›‘—”–‘–ƒŽƒ––‡–‹‘‘™Šƒ– ȂǤ
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‰‡––‹‰Š‡”‡Ǥ‡ˆ‘…—•‘Dz‰‡––‹‰‘˜‡”dz‘”̶‰‡––‹‰
™‹–Š̶•‘‡–Š‹‰–Šƒ–Šƒ’’‡‡†‹–Ї’ƒ•–‘”̶‰‡––‹‰–‘̶
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ˆ—–—”‡Ǥ—”•…Ї†—އ•ƒ”‡
Ǩ‡ƒ”‡—Ž–‹Ǧ–ƒ•‹‰ǣ
‡ƒ–‹‰ƒ††”‹˜‹‰ǡ–‡š–‹‰ƒ†™ƒŽ‹‰ǡ‘–Ї’Š‘‡ƒ†
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–Šƒ–™‡Šƒ˜‡‹••‡†•‡‡‹‰’‡‘’އǡ–Š‹‰•ǡƒ†‡˜‡–•
ƒŽ‘‰–Ї”‘—–‡Ǥ‘™‹•ϐŽ—‹†Ȃ‹–•‡”˜‡•ƒ•ƒ‡ƒ•‘ˆƒ…Ǧ
…‡••–‘–Ї’ƒ•–ƒ†–Їˆ—–—”‡Ǥ–‹••‡Ž†‘’‡”…‡‹˜‡†‘”
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡†ƒ•–Ї’‘‹–‘ˆ•—’”‡‡‘’’‘”–—‹–›ǡ–Ї
‘Ž›”‡ƒŽ–‹‡™‡Šƒ˜‡Ǥ
ActivitiestoCultivateBeingPresent
‡†‹–ƒ–‹‘
‘–‡’Žƒ–‹‘
Resources
x ‘•–‡”ǡ‹…Šƒ”†ǤCelebrationofDisciplineǤƒ
”ƒ…‹•…‘ǡǣƒ”’‡”ƒ”ƒ…‹•…‘ǡͳͻͻͺǤ
x ‘—™‡ǡ‡”‹ǤǤHereandNowǤ‡™‘”ǡǣ
”‘••”‘ƒ†—„Ž‹•Š‹‰‘ǤǡͳͻͻͶǤ
x ƒ›Ž‘”ǡƒ”„ƒ”ƒ”‘™ǤAnAltarintheWorld:A
GeographyofFaithǤ‡™‘”ǡǣƒ”’‡”‘ŽŽ‹•
—„Ž‹•Ї”•ǡʹͲͲͻǤ
x Š‘’•‘ǡƒ”Œ‘”‹‡ǤSoulFeast:anInvitationtothe
ChristianSpiritualLifeǤȋ‡™Ž›”‡˜‹•‡†‡†‹–‹‘Ȍ
•”‡ϐއ…–‘›•–”—‰‰Ž‡•–‘„‡’”‡•‡–ǡ…‘•‹†‡”›
‘—‹•˜‹ŽŽ‡ǡǣ‡•–‹•–‡”‘А‘𔇕•ǡʹͲͳͶǤ
—‡ƒ•‡™‹–ЖЇ˜—ސ‡”ƒ„‹Ž‹–›”‡“—‹”‡†ǤЇˆ‡ƒ”–‘
x ‘ŽŽ‡ǡ…Šƒ”–ǤThePowerofNowǤ‘˜ƒ–‘ǡǣ
”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡›‹†ˆ”‘•‡‡‹‰–‘…‘–”‘Žƒ††‹”‡…–‡˜‡”›
ƒƒ•–‡—„Ž‹•Š‹‰ƒ†‡™‘”ކ‹„”ƒ”›ǡͳͻͻͶǤ
‘—–…‘‡‹•‘˜‡”™Š‡Ž‹‰Ǥ‡‹‰‹–Ї’”‡•‡–”‡“—‹”‡•
‡–‘‡š‹•–‹ƒ•’ƒ…‡‹™Š‹…І‘̵–…‘’‡–‡
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