I Got A New Job!!!!

Hello Emmanuel,

I'm getting a new job!!!  Now before you panic (or cheer), let me assure you I am still at Emmanuel.  However, I am STILL getting a new job... or at least I feel like it.

As Pastor Shawn grows into his role at Emmanuel (which he is doing extremely well), I am already feeling my role shift.  I want to share this with you because it is important that as I adjust, the congregation also adjusts to the shifting opportunities that we have as a church to minister to others.  For some of you, this may not be an easy adjustment.  For others of you... well... feel free to jump with joy.  So here is how I see the adjustments panning out:

What I Have To Quit:  I went upstairs yesterday to help Mary Egan (the GriefShare Co-Leader) figure out the projector/dvd system.  Pastor Shawn was already there to help her.  I stood around for a few minutes feeling awkwardly unneeded.  Then I realized that I shouldn't even be in the room.  I have to quit pretending like I know about media stuff (and pretending isn't too far off the mark).  If you have media issues, go to Pastor Shawn.  If you come to me with media issues, I'll send you to Pastor Shawn.

What I Get To Do:  By the end of this week I will have had more one-on-one conversations with people about how they can help be the church than I've had in the previous 6 weeks.  This is significant because one of  the Lead Pastor's main role is to equip servant leaders to lead.  I had 2 approach me just this past Sunday wanting to talk about their role in the church.  Awesome!!!  If you are looking at how you might fit in the life of the church, let me know.  I can put you on my calendar.

What I Have To Quit:   I touch base from time to time with Small Group leaders about how their group is going.  I recently had a conversation with one leader about curriculum.  I had another conversation about encouraging attendance.  I had another conversation about adding a new member.  Managing 22 groups with this, that and the other is important.  What is more important is that I help Shawn be able to do that.  This one will take a bit more time because it is a bit more complex than the media ministry.  So if you have Small Group/ Sunday School issue, go to Pastor Shawn.  If you come to me, I will involve Pastor Shawn.

What I Get To Do: Maybe the most exciting part of my new job is helping you, the church, get ready to grow... uh... even more.  I get to help ministry teams find ways to expand how they do ministry.  I've already met with Trustees a couple of times, helping them experiment on how to do ministry more effectively.  Over the course of this year, I will be doing the same with the Hospitality Team and any other team that needs to figure out how to do ministry in a way that involves more people.  So if you are on a ministry team, expect me to meddle.  Well, 'meddle' isn't a very good word to use.  However, I suppose that a pastor that doesn't 'meddle' is a pastor that is content with the status quo.  In case you haven't learned, that isn't me.

What I Might Do Inadvertantly: As I grow into my new job, I will need to apologize up front.  Sometimes my excitement of equipping more people to do more ministry will get toes stepped on.  I don't intend to be a maverick that just goes around doing my thing, expecting people of the church to move aside when I say.  Most of you know I'm all about 'team'.  So any 'meddling' I do wil be in tandem with a team of people, especially including any ministry leaders.  However, once in a while my excitement propels me to skip the steps of connecting with ministry leaders about any possible changes.  This rarely ends well.  So I will do my best to help all of us stay on the same page.  I'm not perfect at this.  I will need grace.  But I will do my best.  

There is more to the list, but I'll stop now.  I pray we can adjust to these changes as we move forward.  I truly believe that if we can adjust well, we can live more fully into being the church God wants us to be.  'Making More Disciples' continues to be the end goal.  I can't wait to see where the next curve in the road takes us.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe