Margaret River

In Limbo

Written by discipleoftheway on March 18, 2009 · 2 Comments

Rodney Olsen’s blog entry Life on hold has finally cleared my bloggers block…for now!

I think the phrase ‘life on hold’ or ‘in limbo’ very nearly sums up how I am feeling right now. On top of this I would have to say my stress levels are pretty high:P Let me explain!

My life in Margaret River and Dunsborough now has a time frame on it. I depart for my holiday in early June. My aim is to have either sold or moved my stuff to 1 location (probably Perth) before I leave, given I won’t actually have a place in Margs anymore. My plan is that when I return from my holiday i either
a) Start a new role SOMEWHERE in Australia.
b) Find a temp job in Perth and live in a tent somewhere (ok, maybe not a tent…but it is a possibility!)
c) Find a temp job in Albany and live with my folks till I find a role in the field I am looking.
A) is my preference, b) my second preference though less financially possible and c) is my third preference though the more likely between b) and c).

So due to my time down south kind of being dated…it is actually hard still BEING here. Teachers at the school know I am leaving so some area’s of my involvement here are drying up(and some are expanding to get as much out of me as possible before I go!). Students are starting to find out. Most people in Margaret River now know about my plans. I also can’t really start anything ‘new’, but am trying to focus on finishing well. This concept, of finishing well, has been drummer into me over the years.

My stress levels are also definately quite high. As excited as I am about my travels, financing them is definately weighing on my mind. Though I am managing to save quite well (about $200 per week!!) I still feel quite stressed in this area. However, just now (literally) I have discovered $940 I was expecting to pay is not actually my responsibility to pay, but the summer camps (as long as I get in).

Which brings my to my next point, summer camp. I have just(literally) submitted my application for summer camp through CampUSA. It is definately a VERY involved process, but they do make it as easy as is possible. Now it is a matter of waiting. The biggest area of stress here is the fact myself and my travel mate are actually breaking the rules (but have informed them) and will be travelling PRE-camp to a music festival. This limits our availability to later than is their preference and could cause issues if the camp we get INTO requires us to start before the festival. I am really hoping and praying we get into a camp that starts AFTER the festival and that we are able to arrange flights to fit it all in!

Finally the final area of stress, and probably highest, and probably the area I think about most, is exactly what i blogged about last, what next? I am slowly getting my name out there as ‘looking for youth/young adult pastor role Australia wide’ but it is VERY hard. I am slowly working through a pastor profile for the Baptist union in WA and I HOPE I have contacted all the youth vision directors Australia wide (I emailed via website, next step is to call) however I have received no replies from anyone. I will probably have to try calling.

It’s strange, it is always said there is a ‘lack’ of youth pastors, I am starting to wonder if there is also a lack of communication. By this I include both sides, from churches WANTING youth pastors and people seeking youth pastor positions. How does one go about finding out what positions are available? What is the appropriate method of communication? I’ve found a limited number of positions via online job adds but I know most churches (and I believe this is good) do not necessarily openly advertise the positions but work through their head office or peak body. Hence why I have contacted, hopefully, the youth vision state directors.

This whole area is really quite huge but. Seeking a church for employment is a totally different idea to seeking a church in any other way. The ‘typical’ way to find a church is to church hop. The way i found my current church was God’s direction. Seeking employment at a church is so much more than just seeking employment!

There is also the STRONG possibility that I will actually embark on my travels WITHOUT a return job. This is actually the likely scenario. And it isn’t exactly the best time in the world to be returning broke and requiring a job ASAP:D Much prayer is going into this area!

And that is it really. Just the other day i was messaging a friend about how I am feeling. Particularly about the job area. She humourously replied “I’ll put in a good word to the man upstairs for you, I am sure he can find you something.” In all this I am being reminded what it means to be TOTALLY reliant on God. I have, yet again, taken a step I believe is God initiated (discussing the merits of God initiating travel can be had another time;)) that is FAR above my ability to control(much like when I loved down south). Infact the words I would best use to describe my current situation is totally OUT of control. I am being very much challenged to REST in God and trust in him to help me. To provide for me. To guide me. And I am being reminded exactly how I felt last time I was in this situation…ridiculously excited but amazingly uncomfortable all at the same time.

There are definately many, many life lessons in all of this.

Wow, I feel so much better even for just typing this, if you made it through, thank you for your time!

Categories: Frustration, Life, Margaret River, Prayer

What next?

Written by discipleoftheway on March 5, 2009 · 3 Comments

Obviously ‘what next’ is playing pretty heavily in my mind at the moment. As excited as I am about my holiday (and BOY am i excited!) I have to admit that what i will do upon my return actually takes up more of my mind space. This is probably because I actually don’t WANT my holiday to be all planned, nutted out etc. I actually want my holiday to be a period of freedom. If I was to think about my holiday too much…it would only be because I was planning it and organising things that either don’t need to be organised or just don’t need to be yet.

However, I do want ‘plans’ for my return. In all likelihood I will return from my holiday broke. As I am not returning to my current job, if I return without a job then I will need to find one and fast. And the economic climate we are in isn’t REALLY the sort of environment where a person can find a job fast. So my plan is to get into where I see my future being upon my return, and for now I see my future in the much discussed, both positively and negatively, full or part time paid ministry.

I enjoy the discussions currently taking place surrounding the concept of ‘paid’ ministry. I am enjoying tackling the idea that there IS a clergy/laity divide in the church and looking into how to bridge this. However, even in this discussion I feel paid ministry is still appropriate, at least for now.

My reasoning for this is the more I talk with people in churches, the more people I find that are not even thinking about these idea’s. I am involved in an organisation that employs many of your sort of average church goers(I do not mean this negatively) in school chaplaincy. It also draws people from nearly every Christian denomination. What really strikes me when I get together with them is if many of the more missional topics I think about are bought up, the concepts discussed are quite foreign, not on the radar for many.

I think this is part of the point of the missional church, much of what is talked about and discussed seems to have been lost. The thing is, I don’t see these things being found IN THE WHOLE unless people are involved in change within established churches. And to do this, you start where people are at and move from there.

Yes, this suits me. It helps me justify seeking paid ministry. I am actually entirely ok with this. At the same time however, I am actually not scared that, wherever I find myself, part of my role MAY become about doing myself out of a job. It might not though as well. This I am ok with.

As i look to what next I am really starting to think about what type of church I want to be a part of. And by this I do not mean missional, transitional, mega, typical, whatever label you want to place on it. I am more interested in the who. Who are the people I want to journey with? Who captures my imagination? Who can I see myself working alongside, hopefully for a significant period of time?

I also think about where. I’ve learnt a lot, both positive and negative, about myself during my time in country Margaret River. I believe I go into my next season better equipped to face the challenges of starting afresh in many ways. I know a bit more about the type of communities I naturally fit into. And I believe this is important. I believe people are different and God considers our skill sets (or teaches us new ones) when he sends us places.

I like to think that as I consider my future, I feel better prepared this time to think more clearly about what God wants me to be a part of and this is only because of the great time I have spent in the beautiful south west of WA.

The canvas started blank but is beginning to have a few sprinkles of background painted. Little tid bits are taking their place. I am open to all kinds of challenges, whether they be in WA or abroad. Only God knows where he is taking me…and that is an exciting but also scary place to be.

Categories: Life, Margaret River

In the world of Middo

Written by discipleoftheway on January 23, 2009 · 1 Comment

Hey all, long time no see! I am now back in Margaret River and until I go back to school, don’t have regular access to net! Hence the lack of blog posts.

Anyway, the month of January has been quite interesting. On returning home from Brisbane I found out my church is in a designated month of prayer, meeting together twice DAILY! 7am-8am and 7pm-8pm. Now, obviously not everyone joins in every prayer time, but usually 8-10 people are at each and it has been very powerful so far. We are taking the time to really seek what God wants for us as a church and how he wants us to be involved in this town of Margaret River.

Also just this week I bought a CAR! It is a ’97 Holden Commodore. I bought it off Sarah and Duncan. It is a very cool car, I love it very much.

Also, 2 nights ago during our prayer time I was praying about Margs and felt God has asked me to do something…so I am! I feel God has asked me to stop drinking alcohol. Now let me make this clear, I do not believe he has asked me to do this because it is wrong…but because, for whatever reason, he wants me to make a stand on this particular issue to help my mission in Margs. I have always held that drinking ‘in moderation’ (aka not getting drunk) is fine, and still do, but have myself chosen to adopt a ‘no drinking’ policy. This will be tough because drinking is SO ENGRAINED in Aussie culture, and often ‘having a drink with a mate’ can open up some great witness time. But I will trust God on this one…so from now on I am going tee-totaller!

This shouldn’t actually be that hard to be honest. I don’t ‘mind’ beer, but don’t really anjoy it. I haven’t quite adopted a liking of wine…I do really enjoy spirits but don’t drink them much because it IS so easy to get drunk of them. What ‘will’ be hard is explaining my stance to unbelievers…but I suppose I am hoping IN that doors for discussing issues of faith might be opened because of my stance. We will see!

There are a few other things going on with church and stuff, but I will leave them for another day. Hope I catch you all well!

Over and out.

Categories: Church, Margaret River

In Limbo

What next?

In the world of Middo

About James

Archives

The Sunday Briefing – Feb 20th

$25,000 Worship Resource Give Away from Proclaim

Does Youth Ministry just train a new group of consumers?