Today was filled with various projects. One of the more significant things I did was finally post the job description for the Director of Children's and Youth Ministry. We are hoping to hire someone part-time. They would partly pick-up where Megan left-off, and partly take things in a slightly different direction in accord with the emerging vision of Children's and Youth ministry here. That means, for example, developing a youth program that will suit our kids growing into their teen years.
I posted the job description in various places, including the COTM website and the Diocesan website. I've also listed with an on-line job database (Christian Careers Canada). Trinity and Wycliffe have agreed to post and distribute the posting, as well. So we'll see what kind of response that gets!
Although originally I was supposed to have gotten this posted months ago, I'm glad I waited. I'm in a MUCH better position now to understand where our program is and where I want it go than I was even a month or two ago. I really feel like I'm ready to make that hire, now. Stay tuned for developments.
Lots of e-mails back and forth today. For one thing, I've been corresponding with the priest of the Anglican Church in Istanbul seeking advice about finding reasonably priced accommodation, etc. Fr. Ian Sherwood has a fascinating ministry. He has done a ton (or as he would say, "tonne") to develop the Anglican ministry in his city. He restored their historic church (apparently even sleeping in it for a while to protest a planned sale of the property), built up a thriving ministry to immigrants, and generally has done the Lord's work in a land where even possessing Christian literature in Turkish can get you in serious trouble. I'm looking forward to meeting him.
Also on my mind--the possibility of starting a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) program here at COTM. It's basically an opportunity for mothers in the community to gather, share fellowship, enjoy peer-support, and receive mentoring. What I've found so far tells me that it requires little parish resources, and it seems to fit our demographics well. In fact, several members of the congregation recall a similar group that met here years ago. Stay tuned...
Oh, and I monkeyed around with Adobe Premiere Pro. Editing Video these days is all about knowing your formats. I miss the good-old days of the VHS editing suite in the basement of Hampden-Sydney College. (Actually, I don't mean that. Premiere Pro works like a champ on ORAC and I'm having a ball learning how to do this stuff.) Here's a first attempt on my new rig. Of course, I need to put together some Title Cards and all that good stuff--but it's a proof of concept and good experiment in work-flow.
Oh yes, something else on my mind, I think I need to do some teaching around the use of female images of God in liturgy. I'm not sure what shape that will take, but the congregation seems curious about it. (Partly because we use hymns from time-to-time that refer to God with feminine pronouns.) I keep thinking of some of the things Siobhán Garrigan (one of Betsy and my Professors back at YDS) had to say about shifting congregations to more inclusive language--mainly that it requires a long time and much education and patience. Yet the results seem worth it to me--nothing less than a more correct and Biblical (yes, Biblical!) expression of the Truth. Yes, I know many of you read this could give me a good argument about that, and that's all good. I think that theology (that is, how we speak of God) ought to be something that stirs up passions.
-t
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