Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Excitement knows no bounds

After some constipation in the Australia Post system, which caused me to wear a track to my mailbox every day since last Thursday, I finally received the profile for my prospective placement in the mail today, and let me tell you, if you thought I was excited before... I am virtually uncontainable now! :-)

Over a leisurely lunch, I spent an hour or so going over the profile with a fine tooth comb and noting all the questions I need to ask the Joint Nominating Committee when I meet with them on Friday. The list of ministry priorities in the placement profile are very close to the priorities I listed in my personal profile, so it is feeling like a pretty good match on that score. The profile also told me that the church members have a high level of involvement in the local community (and have stated a desire for more), very warm ecumenical relations, and a number of joint activities
with the other churches in the area that seem to happen through the year.

The Presbytery Minister for that presbytery said to me that she thinks I will have a very interesting ministry there, and I think she's right... there is a lot happening in the placement that excites me, and I feel that I could fit in very well with all of that. But the placement has been vacant for a while, so I imagine by now some of their key people will be pretty tired. They also have some hopes and dreams for building on what they have and adapting to change in the local area, which I think will stretch me a bit as I try to help and equip them to realise these goals. So, I think it will be a great opportunity to work alongside these faithful folk to help them grow, and be strengthened as the people of God in their part of the world. (And I reckon I'll probably learn just a few things from them, too! :-)

So now I just can't wait to get out there, see the place and meet the people.

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