Well, at least my end of the credentialing process!! All I can do now is wait patiently...but then, this is me we're talking about, so it's more like waiting impatiently...
DH and I had our interview yesterday - it went pretty well, I think! They spent a whole bunch of time talking to DH about the theatre company and his work with kids in the community (and it ended with one of them asking him for a business card!!). They were very impressed that we are definitely a ministry TEAM and we both support and are active in each other's callings.
They ended up bumping up my application to License to Preach. I was originally going for a Specialized Ministry License, because from my understanding, if I am called to minister to kids, that's a specialized area. So...makes sense, right?
Uh...no. The presbyters interviewing me asked me why I was applying for a specialized license, and I explained why, and they said, "Well, we feel that children's ministry is legitimate preaching and not just babysitting the kids during the 'real' service. So if you want, we can just change your paperwork here to License to Preach, because that's for people who are preaching at least 15 times in one year, and you would definitely qualify." So...I'll be getting a License to Preach, assuming I was approved last night .
Very sad, though...there were only three other people at the School of Ministry beside me getting licensed to be children's pastors, and one children's evangelist.
But all I have now is the credentialing service at District Council. What will I do with all this free time on my hands, lol?!?
What to do with the time on your hands? Go to the mall and get a nice tailored black suit. Every credentialed preacher needs one of those! (Whether a man or a woman) But you can go to the next level and get the purse to match as well as get your nails done or something like that to CELEBRATE!!!
Way to go, Puppetmaster. I'm so proud of you. I think it is wonderful that they bumped it to License to Preach - you are obviously in a good district where they see the value in not only children's ministries but women fulfilling the call in preaching. Praise God! All districts are not alike, believe me, I learned that one the hard way. Potomac was absolutely WONDERFUL to women ministers and so is Florida. I'm telling you, both districts are such a blessing. But the first district I was in when I was first going through the process was not welcoming at all to women ministers. It was a good old boy network of the worst kind. Although they just got a new supt., it will take a long time for that to change as ingrained as it is in many of them. When I got to Potomac it was like a breath of fresh air, and FL is the same way. It looks like you are equally blessed.
Please don't worry. Consider it a done deal. If they bumped it up to LTP, they are definitely definitely credentialing you. They are not going to suggest a bump up to someone they are declining. Think of how ridiculous that would be. They obviously like you and believe in your ministry.
I just got into the office this morning and was informed by Carolyn Tennant (who just 'happens' to be one of my co-workers here at NCU!) that a letter is on the way asking me to be on the Task Force for our regional Women in Ministry conference in Fall 2006!! She, too, said the same thing - that there's no way I'm NOT getting licensed if they suggested bumping me up to License to Preach.
I am just overwhelmed by all of this. Two years ago, I was struggling in a church that just wasn't for me, trying to run my little corner of the children's ministry with tons of parental support, but almost NO support from the leadership...not really imagining that for me, children's ministry would encompass more than just being a committed, driven Wednesday night worker.
And then I attended the Reaching Kids Conference. I listened to Dan Rector preach about the need for children's pastors. The day before, I had listened to the person who is now my very best friend (who I hardly knew at the time!) talk about her calling and vision for ministry, and my heart was thumping so loudly, I was afraid that everyone in Perkins could hear it - because I realized that her vision was so similar to mine. That my DH and I had had almost identical prophetic words spoken over our lives and ministries as she had, and that He somehow meant for us to be a team.
At the conference, we closed the service with the song, "Better is One Day in Your Courts," and as we worshiped, I heard God whisper in my ear, 'Are you finally going to say yes to me?' After 11 years of pursuing every career opportunity BUT children's ministry (He had originally called me when I was a sophomore in high school), I was finally ready...
It has been a painful process in some ways, because God has been working overtime clearing away junk from DH's and my lives. But it's been worth it. In the meantime, He has blessed us with one of THE best senior pastors that the A/G has (I am absolutely convinced of this!), real friends for the first time in our lives, and a hunger and longing for Him that I never had, even while I was growing up in the church. Those things mean more to me than a License to Preach or a WIM task force. But He's blessing me with those, too!
And I know He's not done with me yet...is He ever really done with any of us?
Wow...I'm starting to tear up just writing this out again. I think I'm going to stop now and head for lunch .
My word, the A/G is such a small world although millions of people are a part of it! I know Dr. T personally. I have never been one of her students, however had the privilege of meeting her at the first women in ministry conference for the A/G,and also a women's retreat that she preached. I have talked with her several times about various questions I've had concerning women in ministry and she has been a tremendous help. GREAT LADY!!!
Puppetmaster, I am touched by your story. It gives me hope that we are going to get a children's pastor here at our church with the kind of heart you have. After going through all these daggone resumes with no results I'm beginning to wonder if our person exists, but I know they do. God has them for us it is just taking a while because perhaps they have not heard from God yet about a transition...or something else needs to be accomplished before they come. Anyway, I have placed it all in God's hand and trust --He knows what He's doing!
Thank you for this testimony, it was greatly encouraging to me.
Also, please let me know -- when is the next women's conference for the A/G? I need to put it on my calendar now. I missed the 2nd one and have kicked myself for it ever since.
Deanna - I'm not sure about national WIM conferences...I haven't actually gotten the letter yet - Carolyn just told me it was coming . Our regional one is schedule for Fall 2006.
I know the MN District has one coming up the first weekend in April that I will probably be missing (As the children's pastor, I'm sort of stuck here Easter weekend, so I'm thinking I'll make the pilgrimage home the following weekend to hang out with my mom, DH's family, and whoever else we don't see Easter weekend!).
It is amazing how everyone in the A/G seems to know everyone. I had to call a guy from AGTS once and he asked me my name, and said, "Hmm...I don't think I've met you yet." But he was assuming that he'd meet me at some point or another. That's just the predominant attitude - that we are all somehow connected. Sort of like "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon"! Maybe we should make our own board game called "6 Degrees of Thomas Trask"!
You are so funny! (Six degrees of Trask...that's a good one.) But what you say is true...sooner or later it seems you meet everybody even though there are something like 30 or 40 thousand A/G ministers it's amazing how you know so many of them over the course of your ministry.
Well puppetmaster, a really exciting thing is...hopefully at the next national A/G women's conference, I will meet you! (in person I mean) The first one was sooo incredible. It impacted my life like nothing else I have ever been to and I am not kidding you!!! The second one I missed...it was just bad timing to go. But the next one, I am not missing no matter what. Trust me as soon as you hear about it you need to plan for it.
While there we will definitely meet for lunch, dinner, something. Alrighty?
BTW, the last 2 conferences were held the 2nd week in March.
It sounds like everything went extremely well, which we all knew it would. That is so amazing that they decided to bump up your application. I am so happy for you. What an exciting time for you!
Deanna, we are SO on for lunch or whatever if and when our paths cross!!!
By the way...my DH decided that he just couldn't wait to find out, so he called the District Office yesterday. And yes, they ARE, indeed, giving me a License to Preach. He found out at about 10:30 in the morning, called my best friend (who I was meeting for coffee later) and warned her not to say anything to me, called our church secretary to have her put it in the bulletin, and then made me dinner...
That's so funny, actually, because he's usually the patient, laid-back person, and I'm usually the high-strung, "I want it NOW" one in the relationship. I was actually waiting until next week to call - because I knew that all the NCU students were calling yesterday (working there, I heard a lot of them talking...), and I wanted to give our poor credentialing secretary some reprieve time from answering the phone all day!
Now that all the "serious" stuff is taken care of...I'm planning some serious shopping time during Spring Break - when my schedule at work is lighter and more flexible - to get my black suit for the credentialing service. And matching black shoes. Maybe a haircut from a "real" salon instead of Great Clips. Or most likely, I'll get to pick "one of the above," lol!!
Now comes the daunting task of unearthing my house after this crazy week...YIKES!!
Our District Council is April 18-19, and the credentialing service is the evening of the 19th...
I've broken the news to my whole family, so it's really official now...even the ones who aren't serving Jesus are excited about it.
My mom's single friend has already pegged me to do the ceremony if/when she ever finds a husband, lol! DH has "warned" me that his sister will want me to baptize her three kids when she finds out, too, and all his relatives who have gotten married by a justice of the peace will come crawling out of the woodwork for a "real" ceremony now that there's a pastor in the family. Yeah, we'll see...
I'm the first ever in my family (either side) to be a licensed minister, and the second on DH's side - he has an uncle that is ordained (he thinks) with the A/G, too...So our families are just a little bit excited!
Puppetmaster,you are going to pop! I can just hear the excitement in your words. I am so proud for you!! I can only imagine how you are feeling right now. Isn't it amazing how people respond to the thought of a minister in the family. May God continue to pour out blessings on you Love Ralinda
that is cool. It must feel great. (One day I will get my ordination as well.) THere is such an excitement to have that validation. For others to respond and say yes, we agree. We see that call on your life as well. Really empowering. I know how great I felt at the service when my husband was ordained and they prayed over us both.
I am so excited for you. Deanna is right, you can almost hear your excitement! Congratulations!
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(Whether a man or a woman) But you can go to the next level and get the purse to match as well as get your nails done or something like that to CELEBRATE!!!
