I dont know about you ladies, but my Wednesday's are almost as hectic as Sundays. Running and going and doing. I hate even having to schedule anything on Wednesdays because you know it is going to be crazy enough. Just venting.
In addition to my work as a children's pastor, I also work a full time day job. Here is DH's and my typical Wednesday schedule:
7:30 - 3:00 - work (FT day job)
3:00 - 4:30 - work out if there's time
4:30 - 5:00 - head to church - yes, I live 1/2 hour away from my church!
5:00 - 6:00 - prep for evening program
6:00 - 7:00 - greet kids, eat dinner, get kids where they need to be
7:00 - 8:30 - teach class
8:30 - 9:00 - make sure kids get home somehow
9:00 - 9:30 (roughly) - hang out, put stuff away, debrief with workers, etc.
9:30 until it's done - pastoral staff meeting/out for coffee with senior pastor OR (if SP decides to go straight home) destressing session with YP and her husband in which we drool into our hot cocoa, rehash all the good and bad things that happened that night, and agree that no matter what, we really do love what we do...
Sometime between 11:00 and midnight - go to bed and wake up in time for work at 7:30 the next morning!!
Between the ministry and the theatre (a whole other level of craziness!), may God have mercy on us if we ever have children!!! Hopefully, they'll be like me and have the uncanny ability to curl up and fall asleep anytime, anywhere, LOL!!
Sometimes I am so tired getting ready and on the way to Wed. night service, but inevitably once I get there and worship starts I begin to feel better and I'm glad I'm there. I always go home an hour earlier on Wed's and work out and shower before coming back. That helps. I'm there late, late, late...because now I stay for choir, which is after the service and can sometimes run until 10:30 pm. I didn't use to be in the choir for this reason butjust in the past few months - October, I started singing in the choir. So, dh and I drive separately and he takes the kids home and I stay for choir.
All in all it's a very tiring day but if I could (I do have the choice) but I don't want to change it. I think it's just tiring for all of us because we have already had all the events of our day and Wed. nights are "on top of it" and we are not just attending we are ministering. There is a difference. So we are preparing, doing, de-briefing, etc.
One thing I do like about Wed. night is, it gives me a connection with people that I don't get to stop and talk to on Sundays. Our more faithful people come on Wed's as they do in most churches I'm assuming...and often on Sunday AM's, I'm greeting as many of the visitors and newer people as possible. On Wed. night I get to hone in with some people I've just wanted to visit with for a few minutes. It helps that I really enjoy being with our church people.
One thing that has made a huge impact on Wed. nights at our church, is "snack attack". Down in the kitchen, there are hot dogs, soft pretzels, pizza bites, cheese sticks, and a variety of chips, soda, and candy. It's true it's not real nutrition, but we don't have to cook anymore. We come a little early, anywhere between 5:30 and 6:15, and we all stand around or sit around and grab a little something to eat, and chat. Everyone comes in all rushed and stressed, then by class time, everyone has had a little something to eat, and is more relaxed and in the proper frame of mind. One of the biggest issues on Wed. night(we found when we asked) was that most moms are getting kids from school from some sort of activity, rushing home to try and feed them, then struggling to get to church on time. Some, like me, would just not come at all , sometimes, because it was so tight a schedule. And some moms are just getting off of work. So Lee, our wonderful youth pastor, came up with "snack attack". The church does sell the items, but it's like 5 cents over cost or something close to it. So it's very cheap! And those who can truely not afford it, are usually taken care of by someone. i know my kids have sometimes not been able to pay, and there was someone there to see that they at least had a hot dog and drink. It's a nice thing to have on Wed. night, and a whole lot more families are attending now that they do not have the stress of what to grab for dinner before church. lw
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...... Then they came for the Catholics, and I was a Protestant, so I never said anything. And then, they came for ME, and there was no one left to speak up. Martin Neimoller, German Pastor, WW2
LW - that's a great idea! The church I used to attend did something similar...I usually snagged some mozzarella sticks from the youth room or else some dinner from the Alpha Course upstairs (The cooks figured that since most of the kids in my group were children of Alpha leaders/attendees, I should be able to eat dinner with the Alpha people, too!).
We serve a hot meal at our church on Wednesday nights - it was mainly started for the kids, but anyone can eat. A lady in our church, who has since passed away, decided that it was going to be HER ministry to provide a hot, nutritious meal to the kids who come - most of them are from pretty rough families, and we don't really know how many nutritious meals they get. Anyway, as with most churches, the hot meal became a tradition - and people are slowly but surely starting to take ownership over the meals now that it's sort of sunk in that the lady who used to do it is not going to descend from heaven each Wednesday to cook for them!!. It brings in a lot of older kids and teenagers...I overheard one kid say that he only came for the food and didn't really care about God or anything else. Well...about a week later, he accepted Christ .
Wow, you are saying this lady does this for completely free? That is something else. What a ministry.
I have always wanted our church to do this. I think it's a great idea. The youth pastor is planning on starting this soon, a cafe of sorts. They are going to do soup, sandwiches, coffee's, etc. I believe it will be very successful.
I know as for me one of my most stressful things is cooking on Wed nights. We always have something VERY simple. Most of the time dh cooks...I work out while he cooks, we quickly eat and head out the door again, as I have to be there an hour early for worship.
It would be nice to just not have to do the dinner thing at home and bring my family to church for dinner while I am at worship practice.
We also have chior on Wed. nights. It has helped many of our busy families get to church and be able to actively participate on Wed. nights. It's just one less thing a busy Mom has to do. And she does not have to stay up late cleaning up on Wed. night when she gets home either. This way, our focus on Wed. can be on the Lord, and refreshing each other. I hope your coffee house thing works out for your church Deanna! Have some fun with it! Lw
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...... Then they came for the Catholics, and I was a Protestant, so I never said anything. And then, they came for ME, and there was no one left to speak up. Martin Neimoller, German Pastor, WW2
Of course like everyone else my Wednesday meal is on the fly, but unfortunately I do not get to eat before service because I also have my rehearsals on Wednesdays with the teens...
God has truly blesed the ministry of McDonald's and Burger King through the creation of Wednesday nights and Pastors.... If they are looking for home cooking on Wednesday, they clearly are not members of the pastoral staff.
But needless to say, I live for Wednesdays... And Saturdays... And Sundays... BECAUSE I LIVE FOR MINISTRY!
By the way - you ladies are so powerful that I felt your prayers for me this past week and I did not even post a prayer request... My grandmother entered the joy of the Lord last Sunday and I have been on the road ever since... Finally got back home this morning at 2:00 a.m. - of course I was on time to work... And yes I have ministry meetings tonight.
They say a woman's work is never done, I say a Pastoring Partners work is never out done... FLOW WITH IT!
quote: Originally posted by: FLOW_RCTB God has truly blesed the ministry of McDonald's and Burger King through the creation of Wednesday nights and Pastors.... If they are looking for home cooking on Wednesday, they clearly are not members of the pastoral staff. But needless to say, I live for Wednesdays... And Saturdays... And Sundays... BECAUSE I LIVE FOR MINISTRY!
LOL!!!!
So true (the fast food comment) - during the summer when we start later and don't do a meal, my saving grace is definitely McDonald's (or if I'm feeling a twinge of remorse, Subway!)
But you're right...I wouldn't have it any other way!
I know what you mean, I wouldn't have it any other way either. Sometimes although I am tired, when I get there I am so incredibly blessed!
Flow, I am sorry about your grandmother. I hope everything is well with all of your family during this time. I know you must be sooooo incredibly ready to get a good night's rest. My prayers are with you.
You're right, a pastoring partner's work IS never out done is it? I love that. You have such a way with words. You're right, our work is never done but also not out-done because we not only carry a load but we do it well. So true.
I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. You were right. You had been on my mind today and I said a prayer for you. I had planned to call you this week after I finished my mid-term.
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