Living A Balanced Life - By Saying No?
 Clergy thrive on being can-do people. We love to say yes, even to our own demise. We act as if saying no is a sin. " I'm speaking to myself." Saying no, however is a valuable word to help us live balanced lives in a world of so many demands, dilemmas, and disruptions. What worse, saying yes, and not meaning it, or even worse breaking your word, or risking offending someone by being honest about your abilities and boundaries to meet their needs? Here is a story written by Robert H. Ramey, Jr. in his book "Thriving in Ministry," to help drive home the point of balance in ministry and saying no. He shares a sermon from a former student that preached about what he did not share with her regarding ministry while in the seminary. The sermon is entitled, "Dear Bob:" "You forgot to tell me that ministry means spending hours in the emergency room with a virtual stranger, passing cast padding to an orthopedist I've never met, and trying to be an advocate for somebody who needs one desperately. You forgot to tell me that ministry means I'm supposed to know what to do when I get six or eight phone calls from people in varying degrees of hysteria, all of whom want me to fix the fact that people are doing things which can best be described as lewd and lascivious on the church property in broad daylight. You forgot to tell me that there aren't enough boxes on the calendar for all the things that need to get done. You forgot to tell me that there would be days when I would strongly suspect that I'm the only one around here who knows how to put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom. You forgot to tell me that sometimes people wouldn't say what they really mean, and you forgot to tell me how I'm supposed to know when that's happening. You forgot to tell me that I can't do it all myself, that I can't make all of the people happy all of the time, and that people can't always do the things they say they will. And while we're at it, Bob, you forgot to tell me how to say No!" What are ways you've learned to say no. Discuss on our facebook page.
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2nd Quarter's Called Magazine Released This Week
In CALLED we like to focus on relevant and contemporary issues that Seventh-day Adventist ministers face in the North American Division. This focus includes sharing the stories of your churches - churches engaged in meaningful and impactful ministry yielding spiritual and numerical growth. It also includes sharing resources to support your ministry, as well as addressing the all-important subjects of spiritual leadership, theology and professional best practices.
Two areas in ministry have given rise to this quarter's focus. First we address the finances of pastors. An ongoing quantitative study in process now in our division shows that finances are a significant stressor in the families of pastors. Over 70% of the respondents say it is difficult to make it through each month without worrying whether or not their financial resources will be adequate for their needs.
The second area or theme CALLED addresses is the rising issue of second-generation Adventist churches, (churches primarily composed of the U.S.-born children of immigrants who generally choose to speak English for their worship services.) According to the recent U.S. Census Bureau the Asian population is the nation's fastest-growing racial group. Other minority populations continued to grow as well. The Hispanic population - the country's second-largest racial or ethnic group - grew by 2.2 percent. While most of the growth in the country's Asian population, almost 60% is fueled by international migration, the increase in Hispanic Americans is due primarily to natural births. The majority of births in the United States now to Hispanic, black and Asian mothers is further evidence white Americans will become a minority nation-wide within about three decades. In fact for the first time in U.S. History, the population of whites declined in 2012.
We pray this quarter's edition will scratch you, where you itch. We would love to hear from each of you in the ongoing development and focus of the CALLED magazine. Please connect with us through email or on our Best Practices for Adventist ministry Facebook page.
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AUGUST WEBINAR
Health Ministries for Pastors: Making your church a center for healing in the community with Katia Reinert, PhDc, CRNP, FNP-BC, PHCNS-BC, FCN
Director, Adventist Health Ministries | Adventist Recovery Ministries (ARMin) North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
Join us for a webinar on how you can make your church a center for health, healing and wholeness in your community by engaging in comprehensive health ministries. Learn about this renewed emphasis on transformational evangelism following Christ's method of ministry. You will learn about the NAD health ministries resources designed to assist you in meeting the whole person needs of your congregation and the community. We will explore resources that can help transform the fabric of your church, becoming a place where all ministries work together in a comprehensive way engage your local community making them feel drawn to your church as the place to meet their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs.
Topics will include:
-Comprehensive Health Ministries: the world church's renewed emphasis on Jesus method of ministry
-Resources for pastors:
-Adventist Recovery Ministries (ARMin): Starting ARMin and 12-step recovery group for people struggling with addictions or any unhealthy compulsive behaviors.
-Adventists InStep for Life and LETS MOVE DAY: Engaging your members and the community in fun physical activity while creating partnerships
-Faith Community Nursing: How your church can experience healing by engaging a nurse trained to meet the whole person needs of members and families.
-Public NAD Health website where you can advertise your health programs for free (includes guests registration)
-Learn best practices in using these resources from pastors in the field
-Training for pastors: Learn about the health ministries training for pastors coordinated by the NAD Ministerial that will take place at the NAD Health Summit in Orlando, FL, 2014 (Jan 27-31).
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Funeral Do's and Don'ts
DO work with the family and the funeral home director in planning the funeral service. If you know the family is challenged financially, let them know they don't need to prove their love for the deceased by over-spending on the funeral.
DO inquire of the family regarding their desires for the service itself and seek to accommodate accordingly. It is important to be aware of the musical selections made by the family.
DO try to visit with a variety of family members before preparing the service. Each will have a different perspective of the deceased to share with you. It can also be helpful to invite family members to write a personal note about the person. Some of these comments can then be included in your remarks.
DO check on the correct pronunciation of all names to be read from the obituary (clergy record).
DO arrive early for the funeral. Make sure all participants in the service are present and aware of their responsibilities. Provide each participant, including the funeral home representative, with an "Order of Service." Make sure all parties clearly understand the order of events and the logistics of the service, including the dismissal.
DO make the service personal. In addition to sharing God's Word, reflect positively, genuinely, and realistically about the deceased.
DON'T preach long at a funeral. Share the Word, but keep your comments short and sweet. People have come to pay their respects to the deceased and to show their support for the family, not to hear a lengthy sermon. While there may be some variation depending on cultural expectations, 30 minutes is typically a good length of time for a funeral service (the church or chapel portion).
DON'T say to the bereaved, "I know how you feel." Even if you experienced a similar loss, it is important to remember that different people experience grief differently. Every person is unique, and that uniqueness should be respected.
DON'T convey expectations that inhibit the family from experiencing or expressing their sorrow. They shouldn't feel pressure to project "victory." On the other hand, don't play on the emotions of people in an attempt to make the service a "tear-jerker
DON'T be disingenuous or overly opportunistic about winning the family to your church.
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News & Notes
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Hundreds baptized at first phase of NY13 at Nassau Coliseum in New York.
Read More
Find out 9 Ways Pastors Can Encourage Their Teams
NAD Prayer Call Join Prayer Call anytime between 10 p.m. Eastern Time, July 11, until 5 a.m., July 12. You do not need to be on the call all night. For more details
Join us for the
CALLED experience at the NAD Ministerial Convention 2015.
...Inspiring world's foremost leaders cast vision in plenary sessions worshiping in a congregation made up of thousands of pastors ... Valuing calling from God for pastoral ministry is validated ... Connecting pastoral colleagues old and new abound Latest social ministry networks help convene ...Equipping ministry specialists teach in break out seminars fresh resources for ministry delivered continuing education credit received Registration will open January 2014.
Follow our "Best Practices Newsletter" on our own Ministerial Directors facebook page. Please share with us what's happening in your conference or union. We would love to share what you doing with other Ministerial Directors in our Division. |
| A Point to Make | |
"There is no passion like that of functionaries for their function."
Georges Clemenceau
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| Calendar |
June 3, 4
NAD Ordination Committee Meeting July 16
NO Best Practices Webinar June 19-22Annual Leadership Council June 25, 26NAD Ordination Committee Meeting July 21-223rd Annual Leadership Conference at Andrews University "Leadership and Diversity"August 7-10ASI International Convention Orlando, FL
August 20
Best Practices Webinar
"Health Ministries for Pastors: Making your church a center for healing in the community" 1:30 p.m. e.s.t.
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