Meetings Galore
It has once again been a while since I last wrote here. In that time I have been to, visited or met with:
• Wellington for a meeting of Strandz (Anglican Children, Youth and Family Ministry Unit: tikanga pakeha). There we worked hard on a proposal for two very part time children’s ministry enablers to work across the 7 Dioceses. This has also been endorsed by our ministry council. We also worked hard on a web site, to be launched later this year.
• commissioned as the National Guardian for OSS
• my Board of Oversight meeting.
• the new Taranaki-Waikato Youth Network Co-ordinator
• 2 Centre for Youth Ministry Studies Management Committee meeting in Auckland
• a meeting of the Anglican Ministry Educators Network in Wellington
• the Diocese of Waiapu’s annual Top Parish weekend, this year held in Rotorua.
• Churches Youth Ministry Association.
• The Tikanga Pakeha Ministry Council (TPMC)
• My own spiritual director
• Several of my supervisees and spiritual directees, as well as being approached about being a spiritual director for two new people.
• A reaffirmation of ordination vows service in Rotorua.
Weeks of meetings, and no time in between to do any of the jobs I have picked up at these meetings. You could think I spend too much time at meetings. Sometimes I do as well. But the reality is that there would be no church if those early disciples hadn’t met to even decide to be together, and how that might work. Meetings have allowed the church to grow in its mission and ministry. But they also can suck the life out of us as well. As I reflect on which meetings I enjoy, it occurs to me a lot depends on the attitudes of others present, and whether we see this as a way forward to advance mission, or something we have always done. While not a lot was achieved at any of these meetings, in fact the opportunities opening up because of some of the more institutional meetings could be profound for our church, and for people under 40. Sadly, some of the less institutional seem to have lost the umph to go anywhere.
• Wellington for a meeting of Strandz (Anglican Children, Youth and Family Ministry Unit: tikanga pakeha). There we worked hard on a proposal for two very part time children’s ministry enablers to work across the 7 Dioceses. This has also been endorsed by our ministry council. We also worked hard on a web site, to be launched later this year.
• commissioned as the National Guardian for OSS
• my Board of Oversight meeting.
• the new Taranaki-Waikato Youth Network Co-ordinator
• 2 Centre for Youth Ministry Studies Management Committee meeting in Auckland
• a meeting of the Anglican Ministry Educators Network in Wellington
• the Diocese of Waiapu’s annual Top Parish weekend, this year held in Rotorua.
• Churches Youth Ministry Association.
• The Tikanga Pakeha Ministry Council (TPMC)
• My own spiritual director
• Several of my supervisees and spiritual directees, as well as being approached about being a spiritual director for two new people.
• A reaffirmation of ordination vows service in Rotorua.
Weeks of meetings, and no time in between to do any of the jobs I have picked up at these meetings. You could think I spend too much time at meetings. Sometimes I do as well. But the reality is that there would be no church if those early disciples hadn’t met to even decide to be together, and how that might work. Meetings have allowed the church to grow in its mission and ministry. But they also can suck the life out of us as well. As I reflect on which meetings I enjoy, it occurs to me a lot depends on the attitudes of others present, and whether we see this as a way forward to advance mission, or something we have always done. While not a lot was achieved at any of these meetings, in fact the opportunities opening up because of some of the more institutional meetings could be profound for our church, and for people under 40. Sadly, some of the less institutional seem to have lost the umph to go anywhere.
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