THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

The Journey Continues: Ministry Facing Challenge and Change will travel though the mountain and plains states. The quest for meaning that began in Journey to God will be expanded through the challenges and changes of raising a family, facing the ever changing expectations of ministers, church, and faith in God.

Our young family is now a family with teenagers, driver licenses, cars, and dating. The one-salaried family becomes a two-salaried family with positive and negative reactions. Maintaining a Christian presence in the face of negative comments and ridicule is part of the experience of serving God in our world.

During the doctoral program, some role reversal takes place as teenagers ask dad to see his report card along with, “Have you done your homework yet?” The teens and dad take over cooking duties as Mom’s work schedule changes. A new experience of “burnt offerings” at the dinner table becomes frequent.

The ministry will face questions that challenge the role of ministers, campus ministers, and chaplains in the face of a fast growing improvement in health care, technological advances in communication, information, and office equipment. The computer age opens the doors to the inexperienced to enter the job market ahead of or replacing of older, experienced workers. As change continues, values are modified or set aside. The bottom line and compliance issues take the place of hard work and customer service. The idea of being kind to others changes to a “get yours before they get theirs” attitude.

Attempting to serve when the church was moved from the mainstream to the sidelines is part of the challenge change brings. Having to prove something that once was taken for granted is part of regaining an awareness of the value of the Christian Faith.