Category: Ministry

Posted in Ministry

When I was at the seminary…

Posted on by William Douthwaite

With my son Adam just about to complete his first semester at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, my mind was wandering back to when I was at the seminary.  It was a different seminary:  Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN.  It was also a much different time to study for the parish ministry (I attended from 1982-1986).  It doesn’t seem that long ago.  But when I was at the seminary…

No one had a computer.  (The original PC was just being conceived.)  Everyone I knew typed their papers on typewriters.  You did all of your research in the library, where you had to look things up in a card catalogue.

No one had a phone.  We used a pay phone in the dorm to make or receive calls.

No one had a debit card.  Many places took a check.  Or you could cash one at the business office.

The financial aid program was this:  buy the cheapest Lutheran Brotherhood life insurance policy, and get a student loan through them.

I worked for a market research company, and actually went door-to-door trying to get people to test toilet paper, Wheat Thins, and soda.

Everything I owned I could fit in a 1980 Volkswager Rabbit diesel, which got 50 mph.  I could drive to my parent’s house in Philadelphia on one tank of fuel.

The NIV was the first new translation of the bible to come along since the RSV.  That, and the King James, were about all you had to choose from, unless you were a paraphrase kind of person and liked that oldie but goodie Good News for Modern Man.

Dr. Voelz’s book on Greek Grammar was printed in the Seminary print shop, with hand-written Greek letters in it.

I met my wife, Lisa.

And my son Adam was born.

 

Posted in Ministry

Storyboarding

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I’m not writing out my sermons.  At least, not lately.  I’ve gotten into “storyboarding,” just like they put together movies or commercials.  I’m not sure where I picked up this idea, but it forced me to be more visual in the way I put together my sermons.  I have to come up with an image or a description for each point rather than just an outline.

This is totally different than how I was taught to put a sermon together.  My sermon preparation professor, Dr. Gerhard Aho at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, made us thoroughly outline everything.  And that is how I approached every sermon for years, as if he were watching over my shoulder.  It was a good foundation that made me think through my text, points, transitions, and illustrations.

Lately, though, I’ve used a storyboard approach.  I try to put a picture with each part of the sermon that supports that one point I’m trying to get across to people.

How’s it going?  Well, my personal reviews are mixed.

It consumes less time than outlining and writing out a whole sermon.  I used to spend hours writing and rewriting.  Then I realized no one was actually reading these sermons so a manuscript wasn’t really important.  I didn’t even read them; I always preach without notes.

It’s easier to memorize.  Rather than trying to remember all the paragraphs I’ve written, I’ve got 8 to 12 images to recall, which bring to mind that part of the sermon.

But it’s a little nerve wracking, knowing that everytime I preach, I am composing as I go.  Kind of like jazz improvisation.  I’ve worked hard to learn the chords, and then work from there.

No one knows I’ve changed my approach except me.  Until  now.  Now all of you do.

Posted in Ministry

A lack of leaders

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s that time of year when our congregation has to nominate leaders to serve in the coming year.  With nearly two hundred active families, you wouldn’t think it would be so hard to come up with two dozen or so leaders that comprise a church council, board of elders, and a church properties committee.  Yet every fall, we come up short.  I know we’re not the only church that struggles with this challenge.  The basic mood seems to be “I’ll help out, but I don’t want to be in a position of leadership.”

When did leadership become something to avoid?  Granted, not everyone is cut out or qualified for leadership.  But many with those gifts hesitate to step into leadership positions in the church and probably in many volunteer organizations.

Some of it has to do with the consumer mentality that some bring to church with them.  Just as they stop by a restaurant for a meal, they stop by the church for a spiritual meal.  It would never occur to them to actually work there, though.

Some of it must be fear, the fear of having to do it all yourself.  This isn’t a rational fear, for each leader is supposed to recruit a board or committee to carry out different ministries.  No one should be doing it themselves.

Some of it has to do with the retirement state of mind in our area.  They did these jobs when they lived elsewhere.  Now that they’ve retired, someone else can do this work.  “I’m retired.”

When Jesus called disciples, he really didn’t give them a choice.  He gave them authority.  He gave them power from above.  And he sent them out.   Have at it.  Make more disciples.

Having said that, maybe that’s where we fall short.  Perhaps we make more members than disciples.  I have to think about this some more.

Posted in Ministry

Nobody called

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I’ve made a lot of visits with families who have visited and are interested in our congregation in the past few weeks.  One comment that’s stuck in my mind is, “No one called.”  No one called when they stopped attending our previous church.  No one called when they said they might need to check out some other churches.

Immediately I was convicted because there are a number of people I haven’t called lately.  How many of them may be saying the same thing somewhere else?  I don’t always do it intentionally.  There are some I didn’t realize I haven’t seen for a while.  Having said that, maybe I avoid some calls, either because it never seemed to make a difference in the past, or I just didn’t want to address whatever issue might come up.

Do some people have a need to be missed?  Or do they just use that to justify their next step?  When some connect with a church, do they bring the expectation that there will be ongoing contact?  Or does that expectation develop later on?

Over the years, I’ve learned that people will come and people will go.  People will join, and people will go elsewhere.  And much of the time, you can’t blame yourself or take credit for what happens.  It just happens.  So you can’t beat yourself up too much.

But I guess I could call.

Posted in Ministry

What numbers are important?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

numbers1250985368So here’s my question today:  what numbers are important?  We love to talk numbers at church.  Unfortunately, most of them mean very little.

“How big is your congregation?”  I can tell them.  Sort of.  We keep track of our membership.  But we have a good number of people who attend worship on a regular basis who aren’t members.  Then we have those members who for whatever reason don’t attend worship.  Plus, some people are only here part of the year.  What number would you like me to use?

“OK, then how many do you have in worship?”  We keep track of that, too, at least an average number for each Sunday.  However, most people seem to attend worship about twice a month, so no one week gives an accurate picture.  A few years ago we had zero in worship on a Sunday when a hurricane was passing through town.  Do I have to count that week in my average?  On Easter Sunday, our attendance is double what it normally is.  Should I factor in that week?  What number should we use, and what does it tell us?

“Show me the money.”  How are our offerings doing?  It depends on the week.  Are we paying our bills?  Yes.  Could we use more?  Of course.  Do we support missions?  Yup.  Our monthly financial report is over 15 pages long, a literal sea of numbers that sucks you in like a rip current.  They never taught me how to interpret that at the seminary.  I can read some New Testament Greek, though.

“How many lives have been changed?”  No way to tell.  Everyone who worships here may be out affecting other lives where they live and work and study.  I am certain their prayers make a difference in the lives of many, too.

In the initial years of my ministry, numbers meant a lot.  My level of confidence rode the peaks and troughs of attendance, offerings, and new members.  Now they don’t mean so much, probably because I’ve seen God do some of his best work in a meeting with just one other person.

Posted in Ministry

Learning to just listen

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday, I visited with a couple who have been attending our Sunday worship services.  At one point in the conversation, they shared with me some personal information, and added that they were very nervous about talking about it.  They didn’t know how I would react.  They wondered if they would still be accepted.

As I sat there listening, I also sent up a quick prayer, “Just help me to listen, Lord.”  Though there were lots of things I could have said in response, I just needed to listen and hear their story.  I did say I appreciated their honesty, and asked a few follow-up questions to make sure I understood the situation.

I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to share any of our conversation, but I can share some things I’ve learned about myself.  In the moment, I did try to ask myself how Jesus would respond.  I like to think he would have simply listened, which could say more than any verbal response.  I also wondered, “Why are they sharing this with me?”  Clearly there was a level of trust and the hope that their admission wouldn’t change anything.  Whether I like it or not, I represent, to some people and to some extent, God himself.  I hardly feel up to that role, but that is how people approach a pastor.

Over the years, I’ve learned that I don’t have to fix things or set people straight on the spot.  I can talk it over with God, trust him to be at work in a situation, and realize that some situations take time to resolve.  And that’s OK.

Posted in Ministry

Confirmation this Sunday

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We’re confirming seven of our young people during worship this coming Sunday.  I’ve taught confirmation every year I’ve been in the ministry (that’s twenty-three years this June).  Every time I do this, memories of past classes and students come to mind.

This year is a little different, with one of my own children in the class (the last one, our youngest, Olivia).  It’s also the largest we’ve had at Shepherd of the Coast since I’ve been here.  Now that I’ve been around for a while, I am confirming some of the children I baptized years ago.  It’s powerful to see how they’ve grown, and how our relationship has developed over the years.

I’ve picked out their Bible verses and prepared their certificates for Sunday.  I’ve gotten to know each one well enough that passages just pop into my head as I think of them.  That relationship is the most important product of confirmation, I think.  They may only remember a small fraction of what they’ve learned over the last two years, but hopefully, their relationship with God will continue, as well as their relationship with me.

Confirmation instruction most frequently occurs during seventh and eighth grades.  I enjoy teaching middle school, because most of them want to learn.  They’ve got a million questions.  It’s tough to get them to do work outside of class, but it’s easy to get them talking about various topics.

For me, confirmation is a powerful reminder of the Holy Spirit at work, calling, enlightening, sanctifying, and keeping us in true faith.

Posted in Ministry

Museum or mission

Posted on by William Douthwaite

zzzzA number of years ago, someone challenged me with the question, “Are we trying to build a museum or a mission?”  They were talking about our church (not the one I’m currently at), and the challenges we were facing.

I think that’s a great question.  Have we set out to build a museum or a mission?  A museum will contain many great memories off the past, and people may or may not come by to see them.  A mission, on the other hand, will not be an exhibit, but a journey to those who need to know Jesus Christ, and all that He has done for us.

Sometimes it seems that most of the business of the church is about the “museum.”  Memorials, buildings, and something static you can stand there and look at.  Why don’t we worry more about our mission, which will always be somewhere else, somewhere in the community, or somewhere in the world, where we are proclaiming the gospel.

It’s real hard for me to get excited about a museum, but easy to get motivated about mission.  Rather than working to enhance what we have on our site, why don’t we pour our efforts into going someplace else, where someone, anyone, needs to know about our Savior?

Whenever I’m really quiet at a meeting, it’s usually because the discussion has digressed into museum talk, rather than mission dreams.  I try to be patient and listen, but it’s hard not to say, “Who cares?  Let’s do something meaningful for the kingdom of God, rather than ourselves!”

Posted in Ministry

Mt. Calvary

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Last Thursday night (Feb 5), I attended one of the new sanctuary worship services at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, right next door to us.

As I arrived, I introduced myself to one of the ushers (she was dressed all in white) and she told me, “I will seat you.”  She took me right down front and sat me in the front row in the center.  I was honored.

I should mention that Mt. Calvary is an African-American congregation. I was the only caucasian in attendance that night, but that was OK.  I vicared in Baltimore, MD, and we were the token non-blacks in our neighborhood.  It brought back many good memories of that year.

This is a pretty traditional black Baptist congregation.  And I say that with great respect.  They know how to worship!  Everything the pastor said was meet with comments from the congregation.  The guest preacher was excellent, and worked from the assumption that this is God’s word and we’re going to listen to it and it’s going to do something powerful tonight.

There was always something going on.  People arriving.  Some standing, some sitting.  Some singing along, some listening.  Some setting up musicl instruments, some responding to the preacher.

I thoroughly enjoyed the two hour service and hope I’ll have the chance to worship again there soon.  They offered me a seat on the dais, but I declined, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself.  It would have  been very hard to drift off during that service.  My favorite quote from the preacher: if people  bought pews to put in their homes, they would get a pretty good night’s sleep!