An Inadvertent Invention: Pastoral Visits with a Preschooler
Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes. But there really should be another saying: Motherhood necessitates invention. Especially when you are both a mother and a pastor. I started a new job when my son was five weeks old, a half-time position as intentional interim pastor in a church that had had conflict with its previous pastor. Most … Read →
Fulfilling the Baptismal Promises
Before I was ordained, I spent time as a seminarian intern and youth minister in a total of seven congregations. The jobs of baptismal preparation and of talking to parents about how to raise Christian children, often fell to me. In order to have something to put in people’s hands, that would sum up the most important aspects of what it means to make … Read →
Gathering a Tribe
It didn't start out as an intentional project. I didn't sit down one day and say, “I need a tribe”, and then set out to collect various individuals to gather around me as I moved through life. It just sort of happened. I read the book, Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation by Carol Howard Merritt, and saw myself in it. Not as … Read →
Single and Dangerous
"Overly educated, though not overly snobby. Interested in Friday night dates and Saturday adventures to quirky festivals while sharing a funnel cake. Foodie (but not a cook) with opinions on Bluegrass, bourbon, and Big 10 basketball. Easily won over by the perfect Manhattan or a glass of Chandon during cocktail hour, but not a homebody. ... Side-show … Read →