|
October is the Month of Celebrating Ministries in All Settings!
Dear friends,
As October quickly comes to a close, the cooling temperatures are a welcome relief and a reminder that a new chapter of life is upon us! If you are a pastor serving in congregational ministry, I pray that your congregation has taken the opportunity to celebrate your gifts this month! If you are a chaplain, I hope that you, too, feel appreciation as you fulfill your calling. Thanks to Rev. Jeffery Murphy’s Facebook post, I am now aware that we are in the midst of “Spiritual Care Week”…a week which celebrates chaplains and spiritual caregivers in various settings like hospitals, hospices and correctional facilities. I am so grateful for the many chaplains in our midst!
If you are serving in a professional ministry setting and have not received an appropriate shoutout for your gifts in ministry, please know that you are, indeed, appreciated! From the hands you hold, to the prayers that God speaks through you upon another, to the proclamation of the Word, to the pastoral care you extend to bereaved families, you are the hands, feet and heart of Christ in the world today. THANK YOU for your time, effort, and commitment to saying a hearty “YES” to God’s call upon your life. It is my joy and honor to walk alongside you during this period of transition for the Great River Region.
And if you are called to ministry, but do not have a clear vision of the path forward, please give me a call. It would be my honor to hear your story and assist you in researching options that might be available to you. Our Regional Committee on Ministry (RCOM) receives applications from potential commissioned or ordained ministers regularly, as well as from pastors of other denominations seeking to have their standing transferred to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) Even if you are just beginning to feel a nudge towards ministry, please give me a call…you just never know what God might have in store for you through just one conversation. (501-944-4305)
Remember, also, that even if God is not calling you into the vocation of ministry, God is most definitely calling you! God calls upon EACH and EVERY ONE of us - by our baptism - to a life of service and ministry! However it is that God is calling you to serve your community, may God bless your efforts so that the world may know that it is Christ who is living through you…that you are not simply living for yourself!
For those of us who were raised in the church, there is little doubt that our faith was formed in significant ways by the examples of those beloved Christians in our lives who lived the example of Christ…day in and day out! Let’s remember to give God our thanks and praise this All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) for the lives and legacies of those who taught us to follow Christ and serve others with abundant love and compassion!
As Always…be a blessing, Disciples!
Alison
| 
