I have been a reference for many getting into ministry, either ordained or not. I get the reference forms from the student hoping this will be their call. They want to make sure I get it in on time and it is properly filled out. I use eloquent language and say the right things. The church's committee calls and asks me the same old questions.
I don't let them run the meeting anymore. I ask the questions!!!! What is the real job description? Who is going to mentor and nurture? Is this full time? Why not? How many hours are really expected? What is the community of faith's expectations? How will you know if she is successful? What happened to the last person that had this "call"? Is this community open to reaching the kids in the neighborhood or just the kids of the church? What mission trips do you take and how often? All of these tell something of their mission statement and what they believe in calling someone to serve Christ.
Most of the conversations bog down at this point, they want to get back to their questions to see if this is the right guy or woman for them. I press on and begin to relate their answers to the ability of the applicant.
The ones who really are thinking about the call are the ones I love to recommend the students who are able. The ones who want to control the conversation are only interested in getting someone in here so that their children will not have sex or smoke dope. It is not about the Kingdom but about babysitting. These are the churches that after a few months they are on the back of the youth guy because they didn't turn in their receipts properly. There is a new mark on the wall that they painted 4500 years ago and there are foot prints on the couches. "We can't have that?" They get mad because the youth group meetings are filling up with neighborhood kids and they are terrifying the parents as they drop the kids off. I have had too many friends lose their jobs because they reach out to the neighborhood.
Enough. I think I'm jaded!
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