A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders. You ll be receiving this January edition of Equipping before Dec.

Transcription

1 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Download the current issue of Equipping at Download back issues of Equipping at January 2013, Equipping #132 You ll be receiving this January edition of Equipping before Dec. 25, so Kara Ledohowski Equipping Coordinator Christmas Greetings to each one of you! It is indeed the season for giving and sharing. On that note, I invite you to share with your congregation about wider church ministries by visiting donate.mennonitechurch.ca. You have probably already received the Christmas invitation letter from Willard Metzger thanks so much for your collaboration in getting his letter into the hands of your congregation. Also in this edition, we are including a second wall calendar for you. (Spreading the weight of our mailings over two equipping editions helps us save on postage costs.) I hope you will find times of rest and refreshment in this busy season of celebrating the coming of our Saviour. Inside this issue of Equipping: Mennonite Church Canada Creation Care and Worship - Willard Metzger (for pastors, leaders, bulletin boards, newsletters, youth, young adults) Prayer, Notes & News - January 2013 (for bulletin announcements, newsletters, worship planners, leaders) 2013 Mennonite Church Canada Wall Calendar (hard copy only) (for bulletin boards, Church offices, leaders) 2013 Speakers Bureau Christian Witness Celebration Story (for bulletin boards, worship planners, church newsletters, mission committees) o December - Roadblocks for Christmas (updated) o January - A Place at the Table Christian Formation Begining the year with gratitude - Karen Martens Zimmerly (for pastors, leaders, librarians, bulletin boards) Resource Update 2013 No. 1 (for worship planners, teachers, pastors, education committees, librarians, bulletin boards) Online Children s Stories - based on lectionary readings (available online only) (for worship planners, teachers, pastors, education committees, librarians - see links at top of page) Special Sunday Worship Resources (for pastors, worship planners/leaders, teachers, education committees) o Stewardship Sunday January 20, 2013 o Mennonite World Fellowship Sunday January 27, 2013 Lent-at-Home - Ashamed No More (for worship planners, teachers, pastors, education committees, librarians)

2 Church Engagement Witness Workers at a glance (Slides for projection during worship, prayer times, congregational meetings - available from the Resource Center see links at top of page) Extending our faith Parish Paper (for leaders, educators, pastors) o January - How to Avoid Pastor Burnout o February - Can You Downsize Staff Without Destroying Your Congregation? January 2013, Equipping #132

3 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Creation Care and Worship January 2013, Equipping #132 Willard Metzger Executive Director Mennonite Church Canada It is fruitless to get caught up in a discussion about the credibility of climate change science. This debate will continue for some time. Yet faith communities do need to be engaged in discussions of creation care. I am beginning to realize that creation care is naturally lodged within a theology of worship. True worship, encompasses generosity, restraint and compassion. These values are critical to creation care. Indeed, their opposites greed, recklessness and apathy threaten the health of the earth and its inhabitants. It is people of faith, especially Anabaptist faith, conditioned and committed to live lives of worship by loving God and their neighbour that are most logically positioned to lead the way in seeking climate justice and creation care. Anabaptism, with its focus on discipleship and service has always resisted a one-dimensional understanding of worship. Menno Simons wrote; True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant. It clothes the naked, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, and it serves those that harm it, binds up that which is wounded. Such an understanding of faithfulness to God will naturally lead us to express commitment to the other. It is an alignment to the directive expressed by Jesus in Matthew 22. When asked which the greatest commandment of the Law is, Jesus replied by saying Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you follow this directive, it will be impossible to ignore the compassionate imperative of creation care. According to a report by Willie Reimer and Bruce Guenther at the 2012 Mennonite Central Committee Canada annual general meeting, every night one billion people one sixth of the world s population goes to bed hungry. The growth of global undernourishment can be largely attributed to the increasing number of people affected by environmental disasters such as drought, flooding and storm surges. An estimated 250 million people are affected by climate related hazards in a typical year, according to Reimer and Guenther, and that is projected to grow by 50% to an estimated 375 million people a year by It is difficult to worship God and ignore these dynamics. If there is even a chance that our Canadian lifestyle patterns contribute to the suffering of global neighbours, our adulation and reverence to God will compel us to seek correction and express compassion. The developed countries of the world hold 25% of the world s population, but consume 75% of all energy, 85% of all wood products, and 72% of all steel produced. Canadians are consuming at a pace that is 2.5 times greater than the average global citizen. Our love for God obliges us to express generosity, restraint and compassion. Generosity: because with the Spirit of God in us, we cannot help ourselves from being generous. Restraint: because we yearn for greater surrender to God not a defeat to self-indulgence. With the Spirit of God in us, the discipline of restraint is joyfully embraced. Compassion: because disregard for others is intolerable. Inaction is unacceptable. With the Spirit of God in us, we cannot help but push aside apathy and become engaged. Creation care is neighbour care. And neighbour care is a vital expression of our love for God.

4 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders Prayers Notes News 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Please insert these prayer requests and notes into your bulletin. Remember, you can also find these at for easy cut and paste insertion. Sunday dates Prayers: Please pray for and with the Church Ministry Notes: This is how your financial support of Mennonite Church Canada is ministering...from across the street to around the world News/Announcements: Stay in tune with the wider church January, Equipping #132 Jan. 6 Registration for the Fat Calf Festival (aka 2013 Mennonite Church Canada Youth Assembly) begins this month. Please pray for planners as they prepare to host hundreds of youth for a life changing event. Pray that enough people will be inspired to serve as volunteers, youth sponsors and advertisers, to make the Fat Calf Festival a great success! For up-to-date information, see In November 2012, Mennonite Church Canada printed and shipped less paper as it invited support for wider church ministry through the 2012 Gift Guide. There is still time to give for Christmas projects via Thank you for helping us to share this invitation electronically, and for your generous response in support of the ministries we do together. Round up your youth! The Fat Calf Festival (aka: Mennonite Church Canada Youth Assembly) is set for July 29th August 2 nd at Camp Assiniboia near Winnipeg. Visit or contact our Dorothy Fontaine, Coordinator at ext. 138, or youth2013@mennonitechurch.ca. Registration begins in January 2013 at a cost of $390 per person. Jan. 13 Stewardship Sunday Tithe if you love Jesus anyone can honk! As the theme for Stewardship Sunday 2013, this slogan reminds us that giving is an act of worship proving that our words of faith are true. Pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire generosity of time, wealth and love in all we do as a people of God. Mennonite Church Canada engages in a wide variety of ministries designed to nurture God s church. Thank you for your prayers and financial support of Mennonite Church Canada as together we form people of God, become a global church, and grow leaders to serve the future of the church. Mennonite Church Canada offers more short term service opportunities than ever before. Are you looking for a way to get involved? Check out Ever wonder what your national church does, and who does it? There s a new get-to-know-you series of YouTube videos about the Mennonite Church Canada ministries and staff you support. Take a look at this short video about Mennonite Church Canada s Resource Centre: Jan. 20 Mennonite World Fellowship Sunday On January 21, 1525, the first Anabaptist baptism took place in Zurich, Switzerland. On this World Fellowship Sunday, the Sunday closest to that date, we worship with Mennonites around the world on the theme Justice and the Witness of the Church Today. Pray that each of us will seek new energy and ways to live out and proclaim God s justice in a world that sorely needs it. By sharing your hard-earned dollars, you help the Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre provide a wide variety of faith-shaping materials to congregations and individuals across the country. Thank you for helping to serve in this way. There are over 10,000 items awaiting you at Mennonites Everywhere: The 3rd in a series of Mennonites Everywhere videos has been released on YouTube featuring Odette Mukole. She proudly says, My great-grandfather was a Mennonite. You don t have to have a certain kind of surname or eat specific ethnic foods to be part of a Mennonite church:

5 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders Prayers Notes News 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Please insert these prayer requests and notes into your bulletin. Remember, you can also find these at for easy cut and paste insertion. Sunday dates Prayers: Please pray for and with the Church Ministry Notes: This is how your financial support of Mennonite Church Canada is ministering...from across the street to around the world News/Announcements: Stay in tune with the wider church January, Equipping #132 Jan. 27 Please pray for Mennonite Church Canada workers Arnold and Joanne Hildebrand as they engage with the Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA) from December 2012 to March 2013 in Pietermaritzburg. Pray the Hildebrands and those whom they encounter will be blessed by this period of ministry. Thank you for your generous support of Dann and Joji Pantoja, Mennonite Church Canada workers in the Philippines. Through their ministry Peacebuilders Community the message of Shalom is garnering attention from communities, governments and armies. Since January 2012, there have been no recorded armed skirmishes between government forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives and Art Gallery provides a regular witness to God s love. Along the Road to Freedom is an exhibit of paintings honouring Mennonite women of courage and faith. These women brought their families to peace and freedom in Canada, mostly coming from what is now Ukraine. It will show in Winnipeg till January 26, 2013 and then tour across Canada. Don t miss it when it comes to your area. Thank you for your support. Behind the scenes at your national church office There s a new get-to-knowyou series of YouTube videos about the Mennonite Church Canada ministries and staff you support. Take a look at this short video about Indigenous Relations: Born in the Congo, Odette Mukole landed in Montreal in 2000, a single mother with three daughters. Today she lives in Winnipeg and helps other newcomers adjust to life in Canada. Odette s great-grandfather was a Mennonite. Check out Odette s back story to the latest Mennonites Everywhere video:

6 Mennonite Church Canada SpeakersBureau 2013 Mennonite Church Canada encourages invitations for speakers to attend your church, preach, present workshops, teach, or bring greetings at a special event. This list provides staff names and details, as of December Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca How to book a speaker For current information, check out Invitations and inquiries should be made with the individual staff person directly ( addresses are provided) or call toll free and the receptionist will direct your call, or you may use the extension numbers listed. For International Ministry (Witness) Workers on North American Assignment, please contact Monica Krahn (mkrahn@mennonitechurch.ca or ext. 132). inclusion in Nov/Dec 2011 Equipping 121

7 SpeakersBureau 2013 page 1 Willard Metzger Executive Director wmetzger@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 116 Willard is eager to engage with leaders, congregations, students, youth, young adults and business entrepreneurs to share in the task of shaping the Mennonite Church in Canada. He has travelled to over 50 countries, served as a pastor for two decades, and had extensive experience speaking to Canadian churches across a wide diversity of Christian expression. He recently co-authored a book entitled Going Missional (with Karen Stiller, published by Willow Creek Canada). Willard welcomes opportunities to share his passion for the church through preaching, teaching and workshops. Vic Thiessen Executive Minister, Church Engagement & Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) vthiessen@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 102 Vic recently returned from seven-and-a-half-years as a Mennonite Church Canada Witness worker in London, England. His role as Director of the London Mennonite Centre included membership in the UK Anabaptist Network, addressing issues facing the church in Post-Christendom. Vic envisions Anabaptist theology and Mennonite Church Canada playing key roles in the revitalization of a global church with integrity in the 21st century. He has a particular passion for connecting young adults to this vision. Vic is available for preaching, teaching and workshops on related themes as well as presentations on film and faith. He is the film writer for Canadian Mennonite. Church Engagement Staff Daniel Horne Director, Partnership Development dhorne@mennonitechurch.ca Daniel is passionate about the church and all that we have been called to do together. Active in congregational ministry and on the board of Mennonite Church Manitoba Board of Directors Daniel comes to Mennonite Church Canada with a background in Pastoral Ministry and Christian Higher Education. He is eager to explore new ministry ideas, partnership opportunities, collaboration, and the future of our national church. Daniel is a one stop shop for Mennonite Church Canada program information and would love the opportunity to teach, preach or meet with your church board about opportunities for congregants of all ages to get involved in national church ministry across the street and around the world. Eric Olfert Partnership Development Facilitator, Western Canada (retiring February 2013) eolfert@mennonitechurch.ca Eric s background includes teaching Science/Christian Ethics in a high school setting and experience as Mennonite Central Committee Africa director. He is intrigued by the shifts of Post-Modernism and Crumbling Christendom. He is available for preaching and missional church/partnerships consultation. His office is in Saskatchewan. Brent Charette Church Engagement Minister bcharette@mennonitechurch.ca Brent s passion and skills collide in this shared role representing Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. As Church Engagement Minister, Brent is eager for speaking engagements within congregations, small groups, as well as in individual settings as we build on the past and strengthen the future of our church. He looks forward to meeting with, and listening to, congregations and individuals who are interested in extending Christ s peace across the street and around the world.

8 SpeakersBureau 2013 Formation Staff Dave Bergen Executive Minister, Formation Arlyn Friesen Epp Director, Resource Centre ext ext. 152 Dave gives oversight to the programs and activities of Mennonite Church Canada Formation, including the relationship of the church to our Mennonite schools, and he has many years of pastoral experience. He brings a vision of how the church forms believers in maturing faith and equips disciples for faithful response to God s call. He has a particular passion for a church energized by a commitment to incorporate young adults into its life and ministries. Dave is available to preach and to lead workshops in Sunday School, conference, or retreat settings on a variety of themes, including: Faith that Grows as You Do, Discerning Gifts for Leadership and A Mission for Older Adults in the Church. Arlyn began as Director of the Resource Centre in He has been a pastor and area church youth minister and spent a term with MCC in New Orleans, LA. His primary role at Mennonite Church Canada is to help link constituents with available resources. His passion is drama and creative worship. A display with a broad sampling of materials can accompany his travels. Ray Dirks Curator, Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery rdirks@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 196 Ray is available for sermons and/or multimedia presentations on art and the church, on our global faith family, weaving together stories of ordinary people with those of art and the church, and on how the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery has established itself working in multicultural, multi-faith communities and settings. Dirks, curator at the gallery since 1998, believes artists need a place of relevance in the church and believes the gallery, as an institution of the church, can have an important role in an increasingly multicultural society. He is passionate about telling the stories of our global family. Having worked in 30 countries, he is happy to reveal family and/or art stories through words and images. Karen Martens Zimmerly Denominational Minister kmzimmerly@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 118 Karen comes to her position in Mennonite Church Canada with 21 years of pastoral ministry and area church involvements. Karen welcomes opportunities to preach, teach and engage in conversation about calling and equipping leaders, healthy pastor/ congregational relationships and becoming multicultural congregations in order to be Christ s church in today s world. Alf Redekopp Director, Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives and Gallery aredekopp@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 193 Alf oversees the management of the Archives and Gallery including the collection, preservation, and use of historical records. He is available to preach and lead workshops or presentations on the following themes: The Gift of an Imperfect Past, Doing Family History and Genealogy, and What to Keep and How to Keep It: Managing Records. page 2

9 SpeakersBureau 2013 Formation Staff cont. Elsie Rempel Formation Consultant ext. 114 Elsie gathers, develops and shares Mennonite faith forming resources for all ages. She is an experienced teacher whose thesis for a MA in theology focused on Mennonites, Children and Communion. Her recent areas of research include worship as well as seniors and the future of the church. Elsie is willing to preach on assigned texts or lead workshops on topics that relate to her ministry mandate. For a sample of her writing projects, view the Resource Centre listing under her name. Available to speak in English or German. Conrad Stoesz Archivist, Mennonite Heritage Centre cstoesz@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 195 Conrad is an archivist at the Mennonite Heritage Centre, a ministry of Mennonite Church Canada. He is available to preach, lead workshops or presentations on the following themes: family history, genealogy, and Telling the WWII Conscientious Objector Story using the website Witness Staff Tim Froese Executive Minister, Witness tfroese@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 186 Tim enjoys connecting with congregations, mission workers, and with international church representatives. He has lived and served in Brazil and Panama and was most recently the Director of the Korea Anabaptist Center in Seoul. Currently, Tim relates to the Latin American ministry of Mennonite Church Canada Witness and gives leadership to the International Ministries team. Tim is interested in sharing stories, pictures, and challenges about what God is doing around the world. Available to speak in English, Korean, Spanish, or Portuguese. Hippolyto (Hippo) Tshimanga Director, Africa, Europe & Latin America Ministry htshimanga@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 123 As a theologian and missiologist, Hippo has extensive international pastoral experience. Hippo has authored several books and articles on social and pastoral issues. He has also given ongoing formation guidance to ministers all over the Americas in the field of evangelism and cross-cultural communication. Available to speak in English, French, or Spanish. Steve Heinrichs Director, Indigenous Relations Gordon Janzen Director, Asia, Europe & the sheinrichs@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 106 gjanzen@mennonitechurch.ca ext. 164 Steve is the Director of Indigenous Relations, and is passionate about the church s call to solidarity and reconciliation with our host peoples. A former pastor in the Carrier territory of northern British Columbia, he loves to help congregations grapple not only with the important issues that keep racial communities apart, but also with the great hope and promise of life done together. Steve would be delighted to listen to congregations to hear their stories and experiences and to share his learning through dialogical workshops, teaching and preaching. Middle East Ministry Gordon administers the International Ministry program for Mennonite Church Canada Witness in Asia and the Middle East. He has pastored two congregations and served four years with MCC in Lebanon, Egypt and India. He is available for preaching and reporting on Witness ministries in Asia and the Middle East. page 3

10 Celebration Story 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: Roadblocks for Christmas Winnipeg, MAN. Imagine a Christmas Eve church service so well attended that police erect roadblocks to facilitate crowd control. Last Christmas Eve Todd Hanson experienced just that. Hanson lives in Chengdu, China, where he and his wife Jeanette are Mennonite Church Canada workers teaching and providing Anabaptist resources to Chinese students and church leaders. December 2012, Equipping #131 On his way to church, Hanson passed vendors selling seasonal sidewalk food steaming roasted sweet potato, fresh pineapple, boiled spicy peanuts, and suitcase-sized fruitcake. Just another day in the neighbourhood or so he thought. Then he realized that the road leading to the church had been blockaded by police. He asked the officers in a nearby truck if the roadblock was a Christmas Eve issue. The officers, who appeared bored with their duty, nodded. Then he noticed that the road was closed off at the other end too. People could walk in, ride a bike or scooter in, but they would have to park elsewhere, he says. For the evening, the street in front of the church was designated as a walking street in order to accommodate the anticipated crowd. Hanson arrived an hour-and-a-half before the service began and discovered that the pews were already close to full, even though four more services were planned for the weekend. As he waited, cameras came out. Some people posed on the balcony with the sanctuary as their backdrop, while more adventurous subjects posed next to the pulpit. Stacks of public use Bibles and hymnals next to the entry, placed there for people who did not have or bring their own, were almost completely depleted. At seven o clock, recorded church bells chimed out until the choir began to sing. I was surprised when the choir director asked us all to stand without telling us what we were going to sing, but for their finale, the choir performed the Hallelujah Chorus. Last Christmas Eve, Todd Hanson encountered road blocks on his way to church in Chengdu. The roadblocks had been erected by the police to create a pedestrian-only zone for the evening. Todd and his wife Jeanette are Mennonite Church Canada workers in China, where they live with their daughters, Claire and Kate. Photo by Todd Hanson. Though the benediction followed, the service was far from over. Another choir, more ensembles, and even a bit of dancing, preceded the Nativity play. The angels were dressed in blue, but the wise men outclassed them with their silk robes no terry cloth for these men of the Orient! Hanson says. Songs from the youth choir concluded the service and then Hanson had to pass through another roadblock on his way home. Hanson s experience in Chengdu unfolded in stark contrast to another city in Sichuan Province where Christians were dispersed by police while holding an unofficial open-air Christmas service last year, according to a report in Christian Post. The group s musical instruments and sound system were confiscated. Mennonite Church Canada invites you to share with your congregation this Celebration Story. It should take no more than 2 minutes to read aloud. You might also consider sharing it through your church newsletter, bulletin board, website or other communication venue.

11 Celebration Story 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: A Place at the Table Karen Suderman January 2013, Equipping #132 For everyone born, a place at the table. For everyone born, clean water and bread So begins a hymn my husband Andrew and I learned during our time in North America through the summer months of We were introduced to the song at a week-long retreat in Goshen, IN, with a group of our fellow Mennonite mission workers. The refrain celebrates God s delight when we, God s people, create justice and joy, compassion and peace through our lives and work. This hymn resonated deeply with all of us, many of whom work in countries where past or pending violence, strife, division or inequality are common. For some, one of the verses was particularly challenging, For just and unjust a place at the table, abuser abused with the need to forgive. We heard the story of a pastor who participated in another workshop where the song was taught. He could not bring himself to sing that particular verse. He could not imagine a world where he sat at the same table as those who had wronged him. Facing those who treat us unjustly is a challenge. How often do we recognize the need to forgive rather than our desire for vindication? How often do we maintain a mindset of mercy even when we are hurt or angry? The words of this song speak to God s desire for us to do so, and hold us and our imaginations to account. Are we, as the body of Christ, doing what we ought to in this world? The words remind us of those who, for whatever reason, do not have a place at the table. How can we change that? How do our actions and presence affect others at the table? At the July Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA) Steering Committee meeting in Hillbrow, inner city Johannesburg, several friends shared stories offering a glimpse of God at work, planting seeds of peace, inspiring peaceful opposition to injustice and nurturing hope. Allen Goddard, a member of the ANiSA Steering Committee, recounted this story: In the rural South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, 20 widows who had been left with nothing and forced off of their homesteads by their deceased husbands families, came together to support one another. Then they decided to care for local orphans who had also been pushed out of their communities and were barely surviving. The widows made plans to feed 64 orphans, four days a week. They convinced a community member to donate two hectares of land so that they could grow food to supplement food donations thus enabling the women to feed the children. Soon after, they became home-based carers to 200 people in their immediate community who were living with HIV and AIDS. Finally they decided to start a church in which women would lead and teach and they called it Church of the Orphan. Other stories were shared that day too; stories related to climate justice and food security, while all around and above us the pulsating boom of Hillbrow reminded us that we were, at that moment, surrounded by the reality of poverty. God s Spirit works transformation when we respond in Christ s name to our real contexts. When we do that, we help to create a place at the table for everyone. A Place at the Table is a song worth knowing. You can download the score for personal use at Mennonite Church Canada invites you to share with your congregation this Celebration Story. It should take no more than 2 minutes to read aloud. You might also consider sharing it through your church newsletter, bulletin board, website or other communication venue.

12 Equipping A resource packet for equipping Mennonite Church Canada pastors and leaders 600 Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca Karen Martens Zimmerly Denominational Minister Mennonite Church Canada Beginning the year with gratitude Gratitude... Giving Thanks... It s so simple! It doesn t take money, it doesn t take a committee, and it doesn t take a strategy or a congregational vote. It s so challenging! In the face of fast paced schedules, mission to engage, meetings to plan, goals to achieve, budgets to balance, worship services to plan, people to visit and encourage giving thanks doesn t seem very productive. Gratitude asks us to suspend our overscheduled calendars. She asks us to suspend our anxieties over the complex and changing milieu of our local congregation and the church in wider society. Gratitude invites us to pause and give thanks. And giving thanks creates space for contentment which is a contemplative and countercultural place from which to glimpse the world as God sees it. So as one year ends and a new year begins, I want to express gratitude to God and to you for your faithfulness this past year as pastors, as congregational leaders, as congregations. I thank God for you... January 2013, Equipping #132 God s grace has been given to you... and as a result you are rich in exactly the spiritual gifts that are needed to see Christ in your community. God is your faithful partner. (Adapted from 1 Cor. 1:4-7) None of us is perfect, but your commitment to be the church in spite of human foibles and idiosyncrasies is an act of faith and belief that God has given enough of what we need to be the church and God s partner in mission. Thank-you! God is the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. (Adapted from 2 Cor. 1:3-4) Thank-you for being God s comforters in your context, whether across the street or around the world. The good news of Jesus Christ has been bearing fruit and growing among you. (Adapted from Col. 1: 5,6) The good news of Jesus Christ both discomforts and gives hope and these are both qualities needed for growing faithfulness. Thank-you that you take seriously the call to follow Jesus in the 21 st century; willing to stir discomfort at times so that hope is redirected to the source of our hope Jesus Christ. May gratitude be our companion for the journey into Blessings, Karen Martens Zimmerly Denominational Minister, Mennonite Church Canada

13 January 2013, No. 1 Mennonite Church Canada Resource Update Resource Update BORROW... BUY... DOWNLOAD... LINK 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4; (toll free); resources@mennonitechurch.ca; WORSHIP RESOURCES New Year s Day Jan 20 Stewardship Sunday Jan 27 Mennonite World Fellowship Sunday Feb 13 Ash Wednesday March 24 - Palm Sunday March 28 - Maundy Thursday March 29 - Good Friday March 31 - Easter Comparative Shopping Offering more sale titles at competitive prices! Catalogue Tip Try our new Scripture Search. An easy way to locate a sermon or other worship aid, a Bible study or other curricula on any given biblical text. For additional help, view our short introductory online video tutorials Amazon Resource Centre The Power of All $13.96 $13.95 Laughter is Sacred Space $20.95 $19.95 Winds of the Spirit $12.59 $11.98 The End of Sacrifice $16.59 $15.00 Dive: Devotions for Deeper Living $15.74 $14.95 Words for Worship 2 $23.23 $19.50 Take our Moments and our Days 2 $34.86 $27.50 Prices as of November 19/12 ww. Resource Update Online A list of individual links to each resource in this Update is available at Children s Corner For library, home or Sunday morning storyteller Lent At-Home: Ashamed No More by Elsie Rempel and Megan Kamei, Mennonite Church Canada, A family Lenten devotional that follows the Common Lectionary Texts for Year C. Your journey through this book, and the season of Lent, will again be accompanied by Chris, his mischievous friend, Selah, his South African friend, Gloria, and her sheep, Imvu. Includes downloadable colouring pages and artwork. Download free -

14 View these resources online: Website Window Links worth noting Non-English Resources Our catalogue links you to many websites here are some recent additions: Do you have any sites to recommend? Shalom Reader s Club Book List A helpful list of resources specially chosen to teach core Christian values from an Anabaptist understanding. Smashing Idols through Pain Online video featuring Barbara Brown Taylor on the topic of breathing in pain. GlobeTheoLib: Global Digital Library on Theology and Ecumenism A multi-lingual global digital library on theology and ecumenism that offers free access to more than 500,000 texts, documents and other academic resources. Just War, Just Life: Invitation to Communion Liturgy written on the question of just war. Theophilus Blog by Mennonite pastor and writer, Phil Wagler. Inner Journey Blog by Mennonite pastor and writer, Gord Alton on the topic of spiritual transformation. Mennonites Everywhere: Odette Mukole L Mukanzo The third online video in this new Mennonite Church Canada series. From our Churches From our Press What We Believe Together: Vietnamese Translation, Today, more than 1.5 million Christians, scattered in 67 countries, are members of Mennonite-related churches. What beliefs do these heirs of the free-church movement hold in common today? This book offers a fresh and up-to-date look at the core beliefs, and the practices that have developed from them, held by Mennonites/related groups around the world today. For other Vietnamese-language resources, see Original materials from our congregations Who s Driving Your Car? by Janet Woelk, North Leamington United Mennonite Church, To whom does one give first priority? What takes the back seat and who is given the steering wheel? A short skit that highlights the choices and faith dilemmas we all face: Does Christ drive our car or does over-work, entertainment, false loves, stress, family take the front seat? Also see Janet s Seven Skits on Peacemaking based on this summer s Leader worship theme: Seek Peace and Pursue It. Download here - Share your church s original material at resources@mennonitechurch.ca New from MennoMedia Making Friends Among the Taliban by Jonathan P. Larson, Herald Press, In August 2010, in a remote valley north of Kabul, American peacemaker Dan Terry and nine other aid workers were attacked and killed. Why would one man take his family into the political and religious maelstrom of Afghanistan and believe he could make a difference? In this moving tribute, childhood friend Jonathan Larson retraces Terry s work in Afghanistan over almost four decades. Also see the related DVD Weaving Life, with discussion guide. An Amish Alphabet by Ingrid Hess, Herald Press, A is for Amish; B is for barn raising; C is for church. What is it like to be Amish? In this delightful and whimsical full-colour book, author and illustrator Ingrid Hess offers an entertaining yet informative introduction to Amish faith and life. Things Hold Together: John Howard Yoder s Trinitarian Theology of Culture by Branson L. Parler, Herald Press, As an Anabaptist, John Howard Yoder is often depicted as Christ-centered in his theology but with a creationdeficient approach to culture. In this clearly reasoned study, the author argues that Yoder advocates a trinitarian theology of culture that upholds the continuity between God s work in creation and in redemption. 2

15 View these resources online: New Resources We average 3 new resources daily. New Resources! In addition to the 3 new resources/day that we regularly add to our catalogue, we have also added over 400 new-to-us DVDs and books inherited from the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Resource Centre. The Gift to Listen, the Courage to Hear by Cari Jackson, Augsburg Fortress, Interweaves techniques with spiritual principles that provide a framework for more effective listening. Sexual Shame: An Urgent Call to Healing by Karen A. McClintock, Augsburg Fortress, Provides pastors and congregational leadership the tools to identify the assumptions, behaviours, and structures that promote, while masking, sexual shame and the tools to begin healing sexual shame both individually and corporately. Text, Image, & Otherness in Children s Bibles: What Is In The Picture? ed. Caroline Vander Stichele; Hugh S. Pyper, Society of Biblical Literature, Highlights the complex and even tense relationship between text and image in Children s Bibles, especially the representation of others foreigners, enemies, women, even children themselves. Fingerprints of Fire...Footprints of Peace: A Spiritual Manifesto from a Jesus Perspective by Noel Moules, John Hunt Publishing, Offers a compelling vision of identity, community, life and faith from a Jesus perspective. The author explores creativity, wisdom, spiritual growth, truth, ecology, values, justice, faith-dialogue and activism, all wrapped in the thrilling encompassing vision of shalom. The Energy Of Slaves: Oil And The New Servitude by Andrew Nikiforuk, GreyStone, A radical analysis of our master-and-slave relationship to energy - and a call for change. Return Blessings: Ecofeminist liturgies renewing the Earth by Diann L. Neu, Wild Goose, Using the framework of the four seasons, the author presents sixteen liturgies that are designed to celebrate the sacred power that originates and emanates from the earth. Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong, Random House, The steps begin with Learn about Compassion, and close with Love Your Enemies. In between, she takes up self-love, mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our knowledge of others, and concern for everybody. She shares concrete methods to help us cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion, and provides a reading list to encourage us to hear one another s narratives. Awaken Your Senses: Exercises For Exploring The Wonder Of God by J. Brent Bill; Beth A. Booram, InterVarsity Press, Engage your right brain through sensory spiritual practices that position your heart for divine encounter. Readings and a variety of exercises that utilize your whole body lead you to experience God in new ways. Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World by Brian D. McLaren, Jericho Books, Join McLaren as he moves toward people of other faiths in wholehearted love, not in spite of their non-christian identity, but because of our identity as followers of God in the way of Jesus. Warrior Nation: Rebranding Canada In An Age Of Anxiety by Ian McKay; Jamie Swift, Between The Lines Books, Once known for peacekeeping, Canada is becoming a militarized nation whose apostles the New Warriors are fighting to shift public opinion. Resource Update highlights faith and church ministry resources that Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre makes available by loan, sale or electronic download. This newsletter 3 is distributed 10 times a year by Mennonite Church Canada in its congregational Equipping package. For a free electronic subscription, check

16 View these resources online: New Resources We average 3 new resources daily. Entering The Wild: Essays on Faith and Writing by Jean Janzen, Good Books, Award-winning and beloved poet, Jean Janzen, has written her memoir. Although she writes here in prose, Janzen s poetic voice is unmistakably present. New Testament Social Ethics: Volume One and Volume Two DVD series by John Howard Yoder This series is a discussion of New Testament themes such as possessions, power, the enemy, sexuality, authority, decision-making in the community, problems in the history of interpretation and contemporary concerns. Breathing Space: A Spiritual Journey in the South Bronx by Heidi B. Neumark, Beacon Press, Despite living and working in a milieu of overwhelming poverty and violence, Neumark and the congregation encounter even more powerful forces of hope and renewal. Through poignant, intimate stories, Neumark charts her journey alongside her parishioners as pastor, church, and community grow in wisdom and together experience transformation. Jesus and Paul Before Christianity: Their World And Work In Retrospect by V. George Shillington, Wipf and Stock, Neither Jesus nor Paul spoke of a new world religion, separate from Judaism, that would envelop the planet and last for millennia. This study aims to transcend the language and thought patterns of later generations of theologians in order to hear more clearly the prophetic voices of Jesus and Paul on their terms and in their social locations. From our Partners Through the Glass by Shannon Moroney, Anchor Canada, In this intimate and gripping journey into prisons, courtrooms and the human heart, Shannon reveals the far-reaching impact of her husband s crimes, the agonizing choices faced by the loved ones of offenders, and the implicit dangers of a correctional system and a society that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation and victimhood over recovery. Money Matters for Youth: Integrating Faith and Finances, 2012 Where do youth learn about money? In our world of exposure to 5,000 ad images a day, youth are bombarded with messages that you are what you buy. Rather than just hoping that youth will somehow pick up good money habits, Mennonite Foundation of Canada wants to encourage money conversations between youth and their adult mentors in churches. This resource may be used in its entirety as a 6-8 week study or adapted for stand-alone discussions/events. View online or download here - This month s question Name your favourite Christmas story and why. This month s prize The Christmas Countdown: Creating 25 Days of New Advent Tradition for Families by Margie J. Harding your response to: resources@mennonitechurch.ca with Jan 2013 Contest in subject line. Contest co-sponsored by CMU Bookstore and Mennonite Church Canada. To be eligible: Contestant must be an online subscriber, and a Canadian resident. Entries are due within 48 hours of receiving electronic notice of this update. Congratulations to Esther Kern, London, ON who won a copy of the book Whatever Happened to Dinner? by Melodie M. Davis. 4

17 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Wpg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: Worship Resources Stewardship Sunday, January 20, 2013 Written by Dori Zerbe Cornelsen, staff of Mennonite Foundation of Canada, and Elsie Rempel, staff of Mennonite Church Canada Formation. These worship resources are designed to assist you in planning worship for Stewardship Sunday. This is a Sunday on which we are encouraged to focus particularly on how we faithfully manage the financial resources God has entrusted to us. The resources are prepared in anticipation of Stewardship Sunday on the third Sunday in January, but they can also be used at any time of the church year. Theme: Tithe if you love Jesus anyone can honk If you could summarize your understanding of financial stewardship in a catchy slogan for a bumper sticker what would it be? It obviously wouldn t say everything about the breadth and depth of how our relationship with God is impacted by our use of the material resources in our care. Without getting too hung up on whether tithe in the sample slogan above is a legalistic percentage, this is an informal way of repeating one of the four core biblical principles of stewardship which guides the ministry of Mennonite Foundation of Canada. God invites us to share: giving is an act of worship that proves that our words of faith are true. Making stewardship the focus of worship is an exercise in affirming our identity as followers of Jesus. It reminds us that we are more than what we earn or what we own our wealth is not the source of our meaning. By inviting generosity in worship, we exercise our spiritual memory that all that we are and have comes from God. Thanks to John H. Neufeld, for providing much of the inspiration for these resources from his sermon/article Affluence, Attitudes, and Action in From Grateful to Generous: Stewardship Sermons by John H. Neufeld ( Texts 1 Chronicles 29:10b-13, Deuteronomy 8:11-20, 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Song Suggestions HWB HWB HWB HWB #50 Praise the Lord, sing hallelujah # 76 Je louerai l Eternal (Praise, I will praise you, Lord) # 393 A charge to keep I have # 474 I hunger and I thirst Bryan Moyer Suderman CD My Money talks, particularly track 1, Generous God, and track 10, There s enough for all (2007 SmallTall Music, STJ # 29 You are all we have STJ # 59 Confitemini Domino (Come and fill our hearts) STJ # 60 Lord of all good STJ # 86 Taste and see SUGGESTED ORDER OF WORSHIP WE GATHER Call to Worship Read 1 Chronicles 29:10b-13 from an alternative translation to your congregation s (NIV, The Message, CEV) Confession/reconciling Gracious God, we know that all things come from you, that in you we live and move and have our being, but we are so forgetful. When things go well, and our needs are met, like the Israelites of old we so frequently resort to thinking, My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth. Forgive us for living with this lie, and help us this day to remember your generosity, and our dependence on you. Words of Assurance I am the Lord your God, compassionate and full of mercy. I know your weakness. Receive and learn from my generosity by living into my plans for you. HWB - Hymnal Worship Book, SJ - Sing the Journey, SS - Sing the Story* * Song book abbreviations match those used for corresponding worship resources in Leader Magazine 1

18 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Wpg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: Worship Resources HEARING GOD S WORD Children s time The story, Enough for All, complements today s theme well. Sermon Starters John H. Neufeld calls the Deuteronomy and 1 Timothy passages bothersome, because they make us feel uneasy. He says, These passages challenge us to rethink our priorities and our commitments. They challenge us to ask honestly whether we are on the road to being generous. They do not allow us to remain neutral about our affluence. While they do not condemn wealth, Neufeld argues that these texts remind us that wealth carries with it inherent dangers for believers when affluence shapes our attitudes and becomes our source of meaning and worth. Paul suggests an antidote, he says, of taking away power from money by hanging loose from it, doing good with it, by being generous. Does this resonate with your reading of these texts? Do an interview with someone in the congregation who may have been through a difficult time and is now in a more settled space. What does it mean for them to remember God in both of those contexts? At Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church, congregational members were invited to write letters about why they choose to give (pledge) to the church with the understanding that they would be made public. What generosity projects like this might your congregation want to undertake? WE RESPOND Choose a hymn of response from the song suggestions listed, invite one or more personal stories that reflect the sermon theme, and take the offering. Offering Prayer Generous God, you have given us so much: salvation, life, creation, material comforts, family and faith relationships, curiosity and a chance to learn, natural and spiritual gifts. You have blessed us with these many gifts for the common good. Accept our gifts now and use them for that common good so the world will see and know that your kingdom comes, on earth as in heaven. Amen. Offering Prepare and hand out pledge or commitment cards that congregational members can use for the offering, which include the thought from John H. Neufeld: Incredible good will be done everywhere if we risk being generous with the bounty God has poured into our lives. BLESSING AND SENDING God, the source of all generosity, continues to feed us and provide for our needs. God, who has called us together as his body on earth provides the courage to confront and the love we need for sharing God s generosity. God sends us now to serve with generous and joy-filled living. Amen. Douglas Mennonite Church in Winnipeg has decided to tithe a portion of the cost of its current building renovations to ministry projects of the wider Mennonite church in Canada as a concrete demonstration of first fruits giving. Why is it important to serve the wider church community in this way? 2

19 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Wpg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: Worship Resources Mission Sunday, Nov 11 or 18, 2012 Introduction These worship resources are designed to assist you in planning for worship on Mission Sunday, Nov. 11. The focus of this special Sunday is on the mission of the church, a mission to which all are called, all are equipped, and all are sent. This particular worship resource has been prepared on behalf of Mennonite Church Canada Witness by Karen and Andrew Suderman, Witness workers in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, who are helping to develop the Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA). The focus of this resource is on being an engaging Church, something for which South Africans are longing. The Church was extremely active in South Africa during the struggle against Apartheid. Now that Apartheid has been officially dismantled, the lament arises from within the South Africans that it has lost its prophetic voice even though racial injustice continues. Many South Africans are yearning for and working to build a church that engages its world, speaks Truth and Love in the face of injustice, walks with the poor and oppressed, and witnesses to God s shalom in places of pain, division and inequality. The call to be such a church is not limited to South Africa, but is part of God s mission around the world. On this Mission Sunday, the selected Scripture texts and prayers call all of us to join God in this ministry, through our personal engagement and our offerings that support those who minister in our name. Theme: A Living, Engaging Church Scripture Texts: 1 Samuel 16: 1-13; 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19; Ephesians 4: 1-4; James 3: 17-18; Suggested Hymns: HWB HWB SJ HWB HWB SJ HWB HWB SJ SS HWB HWB Invocation: #1 What is this Place? #26 Holy Spirit, come with power #91 Like a mother who has borne us #37 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty #309 Built on the rock #27 God of the Bible #383 God, whose giving #411 I bind my heart this tide #61 How can we be silent #39 Will you come and follow me #418 Move in our midst #389 Take my life Almighty God, make us aware this day that we dwell in you. Holy Spirit, empower us to offer our minds, our souls, our lives, and our resources as an act of heart-felt worship. Come, Lord Jesus, come save us. Help us follow your example of giving the best of yourself so that we are freed to give the best of ourselves. Call to Worship: Leader: Praise the LORD! All: Praise the LORD, O my soul! Left: I will praise the LORD as long as I live; Right: I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Leader: Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals in whom there is no help. Left: When their breath departs, they return to the earth; Right: On that very day their plans perish. Leader: Happy are those whose hope is in the LORD their God Left: Who made heaven and earth Right: The sea, and all that is in them; Leader: Who keeps faith forever; Left: Who executes justice for the oppressed; Right: Who gives food to the hungry. Leader: The LORD will reign forever; Your God, O Zion, for all generations. All: Praise the LORD! (Adapted from Psalm 146) Prayer of Confession: Lord, we come before you as your people, aware of our broken world where many do not have enough. We recognize how often we fall short of giving enough of ourselves, our energy, our time, and our resources to your work. We blame our busy schedules. Forgive us for living by our priorities instead of your priorities. Forgive us for tightly holding on, and trying to be in control, instead of letting go and trusting your lead. HWB - Hymnal Worship Book, SJ - Sing the Journey, SS - Sing the Story* * Song book abbreviations match those used for corresponding worship resources in Leader Magazine 1

20 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Wpg MB R3P 0M4 Toll free P: Worship Resources Work in us. Help us embrace your kingdom work so that our whole lives might become a ministry, a pleasing sacrifice of worship poured out to you. Amen. Children s Time: Children s stories from the Mennonite Church Canada collection that arise from other Scripture texts and match this theme are Discipleship Checklist ( and Gifts from God to the World ( Two picture books beautifully capture the theme of this Sunday by pointing to the idea that peace is more an action than we think. God s Dream by Desmond Tutu, The Peace Book by Todd Parr. Available through Sermon Leads: 1. The book of James integrates the components of belief and action. Without these two elements one does not have faith; you act because you believe and you believe because you act. James states that there is a difference with how peace is brought about, not that it is simply brought about. How does the church bring about peace and participate in God s shalom project today? 2. David was an unlikely king. He was not first-born, he was not the biggest, nor the strongest, but he did have leadership potential. God saw beyond his low social status and chose him, the least likely, to become king over a nation and helped him grow into that role. If God sees potential beyond social stereotypes, how does that direct us in how we should serve our brothers and sisters? 3. Ephesians gives us an all-encompassing picture with regards to the nature of God s vision for the world (Ephesians 1:10). Christ is our peace is emphasized in chapter 2: Christ himself breaks down the walls that divide us, thereby allowing for a new community and humanity to emerge. It is this new worshiping community s role to make known what once was a mystery (3:5-6), because Jesus Christ has called for a new humanity where old divisions are overcome (Ephesians 3:10). Paul plays with the words of calling and being called out, the church literally means the called out ones. In Chapter 4 Paul challenges his readers to examine how they are living out their calling to live into this mystery ( I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called out. Eph. 4:1) This message from Ephesians is revolutionary in the South African context, where old divisions still linger and divide. How does it speak into your church, city/town, country? 4. Through Jesus we have been given the opportunity for a new creation to emerge; the church, which consiss of the called out ones who find their unity in Christ. This new creation has been given the gift and responsibility of reconciling what has been divided. This is a big task. How does the church live into and demonstrate reconciliation? Offering: HWB #750 Benediction (A Four-fold Benedictine Blessing by Sr. Ruth Fox, OSB (1985) used by the rector of an Anglican church the Sudermans attend when in Pietermaritzburg.) May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for His justice, His freedom, and His peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. And the Blessing of God, Father, Son & Holy Spirit be upon you; those you love and those for whom you pray-- This day and for evermore... Amen. Go now, to Love and Serve God and each other. Direct your comments about Special Sunday Worship Resources to Elsie Rempel at erempel@mennonitechurch.ca. 2

21 T H E P A R I S H P A P E R I D E A S A N D I N S I G H T S F O R A C T I V E C O N G R E G A T I O N S Coeditors: Herb Miller, Lyle E. Schaller, Cynthia Woolever - January Volume 21, Number 1 Copyright 2013 by Cynthia Woolever How to Avoid Pastor Burnout Francis, a nurse, works in a neonatal intensive care unit. Caring for high-risk infants and dealing with their concerned parents makes her job extremely stressful. Yet she loves it and cannot imagine doing anything else. Although she is exhausted when her shift ends, she is also happy because she knows that she has made a difference for her patients and their families. How can she handle the high stress and experience high job satisfaction at the same time? What Causes Pastor Burnout? Many people believe that experiencing high stress levels causes burnout and drives pastors away from ministry. In fact, most pastors can and do deal with high levels of stress. Unfortunately, a few pastors fail in their efforts. One in ten pastors considers leaving their church each year. But what about the other nine pastors? If pastors love what they do and experience high levels of satisfaction with ministry, then they can deal with a great amount of stress. What can pastors do to increase their ministry satisfaction and reduce stress? What can church members do to help? members stand between a pastor and the sense of a job well done. Pastors who feel like failures eventually look for something else to do where they can make a difference. It s important for pastors to set personal goals and to share these with their members so that successes can be seen, and celebrated, by all. 3. Nurture a spiritual life. In the midst of taking care of members and church responsibilities, pastors can neglect their own spiritual growth. Drawing from the spiritual well without replenishing leads to faith stagnation. The most satisfied pastors are also highly satisfied with their growth in faith. 4. Seek quality relationships with lay leaders and members. Pastors who invest in developing deep and trusting relationships with members also find higher satisfaction in ministry. 5. Find support and resources from other clergy and the denomination. Pastors with high levels of ministry satisfaction reach out to other clergy for new ideas, sermon and teaching resources, and support. Many highly satisfied pastors also cite their denomination as a critical partner in their long-term ministry effectiveness. Ways to Increase Ministry Satisfaction New research findings show how pastors can invest in their ministry to experience a higher level of satisfaction in their calling and vocation Spend a larger share of time in ministry tasks that match ministry strengths. For some pastors, time spent in sermon preparation, preaching, and worship leadership is highly rewarding. For others it might be visiting with prospective members or pastoral care for current members. Finding ways to spend more time on the joy-filled items is key to greater satisfaction in ministry. 2. Achieve a sense of accomplishment in ministry goals. Pastors want to feel like they are accomplishing important goals for the congregation and its ministries. Experiencing frustration and walls of resistance from