Friday, February 4, 2011

Friday Five - The Perks of Ministry



When clergy get together we tend to bitch about the job. So I was glad to see the RevGalBlogPals talking about the PERKS of ministry:

I think I didn't actually realize this perk until I was explaining it to someone in my former parish who was expressing sympathy about how hard it would be for me to fit in the community and get to know people at my new parish.  In a small community if you are the pastor you have a fast pass in.  People accept you, talk to you, want to know you, trust you  and assume good things about you right away.  You have an instant in.  Yes there are some dangers and pitfalls and disadvantages to that but please,  this is about the PERKS.   I think clergy take that for granted. Don't underestimate what a gift an instant friendly community is when you have moved to a totally new place.  The average Joe who moves to a new place does not have that.

FLEXIBILITY FLEXIBILITY FLEXIBILITY-- I could skate on the nearly empty noon figure skating only sessions at the local rink.  I take Mondays off (and I decide what day I want to take off) but if I want to take Tuesday off and there's nothing else on the schedule, I can.  This is a perk any parent can love, but I cannot begin to tell you what a Godsend this is to the single parent.

The discipline of *having* to write sermons and prepare bible studies and write devotions for the newsletter.  I probably wouldn't do that stuff if I didn't have to.  

Continuing Education events.   Colleague groups.  Text Studies.   Youth Mission trips.  Confirmation classes.  Being part of something bigger than the local congregation.  

Oh and that housing tax perk is nothing to sneeze at. 

One more.  Look at my picture.  People are actually LISTENING TO ME.

8 comments:

  1. love it.... I'm working on this myself. and I LOVE the picture! yeah!

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  2. Nice list! It looks at the positive. And it also illustrates what I think of as the flip side of things. Many of these could be negatives when looked at in a certain way. Or, as I often say, Positives usually have another side to them. Its not that I'm a dour person, but that I try to be realistic and not just look at things with rose colored glasses.

    Since I live in a very small town, but one that has some stores, I've found that living here just makes life very easy. I can drive less than 2 miles to get almost any service or goods I want, except clothing that isn't for workmen. Perhaps that is another perk of being a pastor if you land in certain small towns.

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  3. Number 2-4 were true for me in youth ministry also. I really miss having the discipline to write lessons, devos, and sermons. I don't do it now that I don't *have* to.

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  4. can't beat that flexibility :-)

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  5. wonderful! sometimes that very last thing is simply shocking to me--people come to listen to us, hopefully to receive a word of grace or hope. it's amazing!

    btw, i LOVE your header! beautiful!

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  6. Continuing Ed/Study Leave...yes, a perk and yet needed at the same time.

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  7. Great list. Yes people listen, isn't that just amazing!

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  8. What a gift to choose a moment for yourself to have off. I bet those days get eaten up sometimes by the other responsibilities. I remember walking during lunch hour sometimes and feeling like a different person coming back from that.

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