Barbara Feil's Blog

Ministry of Support for those Unemployed

A month ago we held our first evening of support for those who are un-employed or under-employed.  Our purpose is to offer what only the Body of Christ can offer in these life situations - prayer, listening, hope, caring and to journey together.  It was not our intent to be a networking group, a job placement service or a job finder service.  We meet every other Tuesday evening (our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 17th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm here on our Sunset campus). 

At the first evening we had Christian psychologist who also works for an Employee Assistance program come in and talk about coping with change.  One of the things we discovered was the real need for men and women to TALK about what they had been through and the power of talking about it with others who are walking a similar path.  Realizing this, Cliff Reynolds and I made sure that there was time during the evening where we invite people to share where they are at and a little about their story.  We also wanted to make sure that every evening included a time where people felt prayed over.  Those who come are at all different places in their spiritual journey and so we found again that having someone at each table who was confident to be able to be the "pray-er" was very important. 

The second time we met we had about 1/3 return, eager to reconnect.  Many sat at the same table they had the first time.  Two-thirds were there for the first time.  (We expect the group to change each time as some will find work, some will not be able to come - but every evening is open to all.)  We had a panel who answered a series of questions about facing a time of lay-offs and unemployment.  Their stories resonated with many in the room.  I shared a devotional from the life of Joseph.  We want to make sure that the evening includes some encouragement, even five minutes worth, from the Word of God - giving people something to go back to on their own.

This morning between worship services a woman came up to me who had sat with me at this last support evening.  She has been out of work for a year and with our economy the kind of work she is well qualified for has dried up.  For some reason God put her especially heavily on my heart.  I have not stopped thinking about her and the tremendous odds she faced.  I do not have the spiritual gift of faith, and I was feeling very discouraged on her behalf.  She came to me this morning to tell me she had gotten a job and the job she wanted!!  I felt God saying to me, "Oh, you of little faith!" 

I know I will see many of the faces of those dealing with the burden of unemployment for months.  The faces will change but the need will remain.  What I felt like God was speaking to me this morning is that HE IS FAITHFUL...He will walk with those who are on this unwanted journey and He will provide...even when we wonder if he will!  If you are unemployed, or want to support those who are join us on March 17th. 

Reminders from my past prepare me for the future

Every church I know is trying to figure out how to do ministry in these new and turbulent economic times.  I have been in Bend, Oregon speaking at a conference and over breakfast, lunch and dinner the conversation turns to the impact of economy that is not just slowed but stopped in one of the fast growing communities in the Northwest.  The church I am with is not large but they have cut staff hours, laid some off and are hoping to make it through without greater impact. 

I am reminded that my own church is also facing these same decisions.  I have spend much of this weekend in prayer - asking that God's will be done.  I confess I have also been anxious.  What will the impact on ministry be?  Can those who are left continue to move ministry forward with less staff, less resouces?  These days take us back to the core of ministry - that ministry is about people and the work of God in thier life - not just buildings and budgets.  But it is hard to switch gears. 

This morning, as our Elder board met to make difficult decisions, I was speaking here in Bend on Deborah's story from Judges 4-5.  I was sharing a "life message" that God spoke to me through this passage of scripture and my experience many years ago.  It was such a reminder that God calls and uniquely uses women in ministry. Women, especially one who was a wife and mother, weren't normally prophets and judges, but God is not outside demonstrating his power through anyone he chooses.  Barak, who makes the Hebrews 12 "Hall of Faith" for being willing to go to war, refuses to go unless Deborah, who was God's mouthpiece in Israel at that time, goes with him.  And the song of victory they wrote reveals some important insights about what women bring to the ministry leadership table:

1.  A woman in ministry leadership is used by God because she doesn't demand the spotlight! (See Judges 5)  When Deborah celebrates the victory she could well have done it alone.  But she composes and performs the victory song with Barak and together they honor the princes, the people, and Jael who takes out Sisera with a tent peg!

2.  A woman in ministry leadership can be especially used of God because she empowers others and gives ministry opportunities away.   Deborah could have led the army - after all Barak has no trouble saying he won't go unless she goes with him.  But she involves as many as she can.  In Judges 5:2 she praises God for, When the princes of Israel take the lead... and in 5:9 she says, "My heart is with Israel's princes..."  She is a leader in her own right with power and authority as a prophet and judge but she knows the GREATER POWER OF GIVING MINISTRY AWAY!

3.  A woman in leadership can be especially used of God when brings her ability to do ministry in team or community.  I believe that most women leaders are not loners.  They prefer to do ministry in team or in community.  I appreciate that more and more men see the value and the Biblical wisdom of this. After all, God himself exists in community.  God said it wasn't good for Adam to be alone.  Jesus could well have ministered alone but choose twelve unlikely men to share it with. In Judges 5:2 Deborah is grateful "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves - praise the Lord."  And in 5:9 she says, "My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people!  Praise the Lord."

4.  A woman in ministry leadership can be especially used by God when she expressed her personal relationship or intimacy with God.  With the exception of a few prophets and David, few OT leaders expressed a personal "love" for God.  But in Judges 5:31 Deborah says, "So may all your enemies perish, O Lord!  But may they who love you be like the sun..."   John Eldrege in "Journey of Desire" says, "Many people have a hard time conceiving of this kind of intimacy with God.  For their entire lives they have related to him in distant, though reverent way...Men in particular have a hard time relating to the bridal imagery used in Scripture.  Do we (as men) take on femininity to relate to God?  What does it mean for (men) to know God as lover?"  Perhaps here is where women have a slight advantage in relating to Jesus as our bridegroom.  Here is where our expression of deeply personal, intimate love we can share with our Savior and husband can help the whole body of Christ experience the love that is meant for all. 

I don't think it was any coincidence that God asked me to resurrect this particular message this weekend.  Ministry has been full of discouragement and difficulty.  I needed to be reminded that God is not through with me yet...that God is not done using "this woman" - this "Deborah" in today's church - no matter what the odds!!

The Challenge of Ministry Today...

We receive more than 200 (sometimes as many as 500) prayer requests every week.  Praying for them is one of the most sacred privileges I have.  I read them, lifting the names of people I know well, and people I've never met personally before the throne of God and entrust them to God.  As I read I wonder about the stories behind each request.  Some are obviously stories of pain.  Others are stories of praise.  Some are written by people walking in darkness, barely able to make out the hand of God but still trusting.  Some are written by people who are taking their very first steps toward God.  So many are about finances and unemployment.  Today, as our staff gathered to pray we also prayed for one another.  Our church wisely responded over six months ago to a changing economic climate.  But, we are needing to do it again.  Budget reductions, layoffs and salary reductions are part of the landscape everywhere you turn - and it is a part of almost every ministry organization as well.  This is one of the hardest seasons of ministry I have ever faced.  And yet I know that God is in it.  I read Psalm 105 and was struck at how God was the director, the producer and the author of details of Israel's history...and I am sure they didn't always recognize it.  Sometimes we don't either. 

Numbers

Our senior pastor has been challenging the whole church to read through the Bible.  Last year we read through the New Testament.  For the most part that is easy.  This year we are reading through the Old Testament. 

I try to do my Bible reading as just that...reading.  I love to focus on the story...not dissecting words and meanings and theological issues, but I try to just watch how God is working and relating and how people are living out their life stories in relationship to God's bigger story.  That can be tought when you get to a book like Numbers.  When you begin reading it is truly what it says it is...numbers!  So, sometimes I switch to a translation like "The New Living Bible" or "The Message" - just to hear it in a more straighforward way. 

Eugene Peterson says in his pithy introduction to Numbers,

The book of Numbers plunges us into the mess of growing up.  The pages in the section of the bibilical story give us a realistic feel for what is involved in being included in the people of God, which is to say a human community that honors God, lives out love and justice in daily affairs, learns how to deal with sin in oneself and others, and follows God's commands into a future of blessing...we need a lot of help.

We need organizational help.  When people live together in community, jobs have to be assigned, leaders appointed, inventories kept. Counting and list making and rosters (or data base systems like Fellowship One) are as much a part of being a community of God as prayer and instruction and justice.  (Doesn't that make some of you with gifts of administration feel better!!??)  Accurate arithmetic is an aspect of becoming a people of God. 

And we need relational help.  The people who find themselves called and led and commanded by God find themselves in the company of men and women who sin a lot, quarrel, bicker, grumble, rebel, fornicate, steal - you name it, we do it.  We need help in getting along with each other...it follows that counting and quarreling take up considerable space in the book of Numbers...

I love that!  It makes the book take on a whole new significance.  And it helps me understand that much of what we do to shepherd a congregation is about counting and quarreling.  I've never been good at arthimetic...but the arthimetic of people we are reaching and shepherding is VERY IMPORTANT to me.  It is worthy work to learn a data base system and constantly update it.  It is worthy work to input prayer requests and attendance every week (thanks to the women who do that...you will be rewarded in heaven!).  It is worthly work to get small group/care group leaders to use the data-base system to shepherd their groups.  It is worthy work to clean up membership and regular attender lists and to watch for those who are falling away.  It is NUMBERS... a part of God's story. 

Enjoy the book!! 

Sunday Morning at Sunset - Third and Last in the "Courage to Live in a Broken World" 2 Corinthian Series

6:20 am  Pick up my niece Carrie who is a part of our worship and creative arts department and is "Janet Fraser" for the Services this morning.  We stop at Starbucks (of course) and discuss how Starbucks used to have "it" but when you have to tell people if they bring their morning receipt back for a $2.00 drink in the afternoon you don't have "it" anymore.  (For an understanding of what "it" is you would have to have heard Craig Groeschel at the Leadership Summit or get his book "IT".) 

7:00 am Arrive at church - Carrie get's snacks to the Green Room and starts organizing for the morning.  Jay (our Minister of Worship) is the only other one there for a few minutes.  He's tired - he stayed up too late watching the Olympics.  I go do a sermon run through in the room where our 30's-40's Single Adults meet so that I can feel confident I am not over my time allotment (the bane of speaking). 

7:25 am I want to say I think I'm right on the money time wise that would be presumptive before I've actually spoken... I have to use the bathroom (at least once or twice depending on how much is riding on the sermon - I'm not nervous but it's amazing how much the anticipation impacts the bladder and the other system...and I can't believe I just wrote that in my blog.

7:55 am The run through starts - Jenni Clayville was late.  Last week Laura Vandergiessen sang - and she's what, 9 months pregnant.  This morning Jenni's on and she's not far behind Laura.  And may I say, that these ladies voices have been positively impacted by being "baby carriers" and they are both in rare form (vocally that is).  Ben stepped in as base at absolutely the last minute - yea Ben!!  I need to see the video of David Alexander - Janet sent me a copy last night but it wouldn't work on my computer with Vista and I couldn't get the sound working on my home computer.  I can't wait to see it.  David is immensely articulate and I think it's going to be powerful. 

8:25 am Run through almost complete...saw the DVD - what an amazing testimony!!  Now, I hope it works to challenge people to write their weakness on a piece of paper and pin it on a wall.  What if they don't?  Lord, we don't make this stuff up for fun or for emotional impact...it's my desire that this really is a time of asking you to be strong through our weakness!! 

8:40 am Head back to pray with the team - Mike Ghering is POD (Pastor of the Day - giving announcements and praying).  I always feel so weird at this point.  It's just about faith and trust that you will show up Lord, it's all about you!!!

8:50 am  Stand at the door and greet people on their way in.  When I do this I always meet someone who I sense is part of God's plan for me that day.  If anyone knew how un-natural it is for me to reach out this way they would be so surprised, but when you are coerced by Christ you do what he calls you to do. 

9:05  In my place and worshiping.  I have some pretty intense prayer moments in worship before I speak. 

9:22 am The other thing most people don't know is how awkward, weak and uncertain I feel as I walk toward the stage and pick up the music stand and walk to my place as the sermon opener rolls on the screens. 

9:57 am  Walk down off the stage and to my place as worship begins and the congregation begins to move toward the walls and pin their weakness on the wall and tell God they are willing to let him use their weakness to show God's power.  At first I wait for to see if anyone is going to go - someone moves, then several and then it's a flood.  Before long they are standing in line at both walls - men and women, some with their kids, silently, worship-fully, many with tears - pinning paper on a wall.  What a holy moment!! 

(For the message go to sunsetpres.org and download or listen to the podcast for 8-10-08.  Oh, and Janet - I was exactly ON TIME!) 

12:17 pm  Second service is done and I get to pray with several people and talk to a number who have been deeply touched and truly heard God speak into their lives in the service...

1:15 pm  I drive away from the church - tired - no, exhausted.  Spent for the sake of Christ and his church.  There isn't anything better!!!

Leadership Summit

I am sitting here in the Willow Creek Leadership Summit.  I confess I have had mixed feelings about it this year.  I don't know exactly why - I know a few of the reasons but will keep my personal critique to myself for now.  For many, many years the Summit was the marker in my year that spoke so deeply to my heart and soul and informed me of the things I needed to pay attention to in ministry.  I often took several days to just process all that God was saying to me through speakers, leaders, worship, drama and the whole experience of Summit. 

I have to say, despite all the press, all the criticism, all the other movements, conferences, and emerging ministries - God is still speaking through the summit...and speaking to me. 

This is the "bull pen" - Dan Rice, Janet Fraser, Ken Mulder, Al Hahn

Writing on the Wall - Psalms, Laments and Prayers of a Rising Generation

In preparing for a 3 week sermon series on 2 Corinthians (a book I am more richly understanding as I study) I came across a book called, "Writing on the Wall - Psalms, Laments and Prayers of Rising Generation".  It is written by Brian Heasely.  It is the compilation of several ministries - one is an Internet prayer posting place. 

This book of prayers is a heart cry of authentic need.  It puts words to what so many of us bury rather than reach out to God!  Here are a couple of them:

I need a job.  Please take the pressure of not knowing.

I cast this burden upon you once and for all because I do not have the strength to carry this any longer.

From Denmark

I'm not on top of anything right now.  I feel like a fool, a mess-up, like I belong nowhere. 

I'ts cold in my heart and I'm tired of this day-to-day life - it just repeats itself every day. Tired of my complacency and apathy. 

Reinvent in my life what it means to be in love with You. I realize how satisfying you are, and how nothing will ever satisfy me like you. 

Everything is so unknown right now, but You are known, and I want to know You more.

From Canada 

 

This is why I love ministry...

Tonight I had one of the greatest evenings at Sunset in a long time.  It was our annual Adult Ministry Leaders dinner to cap the ministry year and share what God is doing.  I decided I would "cook" to save the money of bringing food in and I had such good help from Bonnie Bjorem, and our Adult ministry assistants, Karen and Ella.  (Gave me a few minutes to steal some time to get to know Karen a little better!). 

The evening (besides eating) involved everyone getting to introduce themselves and then a staff or deacon or ministry leader sharing about each major area of ministry.  It was so incredible - from Tom Houser sharing about crossing ministry lines to train all small group leaders from across the church to Chris O'Leary and Reg Wobig sharing with such clear vision what the 30's-40's and 50's-60's ministries are all about (30's-40's - building community among like people and connecting them to Jesus and authentic believers - 50's-60's - creating a SAFE place where single adults in this season can connect and be accepted), to Hal Adrian's story of leaving Sunset and having God make it clear he was to come back - his ministry wasn't over, to Sue Hatz's pleading for prayer for God to raise up others with the vision to serve those in struggling marriages.  Lindsey introduced herself and told a piece of her story and how God has been using her and training her for this time.  Bob Day shared passionately about the total vision of Men's ministry and then we got to talk in the kitchen afterward (while finishing the dishes) about how God keeps "pushing the envelope of this "good Baptist boy" (and I understand because I was a "good little Baptist girl").  And all that is just a little piece.  We also introduced "Road Trip...Your Spiritual Journey Part 2".   More about that later.

What was so wonderful, was the camaraderie in the room, the sense of calling on each leader and the chance to celebrate and lock arms!!  I am tired and grateful for each pastor, deacon and leader I work with!!