Site
Contents
 |
General Information about the Area Office
North Indiana Conference Office
South Indiana Conference Office
Prayer Guides
(Courtesy of the NIC Prayer Team)
Area United Methodist
Foundation
For resources to assist your congregation in welcoming guests,
click here
Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
May/June 2005 |
From the Bishop:
Ministry is a marathon
It won't be long now. Soon I will be privileged to participate in my favorite part of being a bishop - commissioning and ordaining new clergy at the Annual Conferences here in Indiana. Our preparations are in high gear for those Annual Conferences. Tomorrow I will be sharing in a retreat with those ordination candidates where we will get acquainted, worship and pray together, and talk about the meaning of their ordination.
|
Ministry ? is a marathon of pacing ourselves, thinking long-term and watching the power of God unfold in the lives of those entrusted to our ministry. |
One thing I will be sharing with those ordinands is that ministry is not a sprint; it is a marathon. No matter how many years of ministry we have to serve, ministry is not just a series of short-term events, sermons preached, pastoral calls made or meetings attended. No, those many separate events are part of a lifelong witness and lifestyle of ministry. Ministry is not just a sprint to accomplish a few things; it is a marathon of pacing ourselves, thinking long-term and watching the power of God unfold in the lives of those entrusted to our ministry.
Saying that "ministry is a marathon" is certainly not an excuse for laziness, or a justification for sitting back passively and denying our call to be leaders in the church. This marathon image of ministry is a reminder that much of what we accomplish in ministry is only apparent after many years. It is also a reminder of our need to think about the long-term effect of decisions made, of lives touched and of ministry lived within a community of faith.
I have been in ministry long enough (this year is the 30th anniversary of my own ordination as an Elder) to see some of those results. Since moving back to Indiana, I have encountered some of the people from my early days of ministry, and am amazed to hear how God worked through - or in spite of - my early efforts at ministry. It is such a privilege to have an adult come up to me and say: "You baptized me." or "You were my youth minister when I was a kid." or "You helped my family through a time of grief." Such moments are an overwhelming reminder that God works slowly, patiently and graciously through our ministry.
So this is what I will say to those candidates for ordination: Ministry is a marathon, so keep the faith, take care of yourself, don't give up during the times when ministry is hard, keep trusting God to work through you, watch for the long-term unfolding of God's grace through your ministry and above all, keep on running the race (Philippians 3:14).
From Bishop Michael J. Coyner
"Making a Difference ... in Indiana
and around the world"
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008