Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

My Day at the Briar Rose June 22, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 8:22 pm

The Briar Rose Inn

I headed down to Vancouver, WA this morning for a day at the Briar Rose Inn Bed & Breakfast. I attended a day retreat put on by our network for women in leadership. The setting was so sweet. It was in downtown Vancouver, very historic. The house was quaintly decorated and fitting for the period of time it was built (1908). It had creaky floors and tons of charm. I honestly could have stayed there for days and pretended to be someone from days gone by. But that was not the purpose of this day.

The purpose of the day for me was to meet new people. I have expressed before how few women in ministry I come in contact through our network, especially our section. My hope was to meet maybe some other credentialed ladies in our network or connect with some leaders that I might encourage in that direction. I wasn’t a walking advertisement for credentialing. I just wanted to meet some ladies and let the natural relationships head that direction. I would say my overall goal was accomplished. What I experienced with these ladies today was a stepping stone. A connection was made. That was the goal.

The spiritual elements of the day retreat were great. Lots of solitude mixed with sharing. I feel like a lot of people live such busy lives that moments of solitude are scarce. I, however, am no stranger to solitude. It’s my preferred mode of operation. My schedule and pace can also be super busy, but as an introvert, I’m constantly making time for quiet moments. I will cease to exist without them.

My Special Spot!

The best part of our quiet moments was I got to spend them on a beautiful window seat with sheer curtains looking out over the street. I have a soft spot in my heart for window seats, so this location seemed made for me. I quickly snatched it up before anyone else. For the first part of the day, I read articles of about solitude and silence. I prayed about what God has been laying on my heart. I took a walk around the block and then ended up in the garden to do my daily Bible reading.

Lunch was a time of sharing. We talked about what we thought about during our solitude. I shared how I looked out the window and noticed the diverse group of people walking by. My life has been so focused on my story as of late, that I stopped to think about others and what their story might be. Who are they? They matter to God, so they should matter to me. The mix of homeless and urban professionals, students, joggers… They each are special and unique.

After lunch we went into another quiet time. This time with two tasks. One was to read the Scripture and let it minister to us. The other was write a haiku. Now those of you that know me, know I’m not big into poetry and being all flowery with my words. The point of the exercise though was the power of less. To say more with less. To limit our words and still make a statement.

My heart was drawn back to Philippians 2. I’ve been camped there this week as I’ve contemplated what it means to make myself nothing. As I read the passage, I wrote down these key phrases:

  • Being united with Christ
  • Comfort from his love
  • Fellowship with the Spirit
  • Tenderness and compassion
  • Joy Complete = being like minded, same love, one in spirit, one in purpose (not just as the body of Christ, but with Christ)
  • Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped
  • He made himself nothing
  • Humbled himself
  • Became obedient

Taking a quiet walk!

As I wrestle with this passage, I am reminded that Jesus’ obedience lead to death. In a lot of ways I see how my obedience leads to death of self. It’s Christ’s death that lead to his resurrection and so the glory was given to God. I know that God’s glory will be seen when I get out of the way, die to myself and let him do his thing – not my thing. I’m realizing that while my dreams are not bad, if they are not God’s dreams for me then they need to die. I need to get them out of the way. Just like a seed that goes into the ground, it might seem like dying has no purpose, but once it sprouts new life it reaps an even greater harvest. Letting go now might just reap an even bigger harvest than I can imagine in this moment.

My haiku deals with this Scripture. I realize that I have too many syllables, but it’s hard to track the syllables when you can’t say them out loud and talk it out. We were all in the same quiet room for this activity. So for those who would have noticed, yes, I did it wrong. Oh well! Here is my haiku:

Do I dare to dream

To be made into nothing

Fully united with Christ

The Garden

The first line talks about my own wrestling with my dreams and God’s dream for me. I so badly want his way over my way. The second line is where his way leads – to be made into nothing. This is the non-glamorous option. However, it leads to being fully united with Christ, which is far better than my own dream.

We closed by writing encouraging notes for everyone in a card that was provided. We read the words of encouragement to each other as we took communion. It was a good way to end. Despite what each one of us might have been dealing with, I feel that everyone left encouraged. I know that I did. I’m starting to learn more and more that I don’t need to be understood by people. So even if this group of ladies didn’t get me, I still feel like the day was a win for me. It’s nice to getaway to a new location – outside of home and church. It was nice to meet new people and to share a few moments together. The smallness of the group wasn’t awkward. I felt like we shared great depth for just meeting. It was a good experience and one I would repeat if given the opportunity.

 

Relocating June 12, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 10:07 pm

The Before!

Today was one of those days where I can say I worked hard! I mean really hard! In fact, I’m really not sure why I’m typing right now and not sleeping. Busy day! Very full of activity. I guess I need to explain a little bit.

With Pastor Vicki leaving at the end of May, I have taken over our Christian Education responsibilities at Bethel Church. It’s pretty much all about curriculum – which I love! I get to be in the decisions on what curriculum we provide at Bethel as well as keep track of current curriculum selection. With our new Growth Groups format, we’ll be resourcing a lot of group leaders with curriculum. Part of the fun will be finding something that works for them and keeping track of who has what.

In the process of Vicki leaving, our staff has started a game of musical offices. Jeremy’s mom, Debbie, moved into Vicki’s office, which meant that her office across the hall from Jeremy and I’s office was empty. The decision was made that this office would be a great option to house our all curriculum in one secure location. Since I’m the closest now to the curriculum at Bethel Church, I have moved into the office with the curriculum.

This morning the office started off as a peachy tan with nothing in it other than random items leftover from Debbie’s move. This morning we painted it a blueish-gray, let the paint dry over lunch, then we moved all the curriculum in and got it into place. I also moved my items from Jeremy’s office over into my new workspace. Seven hours of work have never been so full or so busy! I really couldn’t have done it without the help of my family. My mom came in (on her birthday, she’s so sweet) to help us tape. My sister was there pretty much the whole day – taping, painting, putting up shelves, organizing curriculum! Her husband, Andrew, came in for a while and helped get things put on the shelves as well. Jeremy helped with painting and getting me set up, but the extra hands from my family meant I didn’t have to dominate his whole work day with my move, so it all worked out well! Thanks to my wonderful family for making this day super productive! I got done double what I thought I would!

The After!

I think this new role will be an exciting, new challenge and I’m very excited and blessed by this new work space. However, I will admit that I’m a little sad to be moving out of Jeremy’s office. He has graciously shared his space with me. I know very few couples could work as closely has Jeremy and I have. I’m really going to miss him (even though he’ll be right across the hall). I’m so used to him sitting just a few feet away from me. I’m used to him making me laugh and listening to my thoughts as I think them. Now I’ll have to call him, text message him, shoot him an email or walk across the hall to share my thoughts. It’s going to be a strange change. It seems weird to feel a sense of loss, but we really have a great working relationship and I will miss being his office buddy.

I’m not 100% there yet, but I’m looking forward to getting settled into this new work space. I know that Jeremy isn’t too far away, so I’m sure the transition will be just fine. It’s all a little new to me in this moment and it can feel overwhelming, but I’m praying for God’s favor over these changes. I’m also praying for his peace as I step forward into new territory!

 

Gathering Experience June 5, 2012

Filed under: Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 9:36 pm

My last blog discussed the only way to cure inexperience was with experience. It seems I’ve been getting loads of it thrown my way lately. The hard part is when my standard is perfection. I know it shouldn’t be, but for some reason I expect myself to be the world’s greatest public speaker. However, I’m not. But I am trying. I am learning. It’s a process. I have to go easy on myself – but really who does that???

Today I got my first experience speaking at a memorial service. It was a short service for a small crowd, but a first for me nonetheless. I was asked to do the opening prayer. Since it was my first time ever praying at a memorial service, I will admit that I read the prayer. I figured that most people would have their eyes closed so it would be no big deal. I wrote the prayer earlier this afternoon. I wanted to make sure that in the moment I didn’t let my words run loose and put my foot in my mouth. I wanted to be sensitive to the crowd and the best way seemed to script myself. Jeremy did ask if I read the prayer in the car on the way home. He thought it was a really good prayer for going off the cuff and I had confess that I didn’t think of it the moment. Oh well, hopefully no one figured it out and if they did, hopefully they didn’t mind.

I shared a couple of Scriptures and my own personal reflections on the young mom that passed away. She was a volunteer in our ministry and she dearly loved Jesus and her two boys. It’s hard in moments like these to wonder why God would let someone so young with little children pass. I know that she’s in a better place, but I wonder and worry about her boys. My prayer is that the seeds of faith that she planted in their hearts will continue to grow long after she is gone. Her love for her boys is the strongest memory I will have of her. The other thing I will take away for this situation is truly how precious life is and you never know when your time here on earth is up. This world is temporary and fleeting. I’m encouraged to live each day with purpose and love. Tomorrow is never a guarantee.

So yes, experience. I knew I wanted to grow my skill set of public speaking. I’m amazed that once I voice that just how much opportunity has come my way. I’m not the greatest thing to hit the church (I think that would be Jesus), but I do feel like I’m stepping up to what Jesus has called me to do. In a sense, that is all I can do. It might not be perfect. I need to accept that on this side of heaven nothing I do really will be. I just have to take a deep breath, thank God for the opportunities that come my way and do the best with what I’ve got. I’m certainly collecting some experience. It’s not always fun, but it’s good.

 

Starting Somewhere June 3, 2012

Filed under: Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 1:30 pm

Everything has a starting point. I try to live intentionally and live with the end in mind. This means I have to start somewhere. There has to be a beginning to my journey. I need to take baby steps towards my dreams. However, at the beginning, there is this “greenhorn” effect, being the newbie. If I could sum it up on one word – inexperience. You know what the only cure for inexperience is? Experience! They only way I’ll grow is if I put myself out there and try new things. At 26, I know I’m limited on the life experience side of things, so I need to chase down opportunities and welcome open doors.

With all that in mind, I would like share some humorous reflections on doing communion during our 9:00am service. On Thursday, I was asked by our lead pastor if I would be up for doing communion and I replied with a hearty “definitely”. My confidence level on the inside was a lot a lower than how I was appearing on the outside, but I know that I need to say yes to these opportunities as they come so I can grow my skill set. I’ve done communion with kids before, but adults are different. Are you noticing that theme? I’m pretty comfortable with kids. Adults are a whole different story and I’m trying to get over my fear of them!

All weekend I’ve been pondering what I will say in my 5ish minutes up front. What points will I bring out? What passage of scripture will I use? Here is what I discovered after too much time thinking – communion is what it is. There really no way to reinvent the wheel. I’ve seen it done hundreds of times by various pastors and the best thing for me to do is follow in their foot steps, instead of trying to find a creative new take. Some things are classic. Keep it simple.

This now leads me to an important question – How many hands does it take to lead communion? Answer: more than two!!! Have you ever tried holding a Bible, a microphone, a small communion cup, and a tiny cracker all at the same time? I tried it for the first time today and let me tell you, it’s tricky!!! This insight gives me a deeper respect for those who have mastered this! There was no music stand or table up front, so I have to place something on the floor. I decided on the juice cup. Mental note: don’t kick juice cup over while talking. Now I have to open my Bible and read from it – while holding the microphone and the cracker. In order to keep the cracker in my hand, I’m afraid it might have looked like I had a claw hand holding my Bible. I opened my Bible and my hand bookmark got in the way, so I tried to move it with the hand with the microphone in it…. while reading… while holding the cracker… while trying to not kick over my cup on the floor. Now add my hair deciding to fall into my face. Normally this would be no big deal. I would just tuck it behind my ear and all would be good. But wait – I have NO HANDS to do what with! So now add me trying to flip my hair back with the gentle flip of my head… Can you say awkward???? I should also mention that my legs were starting to shake towards the end. It was a bit of nerves mixed with that the fact that after eating a bunch of leftovers from my class sleepover, I felt guilty yesterday and I decided to do a 1/2 hour of upbeat step aerobics. I haven’t done step aerobics in months… so yeah, I’m feeling it today. Mental note: don’t stress your legs out the day before you have to stand on a platform – bad combo!

When I got back to my seat, I saw that I had a text message from a good friend who was in the service. She said I did a great job and that I was a natural. All I could think about how was how none of that felt natural for me. As a perfectionist, I can be hard on myself and have high standards for my performance. Honestly, I had expected myself to do better. I wasn’t as polished or graceful as I would have hoped. I must remind myself  that was my first time. It wasn’t a home run, but I should be glad that I got a chance to step up to the plate. With time and experience, things like this will start to feel natural and not so strange and foreign. I wish that I was good at everything the first time I tried it, but that isn’t realistic. I’ll need experience to grow and I’m willing to try! I guess that’s where it all starts!

 

 

It Never Gets Easier May 31, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:44 pm

I started attending Bethel Church in 1998. Since that time, I’ve attended the farewell reception of 9 pastors (1 senior pastor, the rest were associates) and last night made 10. Let me tell you it never gets easier! I’m not a huge change… I’ll just be honest, 99.9% of the time I hate it! But life never stays the same for long. People come into our lives for a season and then exit.

The most challenging part of this most recent change is that Pastor Vicki Judd  has lived in Chehalis and attended Bethel Church her entire life. Talk about commitment!  I have never known Bethel Church without her. She’s been a core member of the staff  and congregation as long as I can remember and then some! It’s hard to imagine what life will be like without her presence.

As a student, I would get upset when a pastor would make that fateful announcement.  It meant losing a familiar face and having to meet some new. The older I got, it seemed the more attached I was to the pastor that was leaving even if I didn’t interact within their ministry. I think I could see more clearly the role they had played and I had a greater appreciation for the effort they put forth to make our church body a healthy one. Now as a staff member at Bethel Church, when a pastor steps down, I’m losing a co-worker. I’m losing their voice around the table, their smile each morning, their insight into daily life. It effects my day to day life, not just my Sunday or Wednesday.

I’ve been blessed by the friendships that being on staff at Bethel Church has given me. Each member our team brings something unique to the table. Like iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), we encourage one another to be the best Christ follower we can be. We’re not just focused on our own ministry, but we really are a team and each ministry affects the other. There are no silos. This means we get very close, very quickly.

Last night at the farewell reception, I got to hear many stories shared about Vicki and the memories she’s made amongst our congregation. I even got to share a few of my own thoughts. Let me tell you, that was hard! First of what to say… when you have an ocean of thoughts, how do you squeeze it down to a rain drop? It was very moving to see the impact that Vicki has had the lives of so many. This might sound weird, but it was neat to have all these things shared in this kind of environment. I feel like most praise is given to a person once their life has passed. Think of the open mic time at a funeral – it’s in those moments people say what they really felt and how they were impacted by a life. In this environment, Vicki and her husband, David, got to see that impact first hand. Saying these words now is so much more meaningful than saying once someone is truly gone.

Good-byes are never fun. They never feel good. I went to Vicki’s office one last time this morning. We exchanged hugs and kind words… I walked away with a couple books (Vicki shares my same passion for reading and learning). While I won’t see her on a daily basis, I know that Vicki’s influence will not leave from my life just because she is no longer on staff. The same is true with a lot of the pastors who have left. Many of them are still my friends. Some have moved far enough way that Facebook friendships are how we stay in touch, but some are still in our AG Network and I bump into them at events. When you do life with someone for that long, you know that you have a friend for life, no matter how near or far.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

A time for hello and a time for good-bye

 

You Lost Me Live May 25, 2012

Filed under: Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

I’m the type that gets star-struck… It just happens! I found myself with a few stars in my eyes as I sat in the same room as David Kinnaman and Jim Henderson. David Kinnaman is the author of two books and the current president of the Barna Research Group. Jim Henderson authored The Resignation of Eve which I reviewed here on my blog a few months back. Jim Henderson is an advocate of women in ministry and is bold enough to ask the questions that others avoid (I got that line from his website, but after reading one of his books and seeing him live – I know that is the truth)! I admire the work that both these men do, so it was a pleasure to spend 4 hours in a live setting to hear directly from them.

The event I am referring to is You Lost Me Live. It was a presentation based off Kinnaman’s recent book You Lost Me which focuses on why the next generation is the leaving the church and not coming back. In some cases, they aren’t just leaving the church, but they are walking away from faith all together. It was great to have the research of Barna bring to life this startling trend.

There is so much I could pull out my time at You Lost Me Live to blog about, but that would take forever and probably excitement me a whole lot more than it excites you. So, I will share one thought that stood out to me. Here we go – There is a belief among the older generations that Christians may walk away from their faith during their college years, but not to worry because they will reconnect with the faith community once they have kids.  It was interesting to learn that there a lot of factors that play into this being a false assumption.

The biggest factor that took me by surprise was how the economy played a large part in this. Students are coming out of college with more debt than ever before. They are also coming out of college into a hard job market. While some can’t even find employment, many are living paycheck to paycheck. This leads to many adult life experiences being put on hold. Things like moving out of the parent’s house, buying a house, getting married, and having kids are happening later and later in life. Living with the parents might be the only option for a post-grad who can’t make enough to cover the bills. This prolongs other life changes – like getting married. Who wants to propose and move into the parent’s basement? Who wants get married and have kids when they are can barely support themselves? Research shows that young people are waiting longer to get married and have kids. While most cite careers as being the reason why, is it any wonder that a career takes priority when there is a mound of debt that needs to be paid off.

This makes a lot of sense to me. I can see it in my own friends since I’m the generation they are talking about (young Christians ages 18-29). So what does that mean? The church just waits for them to come back in their 30’s once they get all the pieces of the puzzle put together? That seems like an awful lot of wasted time to me. If someone has a gap in their church attendance of 10+ years, I have a hard time believing it will be easy for them to come back to church.  I’m sure most will say that they hold on to their Christian beliefs; I’m not positive that we will see the fruit of a healthy Christian lifestyle. How deep will this faith they claim be?

The thing about You Lost Me is that the research is stated simply. The issues are clearly seen. However, a research group doesn’t have the answers; they just tell you how it is. In a way this is a golden opportunity. The church has some talking to do. They need to be honest about where the next generation is at. They need to acknowledge their needs and their struggles. They need recognize that the times are different. It’s like it was when you were growing up. However, we are all human and have our human frailty in common. We all need a Savior. When the gospel is at the core of our message then we truly do having something offer this generation that seems to be walking off. When I say the gospel, I really mean the good news – the story of Jesus – his love and redemption. It’s not about being churchy and making them all act the same and look the same and talk the same.  There is hope in Jesus and we need to keep that at the forefront.

Oh my… there are so many other topics I could discuss… this might have to be a blogging mini-series!

 

In Her Steps May 15, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Children's Ministry,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:06 pm

As promised, here are my notes from this weekend’s sermon. We divided the time up into three sections. The first was a question and answer time. The second was a focus on three different Biblical moms. The third and final section was on action steps to take away from the lesson. The theme in In Her Steps focused on the Biblical Moms and how they are ladies we can follow in the footsteps of.

I don’t have the notes for the other ladies, but I am glad to share mine with you. You can hear the entire presentation via podcast (https://sites.google.com/site/bethelchurchpodcast/). I highly recommend you hear the whole sermon with Pastor Vicki and Shereena’s contributions. It’s definitely worth it! Trust me!

First Section – Question & Answer Time

Vicki: What is your favorite thing about children’s ministry? The relationships I get to build with the students. It’s so special to be a part of their spiritual journey and see them building a foundation on Jesus Christ. It’s also really great to see how our friendships remain over time, even after they graduate from children’s ministry. In fact, the first class of students I taught will graduate next year. It’s been an honor to be part of their journey for the long haul.

Vicki: What kinds of questions and concerns are you hearing from the kids you work with?

  • Relationships with the opposite sex. Kids are already talking about dating and how far is too far to go in the relationship. They see this behavior with their friends and they are wrestling with that it means for them. 
  • Media is a powerful influence as well. Children’s ministry magazine posted a statistic that says that 7.5 million Facebook Users are under age 13 which violates the sites privacy policy. Of that number, 5 million are under the age of 10 and most are unsupervised. Movies, music and video games are tricky waters from them to navigate.
  • Probably one of the biggest concerns of kids is their parent’s choices. Depression and anger can be seen in kids who have watched their parent’s struggle with divorce. Not having a Dad around the house is especially hard on boys and we see that come out at church. According to author, Vicki Courtney, 40% of children in the US go to bed each night without a biological father living in their home.  Even if the parents aren’t divorced, kids are still highly sensitive to their parent’s stability and it greatly affects them. Kids are watching their parent’s commitment to each other. They derive great strength or great insecurity from their parent’s relationship.

Vicki: What ages are these kids? It can start really at any age, but I would say most of my conversations happen with students ages 9-12.

Vicki: Are kids able to talk with their parents about these issues?  Honestly, it depends on the environment that parents create. Kids are very sensitive when it comes to stability with their parents. If there is any uncertainty in a child’s mind about trusting their parents, the child is more likely to start building walls and keeping parents at a distance. Most kids at a young age are willing to talk with their parents and really want that influence in their life. Kids are more willing to share with their parents when they’ve been told from a young age that they came to their parents with anything. It’s important for kids to know that they can trust their parents and that their parents won’t react with overly-emotional responses. When they know they will be listened to and treated fairly, kids will feel comfortable being honest even if they are at fault. Parents have to create this environment early on in their child’s life. It has to be an overstated fact so that kids always know and never forget they can talk to their parent’s about anything.

Second Section – Biblical Mom – Hannah

  • Hannah’s back story
    • One of two wives – her rival wife could have children, but she couldn’t
    • The taunting of this other wife deeply affected Hannah
    • Every year the family traveled to make sacrifices and worship the Lord. Even on a trip that should have been a sacred time for the family, we can see this other wife continuing to deepen Hannah’s wound.
  • When Hannah has no other options and it seems like there is no hope, she goes to one place and the one person she knows has the answers. She turns to the Lord and pours out her heart to him in the sanctuary.
    • 1 Samuel 1:9-11:
      • So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to God’s Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she made a vow: Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, If you’ll take a good, hard look at my pain, If you’ll quit neglecting me and go into action for me By giving me a son, I’ll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I’ll set him apart for a life of holy discipline.
    • We can see Hannah gave her all to prayer. She didn’t just send up a 30 second prayer, but she spent time seeking the Lord. Not only time, but she put forth great energy and emotion in her request. Eli’s response when he finds her shows us just how into praying Hannah was. He was taken off guard by her actions and assumed she was drunk when she was really just deep in prayer.
    • A wise mother knows what powerful men can forget — that the way to move heaven and earth isn’t with a strong arm but with a bowed head.  – Ann Voskamp
    • Eli was probably surprised when realized the dedication to prayer that this women had. We can see how his response “May the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him” (vs. 17)  really changes Hannah. Before she even sees her prayers answered, she is confident that the Lord has heard her and it shows! The Message says her face was radiant after this experience.
    • Just as she had prayed, Hannah had a son within the year. Once the child was weaned, she did exactly what she said would do and dedicated the child to the Lord.
    • Hannah honors God from the beginning by realizing that the Lord gave her the son she had requested. She kept her word and gives him back to the Lord. Hannah might wanted to keep Samuel for herself, but I think she knew this truth deeply – She was given Samuel for the Lord’s purposes, not hers. She didn’t hold on to Samuel. She let him go, just as she promised.
    • 1 Samuel 1:25-28
      •  Hannah said, “Excuse me, sir. Would you believe that I’m the very woman who was standing before you at this very spot, praying to God? I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for. And now I have dedicated him to God. He’s dedicated to God for life.”       
    • I think it’s important to remember that we’re raising children for the Lord, not for ourselves. Anyone influencing the next generation needs to have a strong awareness that we are not shaping them to be like us, but to be like the Lord.

Third Section – Action Step – Vision

Having an honest evaluation of where your family is at is just the beginning. Now is the time to have a vision for your family. Dream about where you want to be. Just like a road trip – set your eyes on the final destination. There are no quick fixes and the journey will be long, but that shouldn’t diminish the vision God puts in your heart. As a parent, you are setting the direction for your family, so be intentional about where you are leading them. When you grab a vision for your family, you’ll change your family tree. This decision to dream big will not only affect your children, but the generation to follow. Be the catalyst for change in your family.  Go after the vision God lays on your heart with tenacity and focus. You won’t regret the decision to follow God’s best for your family.

 

Preach It! May 14, 2012

Filed under: Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:51 pm

Setting the stage for our theme: In Her Steps

I’m not even sure where to begin. There is so much I want to share about my first experience preaching. I do realize that I was a part of a tri0 – a teaching team. I wasn’t the only one on stage talking for the whole duration of the time. So yes, I think it would be safe to say that my first time in a preaching capacity was a bit of a baby step. I’m not sure I would be ready for the whole thing to be on me. Maybe next I’ll team teach with one other individual before I move to it just being me… Who really knows if I’ll ever have the opportunity again?

If I were to be honest, what I did yesterday, I thought I would never do. Not because I didn’t believe I could do, but I wasn’t sure if I would ever have the opportunity. I struggle with confidence and I know this might sound like “high school” but I never thought I would be cool enough. I never thought I would be seen as having anything worth saying. However, I can see how God has been growing me and helping me to speak up. I’m being honest about who I am and what I’m thinking. It’s been really scary – putting myself out there, not hiding. Stepping up to new challenges is risky and uncomfortable!

When Pastor Kyle asked me if I would be interested in preaching on Mother’s day, my mind went into an instant pro and con list. Pro – It would be a good opportunity to grow my ministry skill set. Con – I’m not a mom. Pro – I have a lot to say to parents. Con – I’ve never done this before. The list goes on, but let’s just say I was excited and terrified all at the same time. I’m glad that I was able to do this endeavor as a team. It was really a privilege to work beside Pastor Vicki and Shereena, our youth pastor’s wife. I feel like this shared experience has taken my relationship deeper with each of them. For that, I am blessed!

The Mother’s Day Preaching Team!

So, how did it go? Well, I feel it went awesome. I was nervous, but it didn’t control me. I feel like I was able to keep a level head and share my heart clearly. I realize that I’m not a polished public speaker and I still have room to grow, but for my first time, I think it was a great experience. Because it was a shared sermon, I never felt overwhelmed. I could have talked more and not felt in over my head. It was a good surprise to find that I liked it! I enjoy myself! Praise the Lord!

I want to keep polishing my skills and growing in my confidence as a public speaker. As painful as it was, I watched the footage from both services today (our first service wasn’t recorded, so I was able to go over 2/3 of the film). I’m not a big fan of watching myself, but I wanted to see myself from another perspective – the view of the audience. I said “um” too many times. I know it was nerves. It will take intentional thought on my part to break the ums. I also said “cuz” at one point. I almost beat my head on the desk as I watched the screen. “Cuz” – really? Do I speak English? I guess not! I know as I take a good look at myself and make notes, I’ll have a foundation laid for what not to do next time.

Oh, next time… I’m not sure when it will, but I really hope there is a next time. I don’t want to shy away from opportunities like this. My prayer is that I’ll have more opportunities to develop this skill set. I know the more I do it, the more confident I will become. I never saw myself being on-stage as a part of the preaching team. I’m viewing this weekend a big win for me personally. God was so good to me. I feel like saying, “Who am I?” Why does he keep blowing my mind? I’m not worthy! Even if I’m not, I’m willing to keep walking forward knowing that God has good in store for me. I know he is leading me, because I would have never ended up here on my own!

Note: Once it’s up, I’ll share the podcast link for those that might want to hear the sermon. I also plan on sharing my sermon notes here for those who are curious about what I said. Stay tuned!

 

Trying To Figure It All Out May 10, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Children's Ministry,Recollections,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:59 pm

Oh, the age old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We’ve all pondered it. Most would say they have it figured out. Some probably never will… I feel like I’m somewhere in the middle. It’s a weird spot to be in. Honestly, it can be confusing and complicated.

When I went off  to college with a dream about who I was going to become, I knew two things. I was either going to be a pastor or a pastor’s wife. Ministry was my passion. It was going to be the center of my life. However, I didn’t realize how multi-layered ministry roles were. In my head, I would get a ministry job and have a spouse that worked outside of the church. Or I would marry a pastor and I might work a job outside of the church or I might be a stay at home mom, but I thought if I wasn’t the pastor then I would be the behind the scenes support to my husband.

I remember when Jeremy and I were meeting with Don Detrick (the Secretary-Treasurer for our AG network and the minister who married us) for a premarital get together. He suggested I get my credentials and I laughed at him. I said one pastor in the household was enough and I was fine being behind the scenes, supporting Jeremy. Oh, if I had only known then what I know now. I might have prepared myself for life a bit better. God eventually did lay it on my heart to get my credentials and become a licensed minister which led to be becoming ordained.  That was not a part of my original plan. Seems the Bible has something to say about that, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NIV)

The tension comes from the fact that I never planned to be in a two pastor family. It was always going to be one or the other in my mind. As God has unfolded his plan for my life, I’m realizing that his plans are bigger for me then I imagined. I feel my own call to ministry, outside of being paired with my husband. Let me tell you, that is a very scary thing. I’ve planned my life to be the supporter, not the one up front. In fact, I’m not a huge fan of being up front. I feel like God has certainly called me to a ministry of writing. I love to communicate through the written word. I’m never without anything to say. I always have an opinion on the matter. I love discussing things and digging deeper into God’s word. As an introvert, it’s hard for me to find the balance of ministry to people and quiet moments like these were I can process, reflect, and minister through writing.

I struggle with being viewed as a “pastor”… This is hard for me to admit, but titles do mean a lot to me. I wish they didn’t. As an administrator, I often feel like my heart for pastoral ministry is in conflict with my job that puts me behind the scenes. I know I’m called to more than pushing buttons on a copy machine and keeping track of attendance. I don’t technically have the “pastor” title, so I don’t like to presume roles that are not given to me. And yet, I am an ordained minister, how does this all fit together?

I’ve often wondered what it might look like to seek out more pastoral roles, but that seems to be tricky water as well. I don’t want to head off on my own ministry track that pulls me away from my husband. I don’t want each of us to be in our own worlds and have our calendars no longer match up. I don’t want to pull my heart away from children’s ministry, because I truly love it and I am passionate about seeing young children build a lifelong foundation on Jesus Christ.

I do think there is something to be said about saying yes to the small opportunities that come my way. Who knows if these small yeses will lead to bigger doors in the future? Doing things like co-preaching on Mother’s Day are little windows to grow my skills and expand my influence. Today I was asked if I wouldn’t mind doing the devotional for our area pastors meeting next month. While I am excited for this opportunity, I am yet again faced with the tension of being one of three women who attend these meetings and younger than most of the people in the room by a good twenty-five years. Not only is it hard to feel qualified, but it’s also hard to find people that can relate to me, who understand where I am.

I guess this leads me to another area of ministry that God has been laying on my heart. There is a very noticeable lack of women ministers in the meetings I attend. I have a passion to see women in ministry. The Lord has been fueling this fire in my heart to stand up and be a leader, to have a say, to be heard. The voice and influence of women ministers seems so small right now. It’s lonely to think that there are very few people out there who understand this call to ministry and the challenges. I’m not sure what my future looks like, but I hope that I can make a way for other women to step up. I would love to see the number of credentialed women match the number of credentialed men in our meetings. I would love to see the faces and hear the voices of other women ministers. I don’t want to be alone.

Children’s ministry, writing, public speaking, and encouraging women in ministry – I see all of these playing a big part in my future. I’m not sure exactly where these doors will lead me, but I know these are the areas that God has laid on my heart. I know that he will help Jeremy and I navigate the waters as a couple in ministry. I fully aware that my ministry affects my husband and his ministry affects me. We are connected. I know that God has a plan for us a couple and as individuals. We both have a lot to offer the Kingdom of God and we both want to use our lives to serve the Lord. I’m wrestling with a lot questions and I struggle to see  the picture sometimes. Where is this all leading me? Honestly, I’m not sure… but I do know that God is growing me. He is stretching my faith muscles more than I would like at this moment!

So, what do I want to be when I grow up? I think the safest answer would be: in ministry! The rest is up to God!

 

Studying: Not Just for the College Students! May 7, 2012

Filed under: Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 8:41 pm

Let me tell you, I haven’t studied this hard since college! Why? Well, I have the honor and privilege of co-preaching on Mother’s Day alongside two wonderful ladies, Pastor Vicki Judd and Shereena Gering. I’m amazed at how much time and effort we’ve put into this one weekend! Hours of research, writing, formatting… I’m not sure I could be a senior pastor with all the prep that weekly goes into sermons! And I’m only responsible for 1/3 of the sermon! Craziness! I will admit that my inner geek has enjoyed being surrounded by statistics, books, articles, resources lists and sermon notes. It’s been very reminiscent of my good ol’ college days. However, it seems like there is no good time in life to have a special project, so it’s been a bit of a juggle to do my sermon prep and stay on top of my other responsibilities.  Speaking of other responsibilities, I’m ignoring a mound of laundry that needs to get folded and a dishwasher that needs to be emptied. One thing at time! I’m learning my ability to multitask isn’t as great as I had once  thought. In fact, I have to repeat “one thing at a time” to myself quite often these days… as well as “deep breath, don’t forget to breathe”. Remember what I said in “Flying By” – I don’t want to live life frantically. I’m still struggling with how to slow down and keep up with life at the same time. If anyone masters this, please email me ASAP! In closing, I’m so excited to have this opportunity, even if it comes with a lot of homework. Public speaking is a skill I want to develop more in ministry. Okay, let me get specific – public speaking to adults. Kids don’t phase me too much anymore, but adults are scary. Maybe I should just picture the audience as a bunch of kids? Better than picturing them in their underwear, right? Okay, I think that laundry is calling my name… I’ll let you know if all this studying pays off! Here’s hoping my first sermon involvement goes well! So far, so good… but I’ve yet to get up on stage! Pray for me!