Transitions: Riding the Mouse

As a kid I remember riding a small roller coaster called “The Mouse.” The primary characteristic of it was the abrupt change of direction it frequently took without warning. Were it not for the seat belts and grab handles one could have been easily thrown out of the car. Today, I find it surprising we all did not suffer immediate spinal dislocations. There were a few small hills and drops, but the sudden left and right turns were the “attraction” of the ride. There were no smooth transitions.

We all deal with transitions throughout our life time. Some of the transitions are imperceptible. Six months ago my oldest grandson was a shade over five feet four inches. Last week he measured in a five feet six inches and wears a larger shoe than I do. How and when did that happen? On the other hand, he’ll be facing a big transition in September ow Hhhhwhen he begins high school. For him that might be a jarring transition.

Over the years I have identified three major times of transition for ministers/pastors. This identification has come from observing other ministers and from reflection on my own journey as a teaching elder. Two of the transitions, even with the best planning, seem to be more jarring than the third in which we just kind of find our-self there.

The first transition is from seminary to parish. This is an especially jarring transition for those who lived the previous twenty years in academia. From kindergarten through seminary is a long journey under the tutelage of others and in the acquisition of information. Even if one grew up and remained active in the church all those years, we have to admit, upon ordination, we knew very little about how to be the pastor/teaching elder in and for a congregation. I admit I did not even though I had an excellent education and varied field experience both in college and seminary. Becoming a pastor/teaching elder is one of those abrupt turns which can cause spiritual and emotional whiplash.

The second transition is one which creeps up on the minister. Finding one’s self in “mid-career” is a transition about which very little is written or even talked about. Columbia Seminary is offering a COLLOQUY FOR MID-CAREER CLERGY in May of 2015. They state, Clergy in mid-career face challenges, both personal and professional, that are unique to their stage in life and vocational trajectory. They have accumulated experience, know-how, and a certain amount of confidence. Not quite novices, many are still not “experts.” In fact, one of the paradoxes of clergy in mid-career is serving in increasingly complex contexts that continue to challenge their competencies. (http://www.ctsnet.edu/colloquy-for-mid-career-clergy) Many of us awoke one day and said, “This is a far different church then I signed up for when I was ordained. Do I really want to keep doing this for the next fifteen or twenty years?”

The third transition, and another abrupt one, is into retirement. The Board of Pensions of the PC(U.S.A.) offers an excellent pre-retirement workshop. http://www.pensions.org/MembersAndEmployers/LifeEvents/Pages/Preparing-for-Retirement.aspx) However, one should attend this workshop far, far in advance of actually thinking about retirement. I would advise that one should attend the workshop within the first five years after ordination and then again ten years prior to retirement. Many teaching elders find it nearly impossible to go from one week providing the full range of pastoral services to an “all stop” the next week. The impact of the retirement transition really hits in two or three months, when we realize we are not on an extended vacation. One can only play so much golf before asking, “Is this all there is?”

One need not deal with these transitions in a vacuum. These three transitional times are excellent occasions to engage a coach. A coach will work with you to move into and through these transitions seeking the path for excellence in life and ministry. The world outside of the church has discovered the value of coaching. The church is just beginning to discover the value of coaching. There is no reason for every transition to be like riding “The Mouse,” being abruptly jerked one way and then another.

Meshing or Grinding Gears

How do we envision our ministry? Do we see our self as the only gear or one of several gears needed to move the congregation forward in faith-fulness? What is the ratio of teeth/cogs of our gear and does that ratio align with other gears/ leaders in the congregation?

What is the purpose of a gear? Gears are used for transmitting power from one part of a machine to another. In a bicycle, for example, it's gears (with the help of a chain) that take power from the pedals to the back wheel. Similarly, in a car, gears transmit power from the crankshaft (the rotating axle that takes power from the engine) to the driveshaft running under the car that ultimately powers the wheels. (http://www.explainthatstuff.com/gears.html)

I do not want to push the analogy too far, but the questions are worth pondering. I do not know all that much about gears. I did some internet research and found mind numbing formulas for calculating gear ratios. I am glad the many visible and invisible gears in the numerous machines in my life work, and I do not have to worry about figuring the number of teeth/cogs for each gear and the directional movement of each gear to transfer power into proper operation.

It would be nice if we had formulas for calculating the proper intertwining of the gears for proper operation of the congregation. One thing is certain, if we as pastors do not mesh well with others in the congregation the gear box can explode and do damage to us and to the congregation. However, the gears will not always be syncromeshed, allowing for a smooth shifting and transfer of power.

I grew up driving a three speed manual transmission car. There were times, especially when I was learning to drive that I would “grind the gears.” The application of the clutch and moving the shift lever were not always smoothly done. Everybody around could hear that grinding as the teeth of the gears were not properly interlocking. With years of driving an automatic transmission vehicle, I wager that moving back to a manual transmission would yield more grinding of gears until I relearned the coordination of the clutch and the shift lever.

How efficiently do we and others in the congregation mesh our gears to move the church forward? When we are new to ministry, to meshing with other leaders in the congregation there is always some “grinding of the gears.” After a while, we learn a smoother way of operation. Yet, periodically, we do not mesh and the grinding can be hear by all those around us. When that happens do we keep trying to force things? One of the things which can happen when we continue to force things is one gear or another may break off a tooth and future smooth forward motion is impossible and the congregation sputs and sputters along, of simply stops any forward movement.

If there is a constant or frequent grinding of gears it might signal we need to shift into neutral to reassess why the gears are not smoothly meshing. At these time, a coach can be of significant value. Clutching and shifting is an art which is learned through practice and reflection. Very few people sit behind the wheel of a manual transmission vehicle and innately make smooth shifts necessary to move the vehicle forward at the desired speed and efficiency. The same is true when assuming the positions of preacher or session moderator. There are no mathematical formulas to be applied in every situation. Serving as a pastor is an art which is learned. Coaching enables a greater syncromeshing of pastor and other leaders in the congregation.

Coaching is an Investment in Ministers

In season 4 episode 5 of The Voice, the musical artist Usher stated, “Being a coach on The Voice is to make an investment in people.”¹ Coaching is a self-investment by the minister and an investment by the coach in the minister. When congregations and presbyteries encourage pastors to have a coach -- and help fund the coaching costs -- they are making an investment in the minister. Through this multilevel investment, coaching has the potential for lengthening pastoral tenure and stemming the attrition rate of those in the early years of pastoral ministry.

Every minister can benefit by having a ministry coach, especially those in their early years of serving a congregation. It does not matter whether one has taken the path from high school to college to seminary to first call, or is a second career pastor. Serving a congregation is different than anything done before. Pastoral ministry is an art learned best through intentional reflection on one’s ministry.

Coaching begins with the conviction that the minister is whole, resourceful and creative. Coaching draws upon the minister's gifts, skills, knowledge, insights and wisdom to establish future oriented goals addressing personal and ministry oriented issues, and developing concrete steps to realize the fulfillment of the goals. Coaching focuses on the minister not the ministry context. The coach maintains a strict standard of confidentiality. Unless it is part of the coaching contract, the coach does not report to the session or to the presbytery about the person being coached or the coaching content.

No pastor goes into their first, or any successive, call expecting it to be short-term. Coaching helps the pastor avoid the short-term call syndrome by:

Ø  Providing a safe arena for intentional reflection on the practice of ministry

Ø  Clarifying one’s role as a pastor

Ø  Dealing with multiple expectations from congregation members

Ø  Sorting the important from the urgent

Ø  Gaining perspective and avoiding blind spots in ministry

Ø  Dealing constructively with conflict

Ø  Handling frustration, failure and anger

Ø  Being a less anxious presence in a highly anxious situation

A Google search for “why pastors quit” reveals a multitude of articles listing reasons for and statistics on the startling attrition of ministers across the theological spectrum.

A frightening number of ministers face dissolution of their call within the first five years. An alarming number of ministers become disillusioned and leave ministry in the first five years. Duke University, Alban Institute and Fuller Seminary have produced studies which indicate a dropout rate of ministers in the first five years ranging from fifty percent to eighty-five percent.² In today’s church environment very few will remain in ministry from ordination to retirement.

Secular employers know it is less expensive to retain an employee than constantly training new employees. On the Presbyterian Mission Agency website, it states, It costs your Presbyterian seminaries an average $109,000 to educate a Master of Divinity student for three years.³

That is a significant investment by the individual and by seminary benefactors. Short term pastorates are harmful to congregations,⁴ and disheartening to ministers.

In 2004, the Board of Pensions produced a report on clergy recruitment and retention.⁵ In 2006, the Board produced another study on mid-career ministers. Both studies raised the concern of attrition in the first years of pastoral service.

The 2004 report identified three primary contributors to the attrition: stress, conflict, and burnout. Ministers, whether new to ministry or with several years of experience, are hesitant to go to colleagues or mid-council staff with their frustrations or unfulfilled dreams. Nobody likes to admit they are having difficulties or are deeply discouraged in their present call.  Due to the referencing function of presbytery executive staff and the stigma of contacting those who fill the role of the Committee on Ministry, ministers are reluctant to seek help from them. It is unwise for ministers to bare the burdens of one’s soul to congregants. The minister is left with few options other than to internalize. Internalized difficulties and unfulfilled dreams are the seedbeds for weed like growth of the contributors to attrition. A coach helps the minister and increases the potential for lengthening pastoral tenure and lessening pastoral attrition.

Coaching and having a coach is an investment worth making in the minister and the congregation(s) they serve.

1.      Zayda Rivera, April 9, 2013 http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/channel-surfer/2013/04/the-voice-season-4-episode-5-recap-usher-shakira-starting-to-hold-own-as-new-

2.      Keeping Your Pastor: An Emerging Challenge, Kristin Stewart, Oakland City University 2009. http://www.oak.edu/~oakedu/assets/ck/files/Stewart+(SU+09).pdf

3.      Short-term Pastorates, Arnold Kurtz, January, 1980. https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1980/01/short-term-pastorates

4.      http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/seminaries/students/

5.      Report on Clergy Recruitment and Retention (2004)

http://www.pensions.org/AvailableResources/BookletsandPublications/Documents/pub-500.pd

6.      Supporting Mid-Career Pastors of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (2006) http://www.pensions.org/AvailableResources/BookletsandPublications/Documents/pub-501.pdf‎

What Are You Reading?

Last week brought the news that Lyle Schaller died at the age of 91. Lyle was particularly prolific in his writings on church organization and programs. One could have called Lyle the “Mr. Fixit” of the Church. I think at one point I had read about two-thirds of his fifty-five books. I was intent on reading a lot about church organization and programs to make the church more efficient and effective. In retrospect I see now that Lyle was writing for the church of the 1950’s, and those of us who we reading him and trying to implement his “fixits” were already behind the times as the Church had already entered a metamorphosis of no longer being what it was. I was a pretty good ecclesiastical mechanic and remained so for most of the years of my active service as a pastor and presbytery executive. The problem was being a mechanic for a steam locomotive in the dawning of the age of bullet trains is a disconnect.

One of the things I am now realizing is I neglected any sustained study of Scripture and theology. The one three year exception was when studying for my D.Min. at Eden Seminary in the St. Louis area. Studying liberation theology under Dr. Meeks and prophetic theology under Dr. Brueggemann did take me outside the drive to be a better mechanic. I can’t remember the names of any of my other professors in that program of study. I remember Meeks and Brueggemann because their classes were the most challenging and exciting.

I had many books stacked up to be read someday. They were still stacked up when I winnowed my library upon leaving my last position. After that I once again immersed myself in my old leisure reading cycle of political intrigue and international espionage fiction. Then at the polity conference last October, Dr. Timothy Cargal referred to an atonement theory with which I was not familiar. I asked him to send me some bibliographical references so I could read more about it. Thankfully, he sent me an abundant list, including the writings of Rene Girard. The first book I read was Girard’s The Scapegoat. I inhaled the book as once again found the challenge and excitement of biblical theology. The book I am now about two-thirds through is Arch Taylor’s God for All: The Biblical Foundation of Universal Grace. I ask myself why I neglected this reading for such a long time.

I have heard it said, “Some ministers have not read a theology book since they graduated from seminary.” Mia culpa, mia cupla, mia maxima culpa! I was too busy reading Schaller and others, and now admit I was one of those. What would I encourage those early in their ministry about their reading habits? I would say the reading which will have the greatest effect on your preaching, teaching and pastoral care are biblical and theological in nature. If these do not fill more of your reading than books on mechanics you are short changing yourself and those you have been called to serve.

There are no magic bullets in the books on ecclesiastical mechanics. I can give witness to that. Lyle Schaller gave a lot of mechanical advice. In spite of the fact that so many of us read his works and endeavored to implement his advice, all the while the church and the world were changing in ways that today make us question if anything was truly improved for the Church.

When I was a kid, on Friday afternoon my dad could pull his 1947 Plymouth Coupe under the apple tree; throw a block and tackle on a sturdy limb; pull the engine; rebuild it and have it ready to drive to work on Monday morning. Try that with the computer controlled vehicles of today. Yesterday’s ecclesiastical mechanics just do not work in the Church of today.

Fear of Failure

How many times do we back off from pursuing an idea or project because we fear failure? What will others think of me if it doesn’t work? How long can I delay before I am forced to take action? I know the situation calls for me to preach on this subject, but some, many, all may not agree. What if we invest significant money, time and energy into a new mission project and it flops before we really get started?

Shakespeare wrote, A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero only one (Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 2, Line 32). Yet, many of us in life and ministry are paralyzed by our fear of failure. Yet in the play Macbeth the bard writes, when Macbeth is afraid of failing in killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth responds, But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail (Acts 1, Scene 7, lines 60-61). Franklin D. Roosevelt, in response to the American economic crisis, said in his first inaugural address, So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

Scripture is replete with urgings against fear. One of my favorite passages is in Deuteronomy 31:6. The Hebrews stand at the bank of the Jordan. Moses is giving his farewell address. He knows the people are fearsome about engaging the people of the land into which they would be going. Moses proclaims, Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Then there is Psalm 23:4, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The angle saws to Mary at the annunciation, “Fear not…” The angel says to the shepherds, “Fear not….” Several times Jesus says, “Fear not….” When the women arrive at the tomb they are told, “Fear not….” When Jesus enters the room in which the disciples were gathered he said, "Fear not...."

We fear the dark. We fear fire. We fear storms. We fear economic collapse. We fear terrorists. We fear refusal in asking for something. We fear rejection when asking another for a date or to get married. We fear getting fired. We fear having an accident.  Most of all, we fear of failure.

For a about three weeks I have had an email for access to take the Coach Knowledge Assessment exam for credentialing by the International Coach Federation. I left the email sitting there waiting to be opened. I blocked out three days this week to review and take the exam. Just before Noon I had to admit to myself that I was procrastinating taking the assessment because I feared failing the assessment. Once acknowledging that, I decided just park my backside in my chair and take the exam. Less than two hours later I had passed the exam. My fears were ill founded.

Most of our fears are ill founded. It would be foolish not to experience fear in the face of a clear and present danger. Those are far less frequent than actual. Fear of failure whether in love, preaching, beginning something new, or being tested blocks the accomplishment of that which is most desired.

Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.

Dark Days

Anybody who is serving, or has served, as a pastor of a congregation, and who is honest with themselves and others, will admit there are dark days in that service. I just finished reading this article on FaceBook http://thomrainer.com/2015/02/25/ten-joy-stealers-ministry-get-back/. The author, Thom S. Rainer, provides a “joy stealer” list which, from personal experience and the observation of many ministers in my roles of serving on Committees on Ministry and as a General Presbyter, is right on target.

The issue is not whether there will be dark days in ministry. The issue is how we handle them. A periodic dark day occasioned by one of the things on Rainer’s list is to be expected. Not everybody will see or react to us in all our saintly wonderfulness. Some of the great ideas we have had will not always produce the amazing results we had hoped for. Not every sermon will move people to ecstatic expressions or spiritual growth. Not every meeting of the session (church governing board) will be filled with praise for our ministry. While the things on Rainer’s list hurt they are not necessarily a mortal wound. However, we all know a paper cut can hurt as much as a cut which needs stitches.

Both as a pastor and as a general presbyter, there were times when the dark days stretched into dark weeks. Sometimes it was possible to just gut through them myself. Sometimes Rainer’s prescriptions worked. Sometimes it helped to sit with a colleague and pour out my heart to one I knew would understand. Other times it was necessary to seek medicinal or therapeutic assistance. Trying to self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, or negative behaviors of acting out only makes matters worse. There is nothing wrong in seeking help when dark days start adding up and weighing us down. There is nothing wrong in storming the Mercy Seat, beating upon the chest of God, and unloading our lament. God is big enough, graceful and merciful enough to withstand, even to welcome, our onslaught.

I have counseled several ministers and have had to remind myself, never resign on Monday or the day after a session (church board) meeting. Those are two of our most vulnerable times.  The old advice of “count to ten before you do anything” is applicable. One can only resign once. It is not something which can be taken back. It is like saying to our spouse, “I want a divorce,” and then trying to say the declaration was not meant seriously or was only spoken in a moment of anger. Once the wedge is driven into a log the splitting cannot be stopped.

My best counsel is do not let the dark days pile up before seeking help. Seek out somebody who stands outside of your immediate family and congregation. Risk being open and vulnerable to another. A drowning person cannot pull themself out of the lake. An outstretched hand, a listening ear, from another who has felt their own dark days may be all that is needed to bring light into our life and ministry.

Tithing Our Time

One of my favorite songs is “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” by Chicago on their first album in the early 1980’s. (Click the URL and listen) I know, for some readers, the 80s is reaching back before memories began. Another, more recent, song about time is from the musical Rent “Seasons of Love.” (Click the URL for the Lyrics and song.) It begins with an enumeration of the minutes in a year, Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure, measure a year?

For years I have said my motto is “Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and today might be the last day of my life. It must be lived with faithfulness and intensity.” When Jesus was asked about when will the Son of Man will come? He responded, But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mt 24.36 NRSV)

Today we are never far from a time piece be it a watch, a clock or our ever present digital devices. In many churches a clock is hung on the back wall so the time is ever before the minister. I once served a congregation which wanted the worship service at 11:55 so they could beat the Methodists to the restaurants. In western Pennsylvania, during football season, nothing can intrude on the time the Steelers’ game is to begin.

I was recently in a discussion with the participants in the polity class I am teaching for the Commissioned Ruling Elder program done in cooperation with Pittsburgh Presbyterian Seminary and the Synod of the Trinity. The discussion centered on the length of Session meetings. They reminded me that many elders want the session meeting to be finished in an hour or less.

While I believe many meetings can become too long, I am more concerned about the content of the meeting than its length. If the Session is merely a board of directors then a pro forma meeting might be sufficient. However, if the Session is a gathering of elders who are concerned not only with the temporal/organizational matters of the congregation things might take a bit longer.

What if the Session meeting were to include a real devotional time rather than a brief opening prayer? What if some time were taken to build upon and support the fellowship among the session members? What if some time were taken to study and discuss portions of the Book of Confessions and/or the Book of Order? What if time were taken to study and discussion issues before the church and/or community? What if the Session were to trust its committees rather than functioning as a committee of the whole and reworking every recommendation from its committees?

The drive to get in and get out of a session meeting in an hour or less may indicate that time is more important to us than faithfully carrying out our responsibilities as elders. It is the same drive which calls for Sunday morning worship to last no more than an hour.

We only have the time which God has given us. Each day has 1,440 minutes. What if we were to tithe our time each day? That would be 2.4 hours given in service to God. Service to God does not mean it all has to be directly related to "church work." We are called to love God and our neighbors. What difference could we make in our life, in the life of our family, in the life of our congregation, in the life of our community, in the world if we were to intentionally use that 2.4 hours intentionally fulfilling those two prime directives? (Yes that is a Star Trek reference.)