[New!] The Rhythms of Ministry

Themes & Thought! New to 2018, we'll be sharing a musing or reflection with you each month discussing various subjects relating to ministry and family life. We'd love to share the conversation with you below and hear what you think. Let us know if there's something you'd like us to explore and chat about!

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The Rhythms of Ministry (January)

There's a lot of talk about a healthy work-life balance, and often how difficult it is to achieve that in professions with unpredictable, but necessary, hours. An article we read recently suggested there were ebbs and flows in ministry you have to work around. This got us thinking! What if ministry is less about a balance and more about working out the busier, quieter, and regular seasons to help you create a rhythm that includes all areas of life? Maybe that means working out what's essential for each season and what can wait for another time. Or perhaps it's creating a written schedule that helps to plan for the busier seasons in the quieter ones. Regardless of what your Ministry Rhythm looks like, and perhaps it changes with each church or family season, understanding it could give you some room to expect the sometimes chaotic hours and not be overwhelmed when the tides change.

What do you think about the Rhythms of Ministry? 

~ Rachel  

February: Just Like Everyone Else, Right?

 www.australianclergyfamilies.com -- Journeying together with clergy families

5 Things Every Pastor's Kid Should Know

Barnabas Piper's book 'The Pastor's Kid' was one of the first books I ever read about clergy family life. His honesty and passion to see clergy children and clergy families around the world understood and cared for has been truly inspirational.

After reading his book (read my review here), my hunt for helpful resources for clergy kids has stretched far and wide across the internet! In my travels, I came across this wonderful list on a Facebook page for pastor's kids. It struck me recently after completing our research with clergy kids how similar the experience is for PKs across the world.

We know from speaking to many adult clergy kids here in Australia that as they get older, they become more aware of the expectations, circumstances, and needs of their parent's ministry. Many tell us they find it difficult to open up about how they're going because they often don't want to be a burden. Maybe that's where ice cream comes in! If you know a PK, maybe it's worth grabbing an ice cream, hot chocolate or even going for a walk sometime and sharing a chat about what they're enjoying or finding difficult in ministry at the moment? I hope you find this list an encouraging starting point!

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"Here are five things I would want to tell to every PK.

1) You Don't Have To Be Perfect: You may feel the pressure of being perfect, but being perfect is an impossible expectation to meet. We aren't perfect. We will never be perfect. The best we can do is strive to be like Jesus.

Cute Shoes: The Unexpected Textbook (Ministry Wives Book Review)

ACF Rating: 4 out of 5 books

 
I love a good pair of shoes, which if I’m honest is probably part of the reason I chose this book! I’ve been on the hunt for a good resource for ministry wives for several years now, particularly relating to being yourself in the face of ministry expectations and self care. So when I picked up this book, I was looking forward to seasoned advice, personal stories, and even a dash of Aussie humour.

 

What I didn’t expect was a thoroughly written, humourous texbook for clergy wives called to ministry.

While the title suggests a book about being yourself in ministry, I would argue that it is instead the kind of textbook that makes you think “finally!” when you get into it. 

Caps, Mishaps & New Schools (Clergy Kid Book Review)

My Magical Life ~ Zach King

ACF Rating: 3 out of 5 books
Suits Ages 7 - 9

Books about what it's like to be a clergy kid (PK) can be a little hard to find, so this month I’m reviewing a book that deals with one issue PKs can come across on a regular basis; changing schools.

Written by a Christian author, they introduce us to Zach, an 11-year-old boy, who wants to find out what makes him special, a feat that is tricky when he comes from a family who all have magical abilities...except him.  

He’s been home-schooled all his life but as time passes, and his family is unsure if Zach does have magical abilities, his parents decide to send him to a ‘normal’ school. What follows is Zach’s exploration, pioneer style, into the world of Horace Greely Middle School. Here he makes friends with some students, the geek Aaron and the outdoorsy Rachel, and discovers the vindictive alpha girl Michelle’s habit for picking on new and unpopular students.

This book deals with themes of friendship, bullying, popularity, loneliness, and testing boundaries in a new school environment, with lots of bubbly creativity. The characters are simple to understand, the magical theme light-hearted, and the focus on struggling to fit in is clear.

Adding to the sense of fun is the augmented reality (AR) facets of the book itself.  A first in my experience, many of the illustrations throughout the book appear to become animated when viewed through a mobile device (Android or Apple). These illustrations really played into the magical theme, and were a lot of fun to explore.

With the number of moves clergy children generally make, and the challenges of fitting into a new environment or school, resources such as My Magical Life may provide excellent opportunities for clergy families to discuss navigating these times, in a playful and relaxed way.

I'd love to know what you think, if there are any other books on changing schools you've found helpful, it would be great to hear from you. 

You can find this book through Book Depository for about $12.

- Matt (PK Place Leader)

www.australianclergyfamilies.com -- journeying together with clergy families