Wet. Yucky. Nasty. Weather.

To say it that way does it some kind of justice.

I really do NOT like cloudy and wet, dreary days. Would rather have some sunshine to energize my bones.

The whole weekend for northeast Missouri is shaping up like this, too. Bummer.

Key words: wet weather, rain, cloudy, dreary, sunshine, northeast Missouri, National Weather Service forecast. 

So Here’s The News…

Met with our DS, Bill Koch, after work at Trinity UMC last night. Here's what I found out:

• Not going to Licensing School this year; Nashville (where the GBOD resides) is currently at a 6 month backlog in processing paperwork. Ugh.
• Will be called before the church before during conference time this fall to be recommended for School this upcoming (2007) church year.
• I will still go through all the channels and paperwork as I have been, and hopefully get a jump on next year's process and be one of the first to get my name in for the appointment process.
• I am on Bill Koch's short list of laity to call to fill pulpit's on-demand; this is different than the pulpit supply list…this will mean I need to be ready in season and out of season!
• I was asked once again about mission work…very interesting; this keeps coming up over and over again; this is the fourth time someone has said something about mission work to me. Hmmmm. I told Bill this would be an interesting arena to pursue…in about 10 years.
• He told me that Jeannie NEEDED to be with me wherever I go to lay speak, because it helps for moral and spiritual support. This was a confirmation of what the two of us have been praying about and how we see the ministry that God has called us in to.
• He told me to continue on with the Lay Missioner (now Lay Minister) courses, as this will still help me out in the long-term. Any education I can get for now is a definite plus.
• He also said seminary will set us back around $50-75 grand after all is said and done; and to find a wealthy benefactor if at all possible. LOL.
• Finally, the best thing that I liked was that he constantly referred to the church as the Church of Jesus Christ, and not the Methodist church. That was very comforting.

So, for now, I will continue on the path I am on; still lay speaking and still serving Christ in our home church, until God opens up the doors.

An interesting thing, however…Bill told me that things could change any time, and that I could be called to a part-time appointment somewhere if the need arises. He said the situation is always in flux and told me to be ready at any time, just in case.

So…we will see!

God bless and have a GREAT weekend! As for us, it's off to Milan on Saturday for my Spiritual Gifts Assessment testing; and then later on down the road they will do my Psychological testing.

Key words: ministry, pulpit supply, Mark Twain District, Missouri United Methodist Conference, in season, laity, mission work, Trinity UMC, Brookfield, Spiritual Gifts Assessment.

Another Meeting…

This time with Rev. Bill Koch, the Mark Twain District Superintendent for the Missouri United Methodist Conference. We're meeting at my home church, Trinity UMC, in Brookfield.
So, lots of prayers are in order. Gonna ask some serious questions this evening…and praying that I will get some serious answers. For, to me, this stepping out in faith is not in an attempt to secure a ministry job…it is my calling from our Lord, and I want Bill, and others in leadership, to know that very thing. This is something that my fleshly self doesn't want me to do; but it is something that I HAVE to do, because God has called me to do it.

So…lift me up in your prayers. The meeting starts at 5PM. I'll let you know what happened later on this evening.

Key words: Missouri United Methodist Conference, Bill Koch, Mark Twain District, prayer, stepping out in faith, ministry,Trinity UMC, Brookfield.