Church Hunt

In earlier posts I've said that I've actually found two churches in DC--I split my time between two congregations--an gospel-style Catholic congregation in Anacostia and a non-denominational, contemporary congregation that meets in movie theaters near Georgetown University.

While this is true--when I'm back in Southlake at White's Chapel I'm struck with how not "mine" these churches--and the church I went to in college was.

Will I ever be able to really be involved in the community of a congregation like that again? Especially now that I'm in a ministerial occupation--I feel so stretched thin, especially when it comes to ability and free time to lead evening or weekend activities.

But being home, I think about how my family has really invested in the life of our home church--for one we've been going there since I was 10 years old--soon to be 13 years. We went to Sunday school, did Vacation bible school, I was an accolyte, I worked in the church nursery, was the receptionist for awhile, active in the youth group, mission trips, my mom teaches Sunday School, my dad's a communion server, my mom's in the choir, we usher and serve communion. While there are certainly more visible, involved families--a large portion of our life's energy goes into that place. Even when things happen there we don't like (as will happen in any church situation)--we don't leave, we commit to being part of the change.

But getting to that place took a lot of energy. Maybe it's because we were a family--my parents worked on a generally 9-5 schedule, making them available for weekend and evening functions. They didn't get this involved in a church until they started having kids--it's a place for kids to grow up in (that's a whole other blog topic on what we go to church expecting to "receive"--but for another day). But I don't want to be someone who doesn't commit to a church significantly until I have children--that could be over 10 years!

But I see myself caught in a difficult place--I want to know people at church. I want to have the time to do that first.

But also I want to know that I've chosen the place I want to settle down and commit to sticking through difficult times, being part of the change again. But now, when I go to two congregations--and really have no friends in either--it's difficult to think I'm in a great place ot start making those decisions.


But then given my job--working nights, being gone weekends and long school breaks--will this ever happen? It speaks to larger issues of having trouble getting involved really anywhere or making new friends or even getting to know my housemates.
-But really my job effects my choice in church in more than a scheduling dillema. This is where I'd start to take issue with someone who is so thoroughly convinced that InterVarsity is not a church--it is a gathering, a body of believers. And I am appointed to help shepherd this part of God's flock. Or something like that.

And beyond that I'm heavily involved in a community--the community of my house--and the larger network of DC area community homes. I see that really as my church congregation if anything--I have leadership and contribution there--but it's not a formal organization, there's not a weekly meeting in a specific building.

It's somewhat like a relationship--you have to commit and see it through. At this stage it looks like a lot of time and alot of work--and when I can see some of the later stages (my church in southlake)--it's hard to remember what the beginning was like....

But still I have trouble when pondering how this fits in with my parachurch job and community living?

Please comment! email! anything!

Sharing Stories

I'm back in Texas now, having ended my first semester as InterVarsity staff at Georgetown University.

Being at home so early in the holiday seasons, I've taken most of this past week to devote to visiting donors who helped get me "on the field" in DC.

I spend most of the day making candy and cookies to bring people people and then about 4:30pm set out in the car to visit people all around town!

It's been an awesome week--going around sharing stories of the semester.
I get to talk about the bible studies I'm a part of, how i've gotten to help out at the elementary school down the street, share the struggles of life transition, answer questions off of my blog or emails, have people pray for my spiritual development and ministry.

But actually my favorite part of the whole things has been hearing other people's stories.

I wonder sometimes if it's the title of my job as a "religious" profession that allows people the license to talk about God in a more explicit way than they would otherwise--some might say that's just the holy spirit working, opening up two people to hear his presence period.

But regardless, many people I visit take the time to tell me about how God's been impacting their live this year--how they've seen changes in their family, felt God move in dreams, been impacted by encounters in their neighborhood. I've heard about all kinds of mission work as well--an orphanage built in Cambodia, family mission trips to a racially divided town in the deep South.
I sit back sometimes and think that people might look at these visits and think--wait, weren't you supposed to get a "report"--almost financial accountability of what's been going on in the ministry all semester? Sure, I get a chance to do that some--but what really interests me is seeing how God's impacting the lives of people here in Dallas just as much as people in Washington DC.

They say it to us over and over again in InterVarsity training "fundraising is ministry....fundraising is ministry." Sounds like they're right.

Since I last wrote

Since I last posted, I've done some traveling and made it back to Texas.

My last weekend in DC we had a Georgetown visioning retreat for InterVarsity.
The students looked at a lot of materials, prayed, and found a vision they would get behind for the coming semester. Current goals/vision includes focusing on prayer, increasing student involvment and leadership, and inviting more friends to fellowship events.
It was a very successful day and it is exciting to see them all be happy and energetic about this vision!

After that, I went to a WM alums party at Tom and Sara's apartment, great to reconnect with that crowd!

Sunday after church at St. Theresa's, my local Catholic parish (where the priest is on the board of Sojourners!), I got an interesting visit from some friends of the Catholic volunteers down the street. I classified them as "Christian anarcists"--because of all their anti-politics talk. They want to start a Catholic worker house that serves more as spiritual renewal for those people out "serving in the field" more.

Monday through Wednesday of last week I went to another installment of New Staff Training--this time on New Student populations. We talked about how to expand our InterVarsity chapters to include different kinds of students than we've included in the past.
My coworker and I focused on Catholic students and athletes.
My favorite exercise we talked about looking for "glimpses of the gospel" in the cultures and actions of our student populations. For instance, when talking about trying to include GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered) students in our fellowships--one staff person talked about admiring the group's willingness to be unashamed in their identity. This is something we would want Christian students to feel more about claiming their faith.

Thursday we had a spring break bible study planning meeting at our house, talking about several sections from Luke.
I left early to volunteer at International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org)'s annual benefit banquet. I got to bring 7 students and friends alongside me. During my time at William and Mary I was heavily involved in a campus chapter of IJM. It was a lot of fun to connect students to some of the people working for IJM and other justice-related careers. One of my students had never heard of IJM before! That was a lot of fun to see her discover it for the first time.


Friday was my last day on campus. Friday evening we had our staff Christmas party.

Early Saturday morning I flew back home to Texas.

Being home has been great.......
Got to attend Nikki's graduation and post-parties.
Lots of time to bake, visit donors and get moderate amounts of sleep. I've found some free-week offerings at local gyms I'm enjoying.

I'm also starting a 4-week "back from college" bible study with students from my home church. This past sunday's first study was well attended and people really enjoyed talking about Jonah 1 and whether they were running from God. Great time!

A December Visit

I got to pop down to William and Mary for a whirlwind 36 hour visit this week.

When I work everyday of both last weekend and this one--well I decided it was ok to take my "weekend" in the middle of the week.
Beating the snow, I got down late Tuesday night.

With so many people at school, I feel like each visit I get to see either people I didn't see the time before or people I haven't visited yet all semester.
This time I got in the first professor visits all semester.

I also got to attend the alternative gift fair--one of my favorite things I got to particate with during my time at school.

Overallgood visit.

Each time helps me take a step back and realize what's going on at Georgetown IV by contrast....and how God's moving in my own life and heart. How much I'm changing--and both how similar and different college students can be from one place to the next.