Ministry Journals Weeks 6-10
Ministry Journal Weeks 6 – 10
Week 6
Date: June 30th, 2019
Location: St. Paul’s Church, Paget Bermuda
1.
What happened this week at your
ministry site?
Designed and Lead Sunday Morning Service
Served communion
Hosted visiting Pastor from St. Mellitus
Participated in med-week communion
Supervisor Meeting
Attended and participated in St. Mellitus, Bermuda’s
first Graduating class
Attended Part 2 of the Preaching class and preached for 5
mins.
Met with Rev Dr. Maria Seaman of Shekina Glory Ministries,
Hamilton Parish, Bermuda (Pentecostal) / Head of the Preserve Marriage Movement
in Bermuda.
My first Pastoral Home Visitation
Met with Rev David Trott, of Peace Lutheran Church, Paget
Bermuda
Cleric Meeting
2.
Taking a step back from the list of
activities, how might you make meaning or reflect on this work?
Now that I had earned the trust of the congregation, I was asked to a
design a service. That was exciting and
well received.
Preaching at as part of the preaching class gave me some much-needed feedback. It was a chance to develop.
The meeting with Rev Seaman was informative and difficult. I walked away understanding and respecting
her position but a bit disturbed that I wasn’t able to help her see beyond the
black and white.
Thought deeply about churches that speak to you as oppose to those that
engage you in a conversation during service.
When the room is heavy it is difficult to lift the atmosphere in
service. In my experiences with more
demonstrative traditions service would not be allowed to continue with a heavy
atmosphere. Perhaps I should have
address this with my supervisor hear his rational.
It was awesome participating in the St. Mellitus Graduation. Very honoring and beautiful to see. Prelude to my graduation from seminary.
The in-home pastoral visit was interesting because of the setting, the
age of the congregants and their spiritual maturity. At times it was difficult, because of
culture, not to hand the lead off to those I was visiting.
What did you learn?
It was reinforced to me that because of the conditioning of faith
traditions it is difficult to share concepts.
It is becoming clear that there is a shift happening with clergy /
persons groomed in Charismatic and Pentecostal environments feeling called to
ministry in more contemplative faith traditions.
Where are gaps in your knowledge?
Rev. Ant has an amazing capacity to understand and delve into culture in
order to grasp the community around him.
While I see the necessity of this I’m torn as it does not come naturally
to me. With that being said I’m beginning
to investigate what I have naturally that can give me that same vantage point.
What is becoming clear? What is
unclear?
I’m
gaining confidence and I’m finding that my preaching style is as varied /
flexible as my personal worship expression.
3. What stories are emerging? (This is where
you can begin to write a case study)
While it was an honor to be
included in the closed-door cleric meeting it bought with it some personal challenges. I could not find a child minder for my
seven-year-old and had to take her with me to the all-white male environment as
a black woman on my own. While this may
not seem to be a big issue it was a very big hurdle that I had to learn how to
overcome with confidence and still feel as though I could still add valuable
content to the meeting.
Week 7
Date: July 7th, 2019
Location: St. Paul’s Church, Paget Bermuda
1.
What happened this week at your
ministry site?
Lead Sunday Morning Service
Served Communion
Preached med-week communion
Supervisor Meeting
Visited with newly installed Rev
Dr. Hayward of St. Philip AME Church, Smith’s Parish, Bermuda
Pastoral Visit
Visit with Reggie Rawlings of Bully
Graham Funeral Home
Invited to a private meeting to
present the Anglican Church and its package.
Attended the 50year Anniversary of
Camp Hope – a youth camping program
Participated in teaching a Sunday
School class.
Participated in Vacation Bible
School
Participated in a leadership
meeting Rev Ant is trying to develop within the church
2.
Taking a step back from the list of activities, how might you make
meaning or reflect on this work?
Preaching mid-communion reinforced my reliance on
God. Mid week service is attended my a
few senior and mature Christians who, as Rev Ant puts it, eat meat and is
designed as a chat to engage them. The
lectionary text that week was very involved however I walked away confident in
my understand of the Bible and my ability to communicate it. I was particularly proud when Rev Ant
congratulated me for the best review of the History of Israel done under five
minutes.
The visit to the funeral was very informative. Mr. Rawlings provided critical information
about mourning process of different cultures within Bermuda. Additionally, he was able to give depth to
conversation of declining churches and what that looks like through the
generations of families.
The recruitment meeting was intense and had me
contemplating how my skill set could lend itself to the needs for this
community.
What did you learn?
As a person who has not had a great repore with children I see a
developing interest.
I’m learning more and more, probably as a tool for balance, how that
even though your skill can assist and be a great help to multiple projects does
not mean you must participate and how staying in your God given lane is adhered
to you it cuts down on stress and feeling overwhelmed.
I’m finding that in order to truly get the best out of my meetings that
I am intentionally suspending you thoughts and judgement so that the
interviewee can feel free to talk and be received.
I learned that while transitioning into a ministry we can not enter
feeling over confident about our plan without the incorporation of the
members. Also, we should honor the
ministry of our predecessor.
After attending the recruitment interview over the weekend felt an urge
to complete my Presbyterian ordination papers.
I took that as an answer to the Anglican recruitment as a no which
together also meaning no to ministry in Bermuda as there are no PC(USA)
churches in Bermuda.
What is becoming clear? What is
unclear?
I’m confused as to why all the doors about Bermuda’s
current faith location are open to me if
I not intended to do ministry in Bermuda.
3. What stories are emerging? (This is where
you can begin to write a case study)
Ministry can be hard and you can
twist yourself into a pretzel trying to accommodate people.
Week 8
Date: July 14th, 2019
Location: St. Paul’s Church, Paget Bermuda
1.
What happened this week at your
ministry site?
Preached out at Peace Lutheran Church for their All Ages
Service (was invited to serve communion)
Participated in mid-week communion
Supervisory Meeting
Vacation Bible School – Evangelical
Meeting with Heidi Powell of Evangelical Church of
Bermuda / Word of Life Youth Ministries
Prepared and presented a grave strategy for church
administrator
Attended Community Prayer
Attended a vestry meeting
2.
Taking a step back from the list of
activities, how might you make meaning or reflect on this work?
I’m finding it particularly interesting how my former career in
hospitality management, revenue management and hotels professional is lending
its self well to ministry in regard to people, facilities and
What did you learn?
I’m finding that children’s
ministry can be very creative and provides opportunity to pulls various aspects
of simple living.
In my supervisor meetings I am finding that I have so much info to
process from what I am learning.
Where are gaps in your knowledge?
There are things about my ability and interest that I am not aware of.
What is becoming clear? What is
unclear?
How can all these things that I
desire to do in ministry be done?
3. What stories are emerging? (This is where
you can begin to write a case study)
Week 9
Date: July 21st, 2019
Location: St. Paul’s Church, Paget Bermuda
1.
What happened this week at your
ministry site?
Preached out at Peace Lutheran Church for their All Ages
Service (was invited to serve communion)
Participated in mid-week communion
Supervisory Meeting
Vacation Bible School – Evangelical
Meeting with Heidi Powell of Evangelical Church of
Bermuda / Word of Life Youth Ministries
Prepared and presented a grave strategy for church
administrator
Attended Community Prayer
Attended a vestry meeting
2.
Taking a step back from the list of
activities, how might you make meaning or reflect on this work?
I’m finding it particularly interesting how my former career in
hospitality management, revenue management and hotels professional is lending
its self well to ministry in regard to people, facilities and
What did you learn?
I’m finding that children’s
ministry can be very creative and provides opportunity to pulls various aspects
of simple living.
In my supervisor meetings I am finding that I have so much info to
process from what I am learning.
Where are gaps in your knowledge?
There are things about my ability and interest that I am not aware of.
What is becoming clear? What is
unclear?
How can all these things that I
desire to do in ministry be done?
3. What stories are emerging? (This is where
you can begin to write a case study)
Week 10
Date: July 28th, 2019
Location: St. Paul’s Church, Paget Bermuda
1.
What happened this week at your
ministry site?
Preached My Final Service
Participated in mid-week communion
Final Supervisory Meeting
Vacation Bible School – First Baptist
Met with Mark Hall, Area Director Missionary for Word of Life
Bermuda and the greater Caribbean on their private island.
Met with Overseer Deborah Dean of Rehoboth Apostolic
Church, Warwick, Bermuda
Met with Rev Bean of Bethel AME Church Bermuda
Attended a rival service with Overseer Dean
Family Movie Night – Evangelical Church
Ecumenical Prayer Service
Met with the Church Ward to present ideas for monetizing
the church campus
2.
Taking a step back from the list of
activities, how might you make meaning or reflect on this work?
I was blown away with the Word of Life Program and their strategy. I really appreciated the time that Mark Hall
spent discussing the state of religion in Bermuda and what he sees needs to be
done.
What did you learn?
Overall, I am amazed at the work that is being done in Bermuda. God is moving tremendously, and I feel more
confident about the choices I have made.
Where are gaps in your knowledge?
I conclude that I know nothing and need to rely more on God to guide me.
What is becoming clear? What is
unclear?
This summer the world of ministry opened wider for me. I had not inkling of the depth and breath of
ministry that exist outside of the church building.
3. What stories are emerging? (This is where
you can begin to write a case study)
Opps! I think I did 11 weeks!
What an amazing summer!!!!
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