Thanksgiving is a lifestyle, not simply a holiday scheduled the fourth Thursday of November.
In the spirit of continuing the focus on thankfulness, today I’m reflecting on and giving thanks for the ten different ministry settings I’ve served.
These settings vary in many ways, yet are all committed to making more real God’s kin-dom on earth
- Founding: Less than 10 years ago to more than 150
- Size: Less than 100 active participants to more than 2,000
- Denomination: 5 Mainline Protestant denominations
- Location: all in Texas or Florida
Texas
In Texas, I’ve served five congregations and an ecumenical mission center. All of these ministries are in the Dallas – Fort Worth metro area. The primary affiliations of these congregations (or founding congregation in the case of the ecumenic mission center) are
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – 2
- Lutheran (ELCA) – 1
- Presbyterian (PCUSA) – 2
- United Methodist – 1
Florida
In Florida, I’ve served four congregations. All of these ministries are in Southwest Florida. The primary affiliations of these congregations are
- Presbyterian (PCUSA) – 1
- United Church of Christ – 3
So What?
In each ministry setting, I’ve learned from many people and grown in my faith.
Over the next two weeks, I’ve scheduled myself some time to reflect on these ministry experiences and to reconnect with some of the people that made them possible.
I’d welcome hearing from you:
- Share one (or more) congregations you are thankful for
- Share a little about a person (or a few people) who made a significant contribution to your faith journey