Hello. I'm retired now in Bothell, WA. I appreciate the above comments of Scott, Dirk and Rich. I just recently returned from a 50th Church Anniversary of their beginnings in a town in NW Iowa. We had a great time at the Anniversary. My ministry there had been difficult about 45 years ago, with a mix of "old guard" ultraconservative folk and more moderate ones and the pressures of trying to turn out 2 respectable sermons/Sunday. By now the congregation has grown in grace and in numbers and the loyalty, like still attending both services faithfully, was good to see. I endured the stresses of the time, in retrospect, partly from having had a quarter of CPE right after Seminary (as Dirk recommends), commaraderie of like-minded minister colleagues of RCA and CRC ministers, (as Rich experiences) and some more progressive members of the congregation. So, as a common expression goes nowadays, Take heart: "It gets better." Gratefully, Don Klompeen
Posted in: Pastors Supporting Pastors
Hello. I'm retired now in Bothell, WA. I appreciate the above comments of Scott, Dirk and Rich. I just recently returned from a 50th Church Anniversary of their beginnings in a town in NW Iowa. We had a great time at the Anniversary. My ministry there had been difficult about 45 years ago, with a mix of "old guard" ultraconservative folk and more moderate ones and the pressures of trying to turn out 2 respectable sermons/Sunday. By now the congregation has grown in grace and in numbers and the loyalty, like still attending both services faithfully, was good to see. I endured the stresses of the time, in retrospect, partly from having had a quarter of CPE right after Seminary (as Dirk recommends), commaraderie of like-minded minister colleagues of RCA and CRC ministers, (as Rich experiences) and some more progressive members of the congregation. So, as a common expression goes nowadays, Take heart: "It gets better." Gratefully, Don Klompeen