It's hard to believe I have not posted anything for nearly a month, but I have been swamped with papers for the two DMin classes I took earlier this year. The good news is that I finished the last paper for my last class yesterday! All I have left to do now is my thesis. While that is challenging enough, it doesn't have the deadlines all those papers had. I can relax a little and do some other things I enjoy doing.
So far this year I have led the "Healthy Small Church" workshop at three sites in Indiana for our region. Attendance has been much better than I anticipated, and the responses have been very positive. I'm scheduled to lead it one more time in the region, and then, hopefully, take it back on the road to other denominational and independent churches.
I am also scheduled to lead my "Transforming the Small Church" workshop later this summer for a gathering of the General Baptists in Evansville. I spoke at a couple of other events for them in 2000 and 2001, and I look forward to being with them again.
Bivocational ministry continues to be more accepted by many churches and denominational organizations, and I continue to believe we will see the number of bivocational churches grow in the future. Economics will drive a lot of that, but many smaller churches are also realizing that having a bivocational minister for a long-term is better than trying to find a student pastor who will only be with them for a year or two. The challenge will be in identifying sufficient numbers of persons whom God has called to this ministry and providing them with the training they will need to be effective. It is my prayer that the resources I have developed will help do that.
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