The Word from B

The Montreat Experience

(Photo: Montreat)

"Encountering God through relationships, renewal, recreation and rest."

- Montreat Conference Center Mission Statement

If you have been in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) for any length of time (especially here in the Carolinas/Southeast), invariably you will hear about Montreat Conference Center.  For many it is described as a place of serenity, "a thin place", or a slice of heaven. Many people have grown up going to Montreat for many generations and find it a place to relax, refresh and get away to spend time with family and friends. No doubt it is a beautiful place and the memories and experiences run deep like a river. Included in this memory of Montreat are the youth conferences (MYC) that are held annually each summer for six weeks where many young people have their first exposure to this wonderful place. I have been many times to Montreat plenty of times in various capacities and wanted the youth from our church to have the same exposure. So for the first time ever a few weeks ago, Davie Street sent five youth and two adult back home leaders (my wife and I) to MYC week 4 (July 16-22). From the get-go they were excited to go to Montreat!

The theme of this year's conferences was A Missing Peace. My seminary classmate and President of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, Paul Roberts, did a wonderful job as keynote, highlighting that peace was not the absence of conflict. Rather, God's peace is present with us even in the midst of difficulties. Paul shared a few personal stories to highlight his journey with peace, including the story of the recent death of his mother. He was also very connected and engaging with the participants. The biggest highlight for our back home group was the daily interaction with other participants in their small groups and our partnership with Wake Forest Presbyterian Church as we went to Catawba Falls together for Wednesday free afternoon and ate dinner at their house (we stayed in the Winsborough and ate most of our meals at Assembly Inn). 

Having been a first time back home leader (which I swore that I would never do) I knew we had a great group of young people who would really resonate with the concept of peace. However I really was heartened and surprised by our discussions during evening devotions and around the meal tables as we talked about our daily experiences at the conference and in our own personal lives. Peace these days is very elusive, especially with the present societal climate. Hearing young people share in our small groups and various discussions their personal stories of family, personal struggles and overcoming adversity added an additional element of how to have peace in the midst of everything that is going on in our daily lives. In our back home group we discussed various ways in which we can enact and empower others to be peacemakers and agents of reconciliation. They had so much fun that they are ready to make MYC week four an annual event!

On that Saturday morning after the conference ended, we packed our bags and loaded the van ready to return to Raleigh. However, my wife wanted to get one last picture of our group. We had a hard time trying to decide the "perfect" picture to shoot but wife had the idea that we should take one with our hands folded into a heart with each of us in a circle (pic below). I think we can truly say the Montreat experience is not only a "thin space" but one of finding and exploring peace so we can go home and fully become what our preacher Katie Day said on the last evening in her sermon, "We are a Child of God."

 

 

Chillin' or Running toward the Light?

[Photo: Alexander Synaptic]

Have you heard of the familiar term, "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel" before? It usually means the end of a difficult situation or task, the solution to a difficult problem. Most of us in the working world also view this saying in looking forward to leaving the workplace and getting closer to retirement. This saying really hit home for me a few years ago when my wife and I had our yearly appointment with financial planner to review our plan (NOTE: quick and shameless shout-out to my financial planners at Raymond James/Pursuit Wealth Strategies!). Our main planner Pam showed us a Monte Carlo simulation, a financial formulation which helps you to determine when you can retire according to your present income. My wife has always had the plan to retire at age 55 and for me, not so much. However, what the Monte Carlo simulation showed us that on our present financial path if things still stay the same, my wife could actually retire and I would not be far behind in the very near future. Talk about seeing the light! It kind of blew my mind that retirement was even possible. I guess when you are working it never really dawned on me this would even be a possibility. 

Now don't get me wrong. I have NO intention of retiring anytime soon. I am one of those pastors who believe that you never really retire. As a matter of fact the joke I have with my financial planners is that I cannot retire until I'm 70 - that is another 17 years! Even when I do retire, I would like to consider other types of ministry such as Interim or mid council ministry, or non-profit leadership. I will be open to what plans God have for me until I am no longer able to do so. However the most important aspect of this is how are you preparing down the road? Some of us have been in the ministry for over 20 years and we already know that many of us late baby boomer/ early Gen X'er's will be leaving the workforce and retire from active church ministry sooner than later. Will we be prepared for the next journey in life or ministry? Or more importantly, what will we do until we get there?

I have seen and heard two ways in pastors deal with getting closer to retirement. The first way is "just chillin" - and unfortunately not in a good way. Some ministers pretty much have made the decision to just do what I call "maintenance ministry" and try to ride out their remaining time in their churches until retirement comes. Now there are often many factors that happen to be in this situation - trying to get children through college, caretaker for an ill family member, no longer have any discernible skills for outside ministry, etc. In the meantime, you find that the congregation which they serve is not progressing. No new ideas about ministry are coming forth. No backup plan to train others to take over the ministry. Church life and vitality become stale. Members begin to complain about the beloved pastor behind their back and sometimes make suggestions in their face to no avail. The church is on life support. This is not what I envision ministry going forward.  I envision the second way "runnin'" toward retirement. I plan to learn all I can and build upon my years of experience to discern where God is leading next and believe in that God will reveal new aspects and visions of ministry I have never thought of before. I am a true believer that we are lifelong learners and we stop learning, we stop being - and in turn stop others from realizing their potential as a part of the body of Christ. 

So as we get closer to retirement, what are some ways in which you can grow and prepare for the future? Here a few suggestions:

1) Attend a CREDO conference for mid-career pastors.

2) Take advantage of programs from the PCUSA Board of Pensions like this one.

3) Take a continuing education course in something which you are passionate.

4) Talk and network with others on available opportunities. And it is ok to do something non-church related!

Whatever you do, I hope you will not just chill until retirement. May you go with the power of God to rest, refresh, play, and discern where God is leading your next journey. And keep runnin' toward the light!