The life and work of a college-age and young adult minister is too exciting and enriching to only find out about once a week during a worship service.  Not only that, but far too many wonderful moments happen during my week as I work to empower the work of the saints at Country Club Christian Church and in the larger world.  Because of those reasons, and most importantly, because I would love to hear your responses to some of the issues this blog might address, welcome to the “Transitions in Living” blog.  You can count on weekly updates with a mix of scripture, theological reflection, humor and some ridiculous stories.  While the name may seem cheesy, I think it’s actually quite fitting (maybe because I’m a bit cheesy). “Transitions in Living” works quite nicely for my blog for these reasons:



1.      The program that helps to finance my time here at Country Club Christian Church is funded by the Lilly Program called “Transitions in Ministry” and is designed to help nurture good congregational leaders by pairing them with healthy congregations and good mentors.  So, my experiences these next two years are going to be a time of learning good practices and becoming a better leader for future ministries, while (hopefully) providing quality ministry now.

2.      I have a feeling that many anecdotes will be pulled from my own faux pas and flubs in my role, both as minister, and specifically here in this congregation.  Serving God by serving the Body of Christ that is the church is a wacky job—because it’s all about understanding and being with people.  The people that I work with at church and I will have misunderstandings and disagreements, because we’re all human and because we’re all called to this vocation by God.  That requires a bit of drive and passion, so I’m sure I will step on toes and screw up something during worship, before the time is through—which I hope will yield some humorous and insightful stories to share.  The best we can all hope to do is to bring my joy than we do pain to the lives that we touch.

3.      “Transitions in Living” is a big part of the challenge and subsequent needs for young adults seeking spiritual growth.  Whether as college students trying to find a sense of church home outside of the congregation they may have grown up in, folks beginning to be understood as an adult and a professional in their field or the loneliness that often accompanies young adults trying to strike out on their own past the pre-fabricated community of college.

4.      Those of us who have taken on the identity as Christian have chosen a challenging vocation.  We have allowed our live be continually be transformed by the Holy Spirit, constantly aware that we are a new creation.  So, as a community, our congregation really needs to be aware that our life is always a transition from where we are to the place where God calls us—and if there’s anything that we’ve learned from the biblical narrative, it’s that very rarely can we predict the wacky and altering places that God needs us.  But we are a people who have pledged to respond, “Here I am, Lord.  Send me.”



So, come along with me in this blog as we celebrate and reflect on all the transitions in living…

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