As many of you know I am in the middle of graduate school where I am pursuing a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree. It has been a busy and mentally taxing year and half of work to get to where I am now. Just in the last few weeks I have begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Somedays it may seem like a pinprick of life at the end of a very long tunnel. Nonetheless, it is there. I can start to imagine the end.

The fun part about this entire process will be coming after the beginning of the new year. I know that seems like it is still a long way off, but did you know that I have already planned, selected, and ordered our Advent study materials and Sarah has already been contemplating Christmas music? Christmas is just four months away. That means the new year is just four months and one week from now. Both will be here before we know it.

The fun part of this DMin journey is the project that I get to design and implement in this church. No, I do not have all the nuts and bolts figured out, but the project design is beginning to come together. I am looking forward to it for a few reasons.

  • The project is something that has been near and dear to my heart for several years.
  • I think it is something that is sorely needed at FUMC-Deming and at many other churches across the United Methodist connection and beyond.
  • I think it will be of benefit to our church family, both as individuals and as a corporate body.
  • It means the end of the DMin journey is imminent!

However, I cannot do this project without people participating in it. That is where you all come in. I need study participants. I cannot actively begin recruiting people yet. I still have to meet all the academic review board requirements before I can do that. Yet, what I can do is to put a bug in your ears to get you started thinking about it.

You might be asking what this project is all about? That is a very good question. When I first started exploring my call to ministry many years ago, I became involved in a group called Stephen Ministry. One lady I worked with in that process always told me, “I don’t now why Jesus keeps me here. I can’t do anything.” I have heard similar words from seniors at every church I have served, including FUMC-Deming. Ever since I first heard those words from this dear lady, the health of the spiritual lives of senior citizens has been a deep concern of mine. That is the impetus behind my project.

My project will be geared toward senior citizens who are retired from the workplace or who have never worked outside of the home and who are not involved in ministry within the church. As our church currently has very few ministry opportunities, that should include almost everyone in our congregation who is over the age of 65. Like it or not, that is somewhere around 80% of our people.

I cannot yet reveal project details, but it will run for a six-week period in January and February. It will involve listening to and discussing a series of four sermons, some simple surveys, group discussions, some guided journaling (Yes, there will be homework. I will provide a list of questions to prompt your thoughts), possibly some follow-up interviews, and a discussion of the next steps/where do we go from here. While it does involve some work, I am doing my best to make it simple and enjoyable.

As the details come together, I am getting excited to work together with the FUMC family to bring this project to fruition and learn about our spiritual lives together. There will be more information to come as the date draws nearer. Until then, it is my hope that you prayerfully consider joining me on this journey in January and February. If you don’t want to participate in the actual project then please pray for the project and all of us who will be involved. Your prayers are coveted because we not only want a good, effective project but also to glorify God in all that we say and do.

 

Blessings to each one of you!

Pastor Koreen