Update on Me

So, you hopefully read what Sprout was up to in my last post, but I've been up to some pretty interesting things myself.

I started volunteering at my old school, helping out an 8th grade math teacher. I have also started a new outreach ministry at my church to an inner city middle school near the church. We have adopted the school as a "Partner in Education," have organized a clothing and supply drive and are working to get volunteers for End of Grade testing in the next few weeks. We are really seeking to develop a relationship with the school so that we can support them in all sorts of ways.

I began the outreach ministry project as one of the first steps to seeking ordination as a Deacon in the Episcopal Church. In our tradition, a deacon is an ordained minister whose main purpose is to connect the needs of the community, especially the poor, the sick, and the lonely, to the people of the church. It is a call that has been on my heart for a long time. I first considered it several years ago, but I feel strongly that now is the time to really start down the path.

There is a long journey to ordination. The first steps involve a lot of paperwork. I had to meet with my priest several times, develop this ministry, and write a "spiritual autobiography," which was an interesting exercise and I recommend it to anyone seriously thinking about how God might be calling them. Now, with the priests recommendation, I am meeting with a "discernment committee" within my congregation. In a few weeks, they will decide whether to support my call. If they do, they will present it to the church Vestry (like a board or a council).

If the vestry also supports me, I will meet with the bishop of our diocese. If he is supportive, I go through a bunch more paperwork and eventually meet with a special Committee on Ministry in the fall that will make the final recommendation about whether to admit me as a "postulant." After that there are more steps, including classes, and ministry work for at least three years (maybe more if we are blessed with another baby in the process), before ordination.

It's a little complicated, but very exciting to me and something I feel very strongly about. I'd talk more, but my munchkin has decided that today is not a good napping day, so I'd better go give her hugs!