Thursday, August 9, 2007

Remember Your Ordination




I was ordained a year ago, so tonight was the first night I've had the experience of laying hands on new ordinands. I actually found myself in the front, so I was laying hands directly on the men and women being ordained. That also put me on the big screen, which Marsha Kelvington said made her boys go crazy, "Pastor Donnie!"

But I kept getting tears in my eyes as I prayed for these pastors being ordained. I can remember my GS laying hands on me and my DS praying for Erin and me as we were ordained last year. It's a moment I'll remember the rest of my life.

After they had been ordained, the president of MNU, Ed Robinson, gave the ordinands the same statue I was given last year. It's a picture of Jesus' calling of Peter in the synoptic gospels. Jesus' words were simple, "follow me." Ed shared that following Jesus is what it's all about. We go through exciting times, we'll go through dark times, but it's ultimately about following Jesus.

I also had the privilege of talking with Larry McKain of New Church Specialties, a guy that knows a thing or two about planting churches. He told me that the most important thing I can do as pastor is to develop the right habits. To develop the habits that will grow me as a person and leader over the next few decades. There is such a tempation to want to accomplish everything right away, but if I've learned the right habits my ministry will grow in effectiveness through the decades.

Then Dave Hazel, who is planting Village Community in the Village West area, joined our conversation and asked Larry about G12. This is a long-term discipleship approach based upon John Wesley's methods of the Wesleyan revival. I don't know much about this yet, but Dave and I are going to start studying this method.

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