reyes-chow :: FAITH

Why FB is a great tool for transitioning from a "Pastoral" to a "Program" church

Due to a variety of reasons - mostly too many freaking people were come to church - about six months ago MBCC decided to intentionally transition from being a "Pastoral Church" to being a "Program Church."  You can see the definitions and characteristic's of each congregational size in the article, How to Minister Effectively in Family, Pastoral, Program and Corporate Sized Chruch by Roy M. Oswald, Senior Consultant, The Alban Institute.

Good stuff if you are into congregational system theory.

To recap, Oswald basically says that that as churches go through stages of growth or decline they require different leadership models and conversely different leadership models can help determine whether or not a church grows or declines.  He does not argue that any one model is optimal, simply points out the obvious, leadership must understand the system if they are to minister well within that system.  I would go so far as to say that it is sinful to ignore the system within which we work as we can unintentionally do harm to a community's health.  But that's just me ;-)

Basics of a PASTORAL CHURCH

• 50-150 active participants
• primary relationship with with the pastor
• most things go through the pastor
• everyone pretty much knows each other
• leadership is interpersonally focused
• most churches thrive at this level

Basics of a PROGRAM CHURCH

• there are pockets of activity, fewer "all-church" activities
• everything does not flow through the pastor, but other leadership take on pastoral functions
• leadership is planning and development focused
• not everyone knows everyone else

MBCC decided to do this once we realized that our growing population really did want to connect, but pretty much everything flowed through me.  And while I was pretty good about not controlling relationships, it became clear that we were growing, we would continue to grow and we needed to make sure that my bandwidth did not hold us back.  This meant a shift in everything from how we stored our data (From my computer to StaffTool) to how we organized small groups (From me instigating and leading to open formation and organizing).

I must admit, I was a tad bit apprehensive.  In an abstract "God-can-do-all-things" kind of way, I knew it could happen, but our track record had not been all that strong.  Still we have boldly moved into this phase and over the past six months have worked through the difficulties of this kind of transition.  There have certainly been some places where things have gone very well and others not so much.  But overall, good God stuff is happening.

From a pastor's view, however, there are certainly some reactions that we have to fight if this transition is going to happen well AND we do not intentionally or unintentionally sabotage the transitions.  Oh, it would be so easy to do, especially if one does not REALLY want to change systems.  If we are not secure in our role as pastor or genuinely do not want to shift in our role, DO NOT try this.  It will suck for everyone.

Getting back to the title of this post, if you do think this is in your future here are some of the doubts that "one" might have with the transition process and then how FaceBook can be a "happy place" for our own insecurities.

The insecurities, apprehensions and doubts.

• People surely can't REALLY connect to the church through anyone but me.
• Folks will not step up and organize, lead and/or follow-through on anything.
• Nothing is happening . . . I should step in save the day.
• I need to have a deep connection with everyone to feed may own needs of pastoral worth.
• Damn, now I will need to really focus on nurturing leadership and big-picture vision.  What excuse will I have now?

How Facebook eases the transition

The brilliance of FB is the public networking and connecting that happens.   All of the insecurities that I may have about leaving the role of  "pastor" of a pastoral church are addressed by the very nature of FB.  My need to be "in the loop" is addressed because as more and more folks from MBCC comment on each others pictures, post on walls and generally interact without I am in still the loop, but not the conduit of the interaction.  The same goes for events, groups and any other planning.  I see that folks are engaging, stepping up, and following through, I have no need to jump in.  Now of course not everything in the life of MBCC happens vie FB, but just enough does to alleviate my overarching fears.

This has all been surprisingly wonderful for me.  We are still figuring out the intracacies of MBCC's version of the Program Church, but from all indications, my fears have not been met with reality and we are slowly but surely making the shift.

Thanks be to FB, God and the church!

Follow-up to Center on Asian American Ministry lunch

Much love and thanks to Virstan Choy for inviting me to be part of a series of lunches hosted by the Center for Asian American Ministry at McCormick Theological Semianry.  It was quite fun as talking with seminary students always is.  With enough Indian food to feed a small army, we settled in for some good discussion.  Thanks folks for hanging out a bit and talking about ministry and call.

I was basically asked to reflect on the my calling/experience of being a racial ethic person that has pastored churches that are not traditionally racial ethnic in it's roots, self-awareness or reality.

Here is a little recap along with some parts that we just never quite got to.

Questions to ponder as you approach the possibilities of pastoring a congregation that is of a different racial ethnic reality:

Who are you? // Claim and be comfortable in your own skin and context: ethnicity, gender, theology, class, etc. AND be able to articulate that reality to those around you in ways that are real.

Who are they? // If not, racial ethnic, know what the homogenizing culture is of the community AND have a nuanced understanding of the positive and negative realities of the common culture.

Who are we? // Understand the  complex implications, obstacles and possibilities, that your particular cultural context brings to the community your serve.

Out of those questions, if you can't do this, well . . .

• Assume the best of people and move away from initial responses of suspicion.
• Make no assumptions about people's experience with issues of cultural diversity and race.
• Articulate issues of race in ways that are best heard rather than using old-school vernacular and making over arching generalizations about people's experiences of race.
• While challenging issues of individual and institutional racism be able to humbly understand and have compassion for the experiences of the majority.

Resources

• Blog Post: Does Race Matter When Pastoring?
• Blog Post: Characteristics of a Postmodern Pastor
• Book on knowing your past: America Is in the Heart: A Personal History by Carlos Bulosan
• Book on generationsl shifts: Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence by Keli Goff.
• Book on the-post-something: A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McClaren
• Listen to a song that gets the racial debate: Everyone's a Little Bit Racist from the Broadway Musical Avenue Q.

Watch: Barack Obama's Historic Speech on Race.

My "Day Off" - Creativity or Justification?

Okay, so it is Friday AM and I am sitting in a cafe here in SF about an hour before my first meeting of the day.  Due to people's schedules, my schedule and my lack of a complete 24-hour day off from church stuff, I once again, am working on what is supposed to be my day off.

What follows is not a whiny rant about how oppressed the poor pastor is because he doesn't get a weekend.  I don't feel burned out, I don't feel tired, abused, taken advantage of, taken for granted, etc. 
So this leaves me wondering, "Have I discovered the new "Day Off"?" or am I simply justifying my own need to accomplish tasked, be perceived as busy, yada yada yada.  Or like most things, maybe a little of both?

Abut 18 months ago - whew how time flies - had taken to trying to unplug for 24 hours straight.  While it was not as difficult as I thought it would be, it was also not all that fulfilling.  Just meant that I had to be that more uber-pressured into getting things done by Midnight on Thursday.  Not sure what exactly I was expecting, but no big release of stress, no huge discoveries of self, just unplugged and unable to look up movies without spending 50 cents on a paper.

So here I am on my non-day off day off and feeling just fine.   The main reason I am okay with this is that I feel like I accumulate my day-off through out the week, and that fits my pace, life and personality just fine.

On to the justifications and perspectives in no particular order:

• Handled well, there ain't nothin' better than a pastor's schedule.  The non-structured nature of it all could eat you alive, but it also offers a flexibility that one can find in very few other professions.
• I am really not as busy as people would like to think.  EVERYONE is busy, life is chaotic and I feel like I have a good handle on juggling all the balls that God has tossed into my life. 
• I don't feel like I am working all the time.  I try to keep my actual church work time to about 8-10 hours a day, but that is hard to gauge - see next item.
• My life is one big chaotic swirling blended mix of who I am.  Now I know there are dangers of blurry boundaries, but really it makes no sense to be on something like Facebook and use the brain energy to decide it this interaction is "Personal" or "Professional" . . . I just decide whether it can wait or needs to be addressed right away.  I liken it to the idea that having a pager or mobile phone ties you to the church.  Hint: Don't answer it if you don't want to. You have the power.
• I feel like I let things drop, fail or not happen as they need and/or pick up the pace and dive in as the situation dictates.
• I am getting better at delegating church stuff, though it is still hard.
• I am able to spend time in my children's class room - yesterday's post - and be at their dance classes each week and go on most field trips. How awesome is that?
• I can do household errands/chores when all you other shmucks are at work shackled to a desk ;-)  Costo on Tuesday afternoon, here I come!
• No one as MBCC really likes to meet during the day: except other pastors of course.  With an overabundance of traveling consultants, doctors, teachers, desk-types, etc. at MBCC my weekday face-time needs are pretty low.  On the other hand my online connections and late night meetings are at a premium. See Pastoring in My World.
• I steal away to see a movie during the day, shhhhhhhh.
• I have taken to signing off at 10:00pm, so Robin and I have at least an hour of time together to catch up sans kids while watching reruns of The Family Guy.  There is at least one boundary in my life ;-)

So how does this play out during the week?  The best I can here, is how i figure "other" stuff eats into what i would think are traditional work hours.

• + 4 hours - Child Activities
• + 4 hours - Personal Errands/Chores
• + 1 hours - Movie or other "me" thing
• + 5 hours - blurry personal/professional online crap: blogging, Facebook, yelping, etc.
• = 14 Hours a week

Uh oh, now they are going to find out I am really a slacker.

So there you have have it, all justifications maybe, but nonetheless the reality of my day off.  I don't have just one or two solid days off, I have an accumulated couple of days off every week. Justification for being a workaholic, maybe, but just maybe a new way of living in the midst of a three-child-having, young-church-pastoring, urban-techno-geek-being, attracted-to-shiny-things reality that is my life.

I guess the real test will be how my family, friends and church look back on these times and reflect on what they have seen and experienced.  Will they see Bruce #1, a great dad/father/friend who truly found peace in the midst of chaos, or will they see Bad Bruce, just another workaholic pastor that lost sight of what was important in life.

Monty, I hope I am taking door #1.

You can ask THAT in church, can you?

I have a three-week series to preach/facilitate/meander through after Easter and am thinking about doing a series on "You can't ask THAT . . ."

• . . . things you re not supposed to talk about in church
• . . . where faith and life converge
• . . . so of course we will
• . . . name the elephant/s in the room

Now of course some will be contextual to MBCC, but if you had to pick a question or two on which the service could be focused, what would you ask?

Some primers

• What would Jesus do about . . .
• What does the Bible say about . . .
• Why does . . .
• What would happen if . . .
• How come the church . . .

Thanks in advance.

Ideas for 2008 continuing education events?

As part of a grant from the Lilly Foundation's Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program a group of us have to think through individual projects for the year.  This year I am going to try and do some interesting continuing education events. 

So my blogging friends . . . what events, conferences or other experiences should I think about this year and why?  What I am looking for is something that will stretch me a bit outside of some of my natural boundaries of pastoral work or to revisit some foundational studies.

Some possible areas of study/experience:

• Intensive Bible Study
• Silent Retreat
• International Plunge
• Leadership Retreats
• Spiritual Practices
• Exegesis Practicum
• Service/Mission Experience
• "Create-my-own" thing

I have two weeks to play with and a good chunk of $$ so the possibilities are pretty wide open.  Not really looking for things about blogging, techie or anything emergent-esque, but if you think there is something that is really super-fantabulous in these areas, please feel free to make your case.

[image: Daily Clip Art]

It's not all about Austin

UPDATED 10.15.07 w/Other's Austin Reflections

• Ladyburg
• Monte

First let me say that I have really fallen in great "like" with the wee hamlet of Austin*.  For those of you that know me, that is about all the straying that I will do from my beloved San Francisco.  You hear that God!  No other cities shall come before SF . . . seriously.

As wonderful as Austin is, the best part of this week has been reconnecting with fiends and colleagues who in so many ways give me life.   Affectionately known as the Young Urban Pastors' Gathering, we have met in some great cities over the past seven years.  Each year we pic a different topic and gather around food and fellowship.  Good stuff, great folks, fantabulous week.  This year we explored issues of the body using the  "Practicing Our Faith: Honoring the Body."   The heart of this group and in many ways what informs my understanding of ministry, church and faith are these few learnings about meaningful community:

• Sometime you just get each other, if I need to explain it . . .
• "Fixing" each other sucks, listening and being present is much better.
• The need to impress by boasting about what one DOES is replaced by authentic expressions of who one IS.
• Time and geography mean nothing.
• Growth includes laughter, tears, inquiry, support, challenge, risk and this year, Yoga.
• It is difficult when parts of the body, for whatever reason, don't quite fit at one time or another, but isn't that when we best witness to our faith in action?

* Some of the great Austin experiences, including links to my Yelp Reviews:

• Mozart's Coffee Roasters: from where this post is being written.
• The Spider House 
• The Shady Grove
• Amy's Ice Cream
• The Continental Club
• Parts & Labor
• Bohemia
• The Hula Hut
• Guero's
• Saba Blue Water Cafe
• Aziz Salon
• The Broken Spoke

And for my colleague from this year, some of the more memorable/moving "inside" thoughts that are appropriate to share in light of future developments.  I couldn't remember them all, but got a good giggle thinking back.

• "Why in the hell would you . . ."
• "Does anyone know what you put in . . ."
• "I share my heart, but not my guts."
• "Tube"
• "Crazy as a rat in a . . ."
• My tomatoes . . ."

And finally, my FLICKR pictures.

Ordination: Right, Privilege or Delusion?

All people have access to God, but does that mean everyone should be allowed to or is equipped for any role in the church?  And why then ordination?

Seems to me that these are some of the fundamental questions that many today struggle with in today's church.  And while some would accuse some of us mainliners of taking the whole idea of "ordained" clergy way too seriously, I would suggest that this is a modern dilemma that has created a situation where we just have a warped understanding of ordination.

DISCLAIMER: I fully understand that ordination has been used as a way to unjustly keep people out of certain areas of the church: women, GLBT, people of color, etc. And Yes, there are many ordained people - pastors, elders and deacons - who may or may not, in my opinion, exhibit all of the virtues that I or others would like to see in those who hold those offices.  Still . . . I am not ready to say that the concept and practice of ordination should be done away with.

And here are a few thoughts why . . .

Ordination does not mean "holier than anyone else."  Even those who say ordination does not matter have in some way bought into the thinking that there is an inherent higher value and worth in a person because they are ordained.  Yes, clergy must get over ourselves and stop thinking that we know Jesus any better than anyone else, but at the same time laity must stop thinking that we do in fact think we think we know Jesus any better than anyone else.

Ordination in my tradition - Presbyterian - means that a community of people have discerned that particular people have been called to particular roles.  Just because a person is not in that role does not mean that they never will or are not able . . . but it MIGHT!   Despite our human and somewhat American individualist nature, I trust the body to discern better than I who is called to what and when.  Honestly, it scares the CRAP out of me to think about a community where just because one feels called to a particular role in the church, they should just be able to do it.  I think traditions that practice this method of ordination have just messed it all up.   This is one of the major reasons I choose to be Presbyterian and not an independent congregationalist.   I want to know that there has been a process of more than a conversation in your head that has brought you to this place of leadership and activity in the church.   I think one of the roles of community, congregationally and beyond, is to help people discern their gifts for ministry.  This means to help people discover what those gifts are, to nurture those gifts to equip people to use those gifts and when appropriate challenge folks to publicly use those gifts for the work of the Gospel.

Ordination is also not just about Ministers of "Word and Sacrament" but also about Elders and Deacons, all church roles that require different gifts.  Generally Ministers of Word and Sacrament care for the spiritual well-being of a community, Elders to provide sustained congregational leadership and Deacons are to be a healing and reconciling presence.  As you look around the church and get to know folks, is everyone equipped to pastor a church?  Is everyone equipped to be a teacher or to be a nurturer.  Certainly not . . . even if we think we are.  Our personalities, experiences and/or skills all inform our roles in the church community.   That does not mean that we will not grow into that role at some point and time, but it does reinforce the idea that church leadership is NOT a right, but a privilege bestowed upon folks by a community of faith that has said, "we too sense God's calling upon you."

And finally, I don't believe that ordination devalues the Biblical idea of the Priesthood of all believers.  The priestly nature of our faith says that we all have access to God and that one need not have a human mediator in order to know God and experience God.  Of course people may THINK this is the case, but in my role of Ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament . . . I have no delusions that I have any better access to God than anyone else and I think most clergy feel the same way.  Has a community of people said that I may have the gifts and temperament to lead and pastor, sure, but privy to God, nope.

At the end of the day, I actually don't take ordination all that seriously.  Take for instance, the serving of the Lord's Supper.  Does God really care who says the magic words and blows the fairy dust that, in our tradition, publicly acknowledges the presence of Christ in the sharing of the bread and cup?  I think not.  At the same time, should any yahoo be allowed to preside over this holy practice without some permission and confirmation from the community that is being served?  I think so.  Just where those boundaries lie is the dreaded gray area.  Such is life.

So . . . ordination.  It is what it is.  Some will appreciate and value it while others will dismiss it as an institutionally self-inflicted delusion.  Some will shun it while some some will pursue it.  Some will abuse it, while others will bring honor to the office.  Such is the fun of navigating the church as lived out by us ordinary human beings.

Calling all SF Bay Area church technology geeks, seriously

CALLING ALL TECHNO CHURCH GEEKS!!!!!

Yes, you heard me correctly.  Tired of hiding in the shadows, ashamed of your technological acuity and ready to bust out your Jesus-loving techno self?!?!?

Still not sure . . . if you can answer any of the following questions in the affirmative, maybe you should think about joining some of us for a church and technology gathering this Fall in the lovely San Francisco Bay Area.

1. You love technology
2. You love Jesus
3. You think Jesus would indeed be a blogger
4. You think Jesus would have a Myspace, Facebook, LinkedIn or Mashable profile AND would be your friend ;-)
5. The church has missed some major opportunities to integrate the culture of technology in order to grow in body and spirit
6. You played Dungeons and Dragons
7. You live in or need a good excuse to visit the San Francisco Bay Area in the Fall.

About all the thought I have given this is that it will be like an Unconference, Barcamp or Open Space Technology gathering focused around the general topic of the church and technology.  Probably October or November to be held at Mission Bay Community Church here in SF. 

That is about all the guidance I will give, other than helping to organize anyone who might wish to help with arrangements - hint hint hint - and making sure the church is open, this will be blissful chaos and discovery.

If you are interested please let us know your  availability HERE.  When we get about 15-30 people who are interested, we'll set a date and come up with the rules of engagement.

PS: Even if you are not in the San Francisco "Yay" Area, please feel free to mention this on your blogs and profiles to help spread the word!

Dicernment Smishmernment

[pic: Chicken on Flickr]

How many times have I prayed the words, "Oh God let my/our actions be in line with Your will?"  Let Your will be done is a great posture to have when thinking about our actions in the world, but when the rubber hits the road, how do we decide what God's will actually is?!?!?

Some people LOVE discerning . . . so much so that nothing ever gets done.  "We are being thoughtful and deliberate" they say.  While others just do it, damn the consequences "Better to ask for forgiveness than permission" they say.

Obviously there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to discerning what God's will is for our lives. We need everyone and we need the ability to answer our callings in multiple ways.  The spectrum of ways that we react to calls to action and movement in our lives can be positive or negative depending on the context.  Those who are "deliberate" may pass up opportunities and be filled with regret for not trying.  Those who push forward may leave a trail of burned relationships as their actions affect those around them.  On the other hand, deliberation can allow for God to move folks in ways that they never expected at the beginning of the process while passionate action can meet needs when and where they are needed.

So . . . discernment.  I am always trying to figure out what is next in my life, ministry, call.  I believe that we must not only see how we have arrived where we are and what our current context is, but we must also keep one eye on where we are headed.  Wandering is good sometimes, but guided wandering is even better.  This is not about the church that I serve - stop freaking, or maybe you're not - but I find myself thinking about what does God want me to do next in the context of my job, calling, family, etc.?  What will be the next great adventure for the Christian life of Bruce.  Hmmmmmm . . . I sure to hope it has something to do with motorcycles or Hawaiian ministry.  But I digress . . .

• Is the next thing how I shift in leadership styles and models at MBCC?
• Is is the way we think about long term planning?
• Is it to have three more kids to complete the basketball team . . . ha, just seeing if Robin is reading my blog these days ;-)
• Is it to dive more into some of my passions: social networking, institutional church de/reconstruction, cafe reviewing?
• Is it to just cruise along for a bit?

I wonder . . . well actually that is not my problem.  I have actually never lacked for ideas of things to do.  I have lacked for the intellectual, fiscal and/or spiritual juice to do said things, but ideas . . . not a problem.  Now I never said they are good ones, just that I have them.

So herein lies the discernment dilemma for me.  When I think I have a good one, what do I do?  When I really think this one may have God's thumbs up, how do I make sure as much as possible?  So here is what I do.

• PRAY PRAY PRAY - yeah, of course you do Bruce, you're a pastor.  My pray consists of all the following steps as prayer is a conversation with God and I experience God is so many ways.
• MY HEAD and HEART - I listen for God to help bring some things to the top.  Yes, fat rises, but so do ideas that need to be noticed.  I have gotten pretty good at listening for God to bring up ideas that might actually be worth checking into more.
• ROBIN - I bounce stuff off of one who knows me best - I mean besides Jesus - and get some feedback.  I know that sometimes that feedback, positive or negative, is not going to be a yes or no, but more of a hmmm . . . and then a few questions, concerns, etc.
• CORE GROUP - Depending on the issues/idea, I have some folks that I count as good friends/colleague who I can trust to be honest with me about who and how I am in ministry and life.
• FAMILY/COMMUNITY - Not always the most discerning group, but larger groups of family and friends can help gauge initial reactions to ideas.  If the first reaction is "Really?  That seems interesting" maybe that should tell you something.  If the reaction is "Really? That makes a lot of sense or that's very cool" that can tell you something else.
• ME AND MY GOD - In the end, I listen for what God is telling me, Bruce Reyes-Chow, child of the covenant, loved and blessed, broken and forgiven, servant and schmuck.  At some point, I have to listen to that still small voice that says, "Okay, go for it" or "You know this is not really a good idea."

So who knows what God has in store for me in the future.   Can't wait to find out.

Blogging as Spiritual Discipline and Pastoral Practice

This post is an expansion on a couple of shorter past posts: Blogging as Spiritual Discipline/Practice and Why Do I Blog, You Ask?

My name is Bruce and I am a blogger!  - Group response, “Hi Bruce.”

There I said it, I am an unapologetic blogger.  And not just any blogger, but I am a blogger that also happens to be a quickly aging Presbyterian pastor who is probably not as cool or hip as I once thought I was ;-)  Please don’t hold any of this against me.   

As one of those folks who’s age allows me to bridge the gap between knowing a time without the internet – gasp! - and experiencing online social networking as a natural part of my life, I feel like I have not just lived the great technological transition of the world, but have been able to be transformed in the midst of it all.  THANK YOU JESUS!   But I will say that this journey has not been easy, nor is it getting any easier, so I empathize with colleague for whom this whole “Blogging Fad” makes no sense at any level.  Still, firmly standing in the “technology is not inherently evil” camp, I say we move forward not with a sense of defensiveness about the role and understanding of technology's impact on spirituality, the church and our walk with God; but rather a posture of discovery; discovery of how the movement/s and presence of God are made real through the interactions that today’s provides. 

One of the ways that I have most strongly experienced this discovery and awakening, not just in my own spiritual well-being, but in my call as pastor, is in the area of blogging.  While some who may still not see, understand or acknowledge the power and effect of blogging on the wider culture may resist embracing the role of blogging in the church, I fear that we may be missing out on an opportunity to be a better church.  I say this because clearly there is something spiritually life-giving about this whole blogging thing and the church can either embrace that reality or ignore it and run the danger of further missing out on an entire generation of people.  I offer a few of the gifts that I think blogging offers to any pastor willing to embrace the possibilities.

But first lets start with a couple of working definitions . . .

spiritual disciplines are those thing we do to acknowledge God in our life and the world and to connect with God both personally and communally; with a hoped for outcome of growing in our understanding of and relationship with God.

pastoral practices are the manifestations of healthy spiritual disciplines that allow us to be effective and in walking with others on their journey of faith.

Like any true blogger, I realize that there are many ways to connect with God and I only offer these observations in the hopes that there may be some a nugget or two that will bring about an exhale or aha. These things may, of course, change and grow with time, but blogging as spiritual practice and pastoral practice holds the following gifts . . .

• DISCIPLINE of time /// blogging offers me a dedicated reflective time to gather my thoughts and reflect on how I have seen (or not seen) God active in my life, the city, the church and the world;
• REFLECTION about god /// blogging allows me to be in conversation with God about my life and journey of faith.  Where has God been for/with me, where is God now, where does God hope for me to go?  How do I grow into who God intends for me to be?
• COMMUNITY of christ /// blogging and the interactions that blogging encourage makes real this idea of geographic boundary free connectedness of the Body of Christ.
• UNDERSTANDING of faith /// blogging is an unobtrusive offering of ideas and perspectives to the larger community, a kind of open source theologizing where we are given space, time and permission to exchange and debate ideas that lead to personal transformation.
• IMPACT in the world /// blogging allows for the possibility that one small thought, action or response can have rippling transformative effect far beyond our own imagination, ability and control. 
• NURTURING of the community /// blogging allows for people to engage with me on their terms and on a platform that is safe and authentic for them.  Face-to-face interaction should and does happen, but blogging offers a way to enter into and nurture pastoral relationships with far less “stuff” to get in the way.
• RE-CREATION of the spirit /// blogging brings me joy and on a pretty regular basis, a bout of the giggles.  The freedom to be both genuinely deep and meaningful as well as playful and irreverent is one of the best gifts of blog culture.  This posture, that is not often visible in public interactions, allows us to see one another as the wonderfully complex creations that we are.
• CONVERSATIONS with God /// blogging is a form of public prayer. Thoughts, complaints, hopes and dreams all offered to God through the voice of the blogging community.  And all God's people say, AMEN.

Now I am sure the list of gifts that blogging brings to one spiritual and pastoral walk is as long as there are bloggers.  These are mine and I humbly offer them to the blogosphere.