Sun
Nov
05
2006
Big changes afoot
Regular readers will have noticed that things have been a little quiet around here of late.
There’s good reasons.
Apart from the usual busyness of ministry here at Toongabbie, other significant things have been going on in the background, in particular:
Job change. Yep. My days at Toongabbie Anglican are numbered. I will have been here five years, six months when I finish up on January 28th 2007.
I wasn’t looking to move, but an interesting position of Associate Pastor at Springwood Anglican Church came to my attention just as we started our last break at the start of October.
I applied for it, and so spent my holiday updating my CV, having a long interview, and churning through all the issues in my head. I was offered the job two weeks ago, by which time, Rob and I had talked it all through with the guys, and basically decided to accept it, if offered.
Changing jobs in ministry is quite different to changing most other kinds of jobs. It always involves moving house, which is fraught with complications and costs. For us, it means working out the medical implications for Robyn – how far from doctors are we, and from Royal North Shore Hospital where she has regular visits.
It involves breaking away from lots of significant relationships in your current church – always a painful and difficult time. And then it involves making dozens of new relationships in the new church – exciting, but very draining.
So anyone who thinks this is done lightly, just doesn’t understand.
So what will the new position involve?
Springwood Anglican is quite a large church in Sydney Anglican terms. It has ten congregations meeting in three centres, with a total weekly congregation of around 7-800.
I will be one of nine paid staff, will have my own office in the Ministry Centre (along with all the other paid staff), and be part of a genuine, functional team ministry (surprisingly rare, in my experience).
My main role will be to:
- Pastor two congregations:
- ‘Factory Night Church’ at the Ministry Centre on Sunday nights. This is a congregation very similar in make up to Toongabbie Anglican’s Sunday Night Church, but larger – around 180 people each week.
- Church at 5 – at the Highway site. This was a church plant in February this year and numbers around 45 mainly young adults without children. I’ll be working to grow both groups in every sense, and also will have some involvement in planting another congregation from the FNC group next year, in the Valley Height campus of Blue Mountains Grammar school.
- Some oversight of youth ministry. There is a new, full time Youth Pastor starting at the same time as me, and I will have some role in helping him settle in and generally keep an eye the growing youth ministry there.
It will be a big job. But I confess to be looking forward to the challenge, and being stretched in a few areas.
The down side is breaking away from Toongabbie and all the people we’ve enjoyed getting to know and minister with here. There is always so much to do in ministry, it’s hard to ever feel like the job is ‘done’.
On top of that, I’m leaving Toonie only a month before our Senior Minister retires, so the church will be coping with a total staff change in very short order.
But no one is indispensable. Ministers come and ministers go, and I believe that in many ways, it will be a good thing for the new Senior Minister to have a ‘clean slate’ to start with.
More on the move as things progress…
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Comment
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Neil,
No doubt it was a decision you haven’t taken lightly for all the reasons you mention. I have little doubt that your ministry at Springwood and environs will be both fruitful and challenging.
Regards, Gary
— Gary · Nov 5, 03:23 PM · #
Just heard the announcement in Church this evening – 7pm Winmalee. Springwood is the branch church of Winmalee (at least that’s what people say when they visit this end of the parish) I was surprised to hear you were coming to our neck of the woods given I knew Phillip was retiring. I had assumed you would have stayed around at Toongabbie. I have visited your site from time to time over the last few years and look forward to hearing you (though you will probably only visit the WInmalee end about once a year). SWAC will now have a record two technologically literate staff members. The other one is Rob Powell (do not let Graham fool you he is not that technologically literate).
Royal North Shore is a fair trek – my wife used to have to visit there to see a neurologist.
Trust you have got the ipod working it will be useful for the long drives.
Welcome aboard.
— Steven · Nov 5, 03:48 PM · #
@Gary – You’re right, and thanks for the vote of support! :)
@Steven – In my mind, the decision to move was either going to be now or in a year’s time. This way, I think it will be much easier for the incoming Senior Minister, and faster for him to get up to speed. This is the third time I’ve been in a church with a change of Senior Minister, and we learned a lot at the other two!
Thanks for the welcome – now the word is out, we really are looking forward to the move…
— Neil · Nov 6, 01:05 AM · #
My husband and I have been married and in various ministry positions for almost 9 years now. We’ve done this three times now, the last time being the hardest. We’re looking down the barrel of doing it again in a year or so.
It’s never a light decision, is it?! It’s never easy, always stressful and emotionally draining (all true for you personally and for the congregations involved). The decision making is like it, and the actual moving of job, church, home etc that goes along with it is too.
May it all go well for you and your wife, as well as the churches involved.
— Bec · Nov 14, 08:53 AM · #
Bec,
I was really encouraged by your comment – thanks.
It’s nice to find a kindred soul who understands some of the issues involved from experience.
We’re not complaining, and the decision was ultimately ours, but facing the move does take a deep breath, lots of prayer and coping with a powerful sense of deja vu!
May God bless you and your husband as you seek to serve the Lord Jesus.
— Neil · Nov 14, 01:36 PM · #
Hi Neil,
If God used it to encourage you, then I’m glad – isn’t he good?! I just read your post and identified with the emotions of excitement, heartache and the inevitably difficult and wearisome-ness of it all. Makes me really glad for a God who holds it all in his hands far tighter than I’ll ever understand!
Actually, my husband and I are probably more kindred souls than you’re aware! We’re both coffeegeeks from Perth, who have studied at Trinity Theol College (an evangelical, reformed college here) and worked with AFES in student ministry and various churches along the way.
In fact, the coffee trail was what brought me here – via Ministry Grounds and Thegodshot. I’m aware of a number of coffeegeeks over here who are Christians, and I’d thought that there really are a good number of us around (and who better than Christians to enjoy God’s coffee blessings!). So when I found Thegodshot and Ministry Grounds, I found some of my growing suspicions confirmed!
Anyway, when I tried to register for Thegodshot, I couldn’t work out how. All I could find was a ‘log on’ option. Perhaps I’m a bit dumb…? Any advice?
— Bec · Nov 15, 11:10 PM · #