I've just spent a very interesting/exhausting 5 days or so in St. Andrews. Unfortunately, it didn't involve any golf, or walking on the beach, or relaxing in seaside cafes or restaurants. It did, however, involve some serious over-eating!I was at St. Andrews University, serving as chaplain to a conference run by the Church of Scotland Ministries Council for candidates for the ministry.
And a very interesting bunch of folk they are too!
Of course, as chaplain I have to observe strict confidentiality so I can't tell you all the different things that made this group (of about 90 people) so interesting. :-)
Seriously, though, it was quite encouraging to know that there are still men and women with great skills, talents and abilities willing to accept the call to ministry.
It's a long time ago now but when I think back to the days when I was training for the ministry I regret that we never had anything like these conferences (or many of the other things that are now in place for students) to help prepare us for the task. We (more or less) had to jump in at the deep end and hope that we could very quickly learn to swim.
And, not surprisingly, many didn't, and went under within the first five years of ministry.
I was delighted to learn just the other day while at the conference that there are now virtually no ministers dropping out during the first five years of ministry.
That can only be a good thing for everyone concerned.
Anyway, I know I said that I was sworn to secrecy... but without naming any names I can reveal that somewhere down the line some congregation somewhere is going to call a minister with the extraordinary (and totally useless) talent of convincingly impersonating a velociraptor.
8 comments:
Hi Iain, nice to read someone else's perspective on the conf. And yes, that probably was the stand-out moment! Incidentally, someone (who wasn't there) asked me what were my five 'best bits' - I'm still working on that, but what would you say your five best bits were (including or excluding the velociraptor...)
Hi "nodrog"
Not counting the epiphany that was the appearance of the velociraptor, my five "best bits" (not necessarily in order) were probably:
- the singing
- the food!
- getting to know everyone
- the Moderator's session
- the closing communion.
but tomorrow I'll probably think of five completely different things
Iain,
I would have thought that impersonating a velociraptor was an extremely useful talent for a kirk minister. Indeed, I think it should appear in the list of requirements when applications are being considered.
:)
Liz, perhaps you should contact the Ministries Council with your suggestion? :-)
I will resist the temptation to suggest that there are already too many dinosaurs in the Church!
BTW, is a "recovering chaplain" like a "recovering alcoholic" in that sense? ;-)
Hi Kerron, pretty much the same I guess. Once a chaplain always a chaplain; you just learn to manage the addiction...
Hi Iain, thanks for stopping by my blog... I recognise some of the 'talent' in this picture, and it brings back happy memories of Conferences passim...
And I heard on the grapevine, that you were a much appreciated chaplain (recovering or not!) and not just because of your enviable ability to convincingly impersonate a velociraptor :-)
Thanks, Danny. But perhaps I should clear up one misconception - I have no talent, enviable or otherwise, for impersonating a velociraptor. That honour belonged entirely to one of the probationers whose name I have studiously managed not to reveal but whose identity is well known to all the participants at the conference.
Post a Comment