Thursday, January 19, 2006
New ministry
I have been extremely busy the last couple of weeks, haven't had the energy to blog much. Actually, there are a couple starts that I never posted, someday they may be posted.
It is the end of our period at work and also time for inventory. The bean counters have "streamlined"our company to the point that there is too much work and not enough people to do it. I have worked the last couple of saturdays in order to get caught up.
In the mean time I have taken over a ministry at Church. Once a month someone from our church has gone to a inpatient treatment facility nearby for a spirituality hour. Traditionally this has been the pastor, and maybe a couple of others, usually deacons.
I am now leading the visits, and since I am not the wonderfull source of knowledge that our pastor is I have been busy doing research and putting together handouts on the most common topics that people ask us about.
Now when someone asks if God loves them as they are, for instance, I have a handout which covers most of the scriptural passages that some people try to use to condem LGBT persons. I can hand them out and we can discuss them. I know I didn't miss an important point and the people we are there to see have a good refrence to keep and look over at a later time.
I have also found some good handout materials on transgenders, on recovering from the effects of physical , sexual and emotional abuse recieved while growing up, on recovering from alcohol and drug dependence and several other topics that are commonly brought up.
The last thing I want to do is to be unprepared to discuss or answer questions from the patients, but I feel overwhelmed and under qualified without the handouts.
I am still having problems finding really good materials on the abuse issues. If you know of any good resources please click on the comments tab and leave the the URLs. I am being forced to write my own materials on some topics and I need more information.
My first trip as the leader was this week and afterward the other Deacon who went with me said that he wished that our time hadn't run out so soon. He enjoyed it and we had a chance to share with several wonderful persons, and the patients wanted us to stay, too.
To me the personal highlight was when a trans lady came in halfway through the session and sat next to me. The first thing she asked was "Does your church welcome me too?" I was ready, because I have recently been called to learn about and minister to this segment of our community. I had handouts on the scriptual portions and some good personal comments due to a couple of truly wonderful members of our church.
I have had a lot of experience in the drug and alcohol abuse areas in my own past. I have been through, or been close to so many who have gone through, a lot of the problems that we ecounter there. God was preparing me!
Sometime soon I will start a series of entries about my personal journey. When I look back on my past it sounds like a novel.
I thank the Lord for my experiences, they have made who I am today.
He is amazing and I truly love serving Him and His children.
Deacon Harry
It is the end of our period at work and also time for inventory. The bean counters have "streamlined"our company to the point that there is too much work and not enough people to do it. I have worked the last couple of saturdays in order to get caught up.
In the mean time I have taken over a ministry at Church. Once a month someone from our church has gone to a inpatient treatment facility nearby for a spirituality hour. Traditionally this has been the pastor, and maybe a couple of others, usually deacons.
I am now leading the visits, and since I am not the wonderfull source of knowledge that our pastor is I have been busy doing research and putting together handouts on the most common topics that people ask us about.
Now when someone asks if God loves them as they are, for instance, I have a handout which covers most of the scriptural passages that some people try to use to condem LGBT persons. I can hand them out and we can discuss them. I know I didn't miss an important point and the people we are there to see have a good refrence to keep and look over at a later time.
I have also found some good handout materials on transgenders, on recovering from the effects of physical , sexual and emotional abuse recieved while growing up, on recovering from alcohol and drug dependence and several other topics that are commonly brought up.
The last thing I want to do is to be unprepared to discuss or answer questions from the patients, but I feel overwhelmed and under qualified without the handouts.
I am still having problems finding really good materials on the abuse issues. If you know of any good resources please click on the comments tab and leave the the URLs. I am being forced to write my own materials on some topics and I need more information.
My first trip as the leader was this week and afterward the other Deacon who went with me said that he wished that our time hadn't run out so soon. He enjoyed it and we had a chance to share with several wonderful persons, and the patients wanted us to stay, too.
To me the personal highlight was when a trans lady came in halfway through the session and sat next to me. The first thing she asked was "Does your church welcome me too?" I was ready, because I have recently been called to learn about and minister to this segment of our community. I had handouts on the scriptual portions and some good personal comments due to a couple of truly wonderful members of our church.
I have had a lot of experience in the drug and alcohol abuse areas in my own past. I have been through, or been close to so many who have gone through, a lot of the problems that we ecounter there. God was preparing me!
Sometime soon I will start a series of entries about my personal journey. When I look back on my past it sounds like a novel.
I thank the Lord for my experiences, they have made who I am today.
He is amazing and I truly love serving Him and His children.
Deacon Harry
