Not long ago, I read a meme that resonated with me: “Being an adult is saying, ‘After this week, things will slow down,’ over and over until you die.” Despite my best intentions, life never slows to a pace where I feel like I have enough time for all that is on my plate.
Category Archives: service
When Student Ministry “Steals” My Kids
Every year, Confirmation Sunday means saying goodbye to a group of “my” kids, as they become part of Dutilh Student Ministry. Confirmation is the crescendo of children’s ministry programming that begins in our infant nursery. By the time of confirmation, I have spent years with these children, learning the stories of the Bible, singing in the choir, playing endless rounds of Aliens and other group games, and seeing them discover how to love God, love others, and love to serve.
Called To Be Uncomfortable
I enjoy Holy Week. My favorite day to attend church besides Easter is on Maundy (or Holy) Thursday, which I experienced for the first time in the late 1990s.
Being the BRIDGE: A Reflection on Camping
More than 300 camp and retreat leaders met at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simon’s Island, GA, the week of January 23-27. Fun facts: Famed evangelists John and Charles Wesley, who formed the party that came to be named Methodist, engaged in ministry on St. Simon’s Island in 1736-37, and Epworth by the Sea is now a United Methodist Conference Center.
How the Time Flies
This is my final opportunity to write to you all as the Associate Pastor of Dutilh Church. In two weeks, I will finish my tenure here and join the ranks of the retirees.
It has been quite a journey for Joyce and me. In total, I have served five churches over 41.5 years: two years as a part-time student assistant pastor, and 39.5 years as a full-time pastor. I am finishing 13.5 years here at Dutilh Church.
White Christmas
My absolute favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas, with music by Irving Berlin. When I was a child, we would watch it before going to bed after Christmas Eve Mass. My Dad would then call everyone a “weirdsmobile” for the next month or two.
The 25 Percent Who Stay
A recent study found that 75 percent of youth active in the church leave between the ages of 18 and 29. As a Children’s Ministry Director who attempts to lay the foundation for lifelong faith in our children, I am devastated by this statistic. Rather than wallow in grief, I am choosing to focus not on why the 75 percent leave the church, but on why the 25 percent choose to stay.
A Reflection on This Summer
When Bud Fickley first reached out to me about if I had considered an internship for the summer, my response was, “I think my schedule this summer is way too involved for any internships, unfortunately.” The next text exchange we had almost a month later started with him saying, “So excited to hear you’ll be interning with us this summer!” I love the irony behind the start of my internship here at Dutilh.
Dutilh Church 