Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Blessing of "Old" Friends
I recently updated my cell phone and can now take pictures as well as make calls (not to mention listening to music!). While sitting in Swiss Chalet yesterday with Terry Wiseman, I thought to myself, "How often do I get to have lunch with someone on the eve of their 40th birthday?" So I took a photo to commemorate this upcoming milestone in Terry's life!
Terry serves at the Director of Church Extension for the Ontario Conference of the Mennonite Brethren and has recently agreed to become my replacement as the Ontario Provincial Coordinator for Church Planting Canada. We have done a lot of work together toward the cause of seeing a church established for every 2,000 Canadians in their own community, language, and culture group. Terry is one of those people who always gladdens my heart whenever he calls or I am able to meet with him face to face.
So, Happy 40th Birthday, Terry! Consider yourself to be one of my "old friends!" GG
Monday, August 28, 2006
Time to Think
From time to time, it's important to stop what you are doing to do an audit of your life and work. Are you focusing on the right things? What are the underlying assumptions of your current activities? What are your motives? And so on ... That belief has led me to do a personal "philosophy of ministry" review exercise in the last half of 2006.
Last week, I canoed into Killarney Provincial Park with my son-in-law, Max Hamil, to find a place of quiet reflection for a couple of days (looks like I found it, doesn't it?). During the day, we canoed and hiked within this pristine wilderness place. In the quiet, I was able to think deeply about the last 30 years of ministry as well as bounce some thoughts off Max at the other end of the canoe. Early in the mornings, I sat with a cup of coffee by the lake at our campsite on Lake George to jot down my conclusions in a little scratch pad -- my main ministry themes, favourite sayings in working with others, and key stories/lessons from experience.
As a bonus, I came away with a renewed love for our planet and its fragile eco-systems as well as my daughter's husband, the high school geography teacher, who was my travel companion and guide! I saw some amazing scenery -- the northern starry sky untouched by city light, miles of wilderness from the heights of the Canadian Shield. The wildlife was great -- a black bear (200 yards away), a beaver (within 100 feet of my morning coffee spot) plus a loon (only 8 feet away on Lake Killarney). Cooking on a camp stove and sitting by the campfire were very grounding experiences for a guy dealing with computers and the internet all the time.
This week, I'm consolidating my notes on the scratch pad toward the writing of a personal philosophy of ministry. Then I'll have a few close people -- friends, family, colleagues -- provide some "360" feedback before finalizing something that may help me with the next chapter of serving Christ.
I'm glad that I took the time to think! GG
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Bio-Feedback: Listening to Your Body
At the start of this morning's EnduRace 8 K Run in Waterloo, I stood poised with my wrist watch timer ready to time each kilometre toward a personal best race! The formula was simple: if I run each kilometre in 6 minutes, I'll finish with a time of 48:00 (which would better last year's result of 49:46)! But things went wrong as soon as the gun sounded. As I pushed what I thought was the start button on my chronometer, the time of 9:00 AM popped up rather than the flashing number of the stop watch. In the midst of the stampede of 120 other racers, I tried unsuccessfully to reset it. "Oh, well," I said to myself. "I'll just have to listen to my body rather than letting the clock set my pace today."
Paying attention to body signals has often been a problem for me (and a lot of other men, I suspect). Ignoring pain and fatigue, being inattentive to stress, and being unconscious of warning signs has been a tendency most of my life. I wasn't sure that I could trust myself to run as fast as my body said I could, but hear when it was telling me where the "red line" was.
It turned out surprisingly well! I pushed, but listened to the bio-feedback. As the finish line and the big digital time clock came into view, it had just passed 46:40 and I was ahead of where I would have been had I allowed my wrist clock to dictate! My official finishing time was 47:10, almost two and a half minutes faster than last year! And I wasn't last in my age category either. To check the race results visit http://www.roadraceresults.com/display-race-results.php?racename=2006-endurrace-8k.
Doing better by listening to my body rather than ignoring it? A novel thought to go with a personal best! GG
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Bon Voyage to the Watson's!
The party before the trip to California held at the Waterloo Dairy Queen (left to right): Isaac Watson, Dianne, Micah Watson, and Joshua Watson.
Yesterday, our teammates, James and Cathi Watson (with their four sons), left Kitchener for doctoral studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. While we won't be able to get together for ice cream for one full year, we will visit with them regularly on the webcam. James and I will continue to work in a "virtual office environment" and his studies in inter-cultural ministry will complement the ministry he will continue to do part-time with Outreach Canada.
So we went out for ice cream on Wednesday night this past week! I told the kids whenever they miss home to eat ice cream for dessert at supper, go to bed early, and dream of playing hockey and tobogganing in the snow. The Watson's will return to Kitchener in July 2007. To meet the Watson's electronically, go to www.outreach.ca and click on the staff link to them.
If our support account can afford it, we hope to make a "supervisory" visit to see the Watson's in Pasadena in early 2007 (when it's snowing in Kitchener). I don't know if we can make it for a whole year without an ice cream party with the Watson boys! GG
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Relationships -- The Ultimate Investment
One of the many highlights from our family vacation this summer was the week I spent with our new grand daughter, Emilie Hamel (to enlarge the picture, click on it). Almost three months old, she's becoming very interactive and being with her is becoming one of my favourite activities. Getting down on the floor or the odd dirty diaper is no problem to me. We are always glad to see each other and we are quickly learning how to communicate. We are making a deep investment in our new family relationship and there are dividends that we are both receiving already!
Last night, I was reading once again in Roy Oswald's book, "Clergy Care." This time, the chapter was about how healthy ministry leaders usually have developed a "support system." These are relationships with people who re-energize them in the midst of serving Christ. Those who do it well are intentional and they expend time and effort to invest in those relationships to make them strong. The pay off comes when ministry is draining or a crisis come. Those who create their own "umbrella" tend to "stay dry when it rains."
I plan to be there for Emilie whenever she needs what a grandpa can give and I hope she will always be there for me. GG
Monday, August 14, 2006
Managing Stress and Avoiding Burn-Out -- A Resource
During my summer vacation, I've read with interest a book entitled, "Clergy Self-Care: Finding a Balance for Effective Ministry", by Roy Oswald. It has challenged me to deal more realistically and proactively with two real dangers for all of us who work with people: managing stress and avoiding burnout.
According to Oswald, stress is stimulation that comes from challenge and change in our lives. In moderation, it can help us to be more productive. However, improperly managed, it can become chronic and destructive. The Stress Self-Assessment Tool in the book helps one to know whether the levels are appropriately low or up in the danger zone. As I read this section of the book, I recalled Dianne's comment, "Glenn doesn't get stress -- he gives it." To those whom I have pushed over the edge at times, I am truly sorry!
The other issue addressed in the book -- avoiding burnout -- was a timely topic for me. Oswald describes burnout as a loss of energy, confidence, idealism, and optimism as a result of fatigue, depletion, and disappointment. After scanning the book's Burnout Self-Assessment Tool, I realized that I need to pay attention to this issue in the remaining months of 2006.
How does Oswald recommend avoiding burnout? Maintaining the right balance between ministry engagement and personal self-care. Health-giving self care addresses all facets of life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It's what Stephen Covey calls, "sharpening the saw" -- looking after yourself so that you can be more effective in the long term. Oswald takes his reader through 11 different self care areas to help a person think through a comprehensive plan that will help them find and maintain that balance point. So I'm working on that these days now that I'm back from vacation.
For more about this book or this issue, drop me a note! GG
