Self-Love and Your Call

This past weekend I had the privilege of taking in the virtual APCE conference (Association of Presbyterian Church Educators for the uninitiated). I attended APCE many years ago when it was held in Toronto but due to the cost and it normally involving a flight to the US I hadn’t been back since.

One of the blessings and frustrations of the APCE experience is that it is out of the American context. I drool as I hear talk of certified Christian educators, ordination to Christian education (CE), seminaries lifting up this ministry and call as being just as valid as a call to Word and Sacraments, and full and part-time positions offered across the country. Canada’s context for CE is starkly different from this on many fronts, but particularly the valuing of the profession.

I can’t tell you the number of times people have asked if I have ever thought about ‘going into ministry’. Well, after 20 years as a Christian educator, I’m already well and truly there. Sadly, in many denominations we still don’t have valuing of or theology around calls apart from to Word and Sacrament. There isn’t an understanding of how CE professionals can benefit the church as a whole and is necessary to its full life.

We often have a scarcity mentality that all our eggs need to go in one basket in order for the church to survive, ergo Word and Sacrament is the one professional ministry catch-all. Cuts to regional staff in my denomination have meant a lessening of networking, communication and intentional opportunities for learning and gathering around CE. The changes I’ve witnessed over the last 20 years are concerning to say the least.

APCE reminded me of many things, but perhaps most importantly the need to honour my call, even if others don’t get it, and to care for myself because I’m important and the ministry I do is important. In the last plenary session, a variety of colleagues of the presenter had been asked to share what they had gained from this pandemic time, what had been challenging and words of blessing for fellow Christian educators. It was probably the most moving part of the conference for me.

When we had a zoom chat for Canadian participants one night, we were put in small groups and asked the question ‘what do you need?’ My response was ‘this!’ Time to connect with other people doing the same kind of ministry to troubleshoot and network around these challenging times. CE is always done better when we collaborate and share, but in this pandemic when everything has had to be re-visioned and adapted it is especially important. That time with colleagues was an oasis in a challenging month and year.

I’m so grateful for my APCE experience and in days to come will make some suggestions to our wonderful national staff person who was a guide for all of us Canadians taking in the conference. I dream of how and when Christian educators across my denomination will be connected and networking easily, lifting each other up, and able to gather to hone our skills and build the educational ministry of the church. I dream of training opportunities and possibly even certification to equip those with a call to this ministry. I dream of cluster and shared ministries of Christian educators among congregations as the number of ministers of Word and Sacrament decreases due to retirements and low turnout of M. Div. graduates.

Without leaders in the church whose focus is faith formation we are in trouble. The role we play in developing programs, identifying community needs, supporting and interacting with families and training and developing volunteers is vital to church growth. When we don’t honour and nurture God’s gifts to all people then we all lose out on the possible work of the Spirit in and among us.

If you need to hear these words I hope that you can take them in: Your call is valid and real. You are worth nurturing in this time so that you can fulfill what God has asked you to do with your unique gifts. You are not alone even if it feels like it. You do not have to fit into someone else’s box of what they think you should do or be to make them more comfortable. Trust in the Spirit’s leading and the wise counsel of people who know you well and can help you discern what God is asking of you. God is with you!