I work in a large office. In all there are about 900-1000 staff in the building. The office is within 10 minute walking distance of 3 (at least) Church of Scotland churches. Yet, in nearly 10 years of working there, I have not seen a minister.
Is that office not part of a parish? Should the minister of that parish not be as concerned about the people in the office as anyone else in their parish? I, like most of my colleagues, spend about 50% of my waking hours in that parish. Potentially longer than those who live there.
There are so many demands on a minister's time, but why not the office block and other workplaces on their patch? Jesus' disciples He called at their workplaces. Jesus did much of His teaching away from the synagogues. Should that not be a model for ministry? Meeting people where they are - letting them know that they are loved and wanted by God. Or, is that a little too much?
I don't know. Maybe this thought has been placed in my heart as it's something God wants me to do. That's a bit scary. But I know I shouldn't be afraid or discouraged as He will personally go ahead and prepare the way for me (paraphrase of Deuteronomy 31:8). Knowing my luck, it might even be, in 5 or 6 years, the very office I currently work in!
Aah, but it works both ways:
ReplyDeletewithin the context of offering 'chaplaincy'/ pastoral support of some kind, the church has also to be invited. You can't just blunder in...
Perhaps the various churches had approached but the folks who are in charge of such decisions thought that it wasn't appropriate or some such?
It also takes a long time to win over the decision-makers at places of work: there are different ways people of faith are viewed by non-church folk [often via the skewed filter of the media] but the most common is initial suspicion and scepticism. These folk have to be convinced in some way that this 'service' being offered will be useful for the overall business... questions in the back of the head can range from 'oh, an opportunity for staff to skive/ will we lose out re. company time/ what's in it for these church folks then - are we just notches on their bibles? Through to not quite actually getting the point of it anyway.
As I said, it takes a long process of time to build up relationships of trust before you even are allowed to get a foot in the door. Then, when you have, a general rule-of-thumb is that it takes about 3 years to get the thing working well/ establish relationships of trust, etc.
There are a number of churches who have got involved in such ventures - but sometimes they mess up quite badly: lack of organisation/ consistency of approach/ getting caught up in other things and not being as regular a face as they could/ lack of support base from local church/ not enough resourcing to make it a viable project in the first place.
And I'd challenge you on this task as being an ordained minister's job. Not necessary at all - can be useful or not useful. So, identifying skill sets within the congregations or getting the churches to work together to support a p/t paid chaplain is another approach.
Just some thoughts, anyway...
Yours as a former work-place chaplain :)
Hi Nik
ReplyDeleteFair points, well made. I suppose I was just musing at the concentration on meeting people in their leisure time by much of the church. I can also understand the invitation thing, but I suspect it has never been extended.
Oh, perhaps I shouldn't have automatically gone for "minister" in my post. Chaplain would have been more appropriate. I suppose I'm looking it a bit like hospital chaplains. In Fife, there's one full-timer and 3 (I think) part-timers. All with different "calls" (if that makes sense?). That's sort of my analagy.
Oh, and I definately don't think I should (or could) do it all. Ministers need a team to help. That's going to be more and more the case other the next few years. Perhaps I am the encourager and enabler of this? Get members to be "chaplains" in the workplace? Again, ramdom thoughts which may just be me ranting, or some seed of something being sown.
Mrs G.
*grins* oh, ranting is always good! :)
ReplyDeleteNik, I take it you meant to put this comment with "Change the record".
ReplyDeleteYes, it's good to get it off your chest.