Tag Archives: ministry

Between two worlds

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I sat in small group last night and remembered when we started one, over three years ago, in my apartment. Now, 3 apartments and 3 years later, it’s still going.

I wondered if last night would be the last time I go to small group here. I thought about how much I’d miss the friends in that group – the friends that were once a part of the group – and the friends from seminary that never even made it to the group. So many faces…

Then I remembered the friends we’d return to back in Georgia. And the new friends I’ve already made in the process. And the friends I’ve yet to meet.

And then I thought about how many seminary friends we’ve already invited to come down and take a vacation on the warm Georgia coast… And how I really do want these people to see my Georgia world. And how much I want my Georgia world to see these people. And I thought about the ones who probably WILL see my southern life. And how excited that makes me.

And then I thought about packing. And the house (or lack thereof). And the drive down. And Christmas AND New Year’s between our move and our first day of work. And whether or not we’ll have to time to paint. And how I’m going to decorate my office at the church. And if it’s going to make me crazy to see my husband all-the-time-every-day-working-in-the-same-place. And whether or not it’s safe to put a plant beside a computer. And if Drew and I will be so busy that we’ll miss each other. And if we’ll miss this quiet seminary season where there seems to be time. And if I’ll be able to remember all the hard lessons I’ve learned while at seminary.

And if I could just focus on one thing at a time. Like, paying attention in small group and listening to my friends, instead of wandering off into thoughts about a different world.

And if I will be able to really really enjoy these last few weeks that I have here.

And if I can make the time to really spend time with all the friends that I have to say goodbye to… really soon.

Too soon.

A Perfect Fit.

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Last spring, my incredible husband was approached by a favorite pastor of ours, to talk about our plans after seminary. We’d both worked with Jay a few years ago. He plucked both of us out of college and positioned us as interns in an amazing community-wide youth ministry in south east Georgia. Jay is the type of leader that not only sees who you are, but also sees who you can be. And he works to develop the God-given talents and abilities that are packed inside your soul.

And, so, we worked with Jay for quite a while – cutting our ministry teeth under his leadership. Until he started a church plant in Brunswick, GA.

Six years later, that church is a thriving community of believers, many of whom are amazing friends of mine that stretch past a small group of my best girlfriends in the area, past my youth ministry days, into my old college campus ministry, and all the way back to my middle school days in my home-town youth group. Oh the souls I already love so much! They are energetic, passionate, and absolutely devoted to what God is doing in their church. This is a unique and inspiring Body of Christ.

Yesterday, the leaders at the church announced that Drew and I would join The Chapel as the Teaching Pastor and Director of Congregational Services.

Drew will be working under Jay, to plan and teach on Sundays, as well as dreaming “big-picture” dreams about the future of The Chapel. He will also work with the leadership team, to grow and equip others.

And then there’s MY dream ministry position! I will mainly work alongside the umpteen worship leaders, musicians, techies, greeters, and muscles of The Chapel, to coordinate the well-oiled machine that is The Chapel’s Sunday services. I will also have my hand in the various media aspects of the church: website, twitter [grin], newsletter, live online service broadcasting, etc. Oh, and I think some bookkeeping is involved somewhere as well!

And here we are, giddy with excitement, eager to soak up the energy and passion of this church, and ready to serve alongside these faithful followers!

I.

Can’t.

Wait.

A sneak peak at The Thompsons’ 2010.

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I’ll be in Brunswick Georgia this weekend.

Singing.

Sunning.

and shopping.

…for our first home.

Y’all… I might have a room where I can sing as loud as I want.

OHMYGOODNESS

Don’t ask me how a broke seminary couple can do this, because I can’t even wrap my mind around it. This has been a rather quick, but not-at-all-foolish decision. I can’t really get into all the details. But, yeah, we’re going to look for a house! We know this is fast, but we’re hoping to find something that will work for us. Drew says I shouldn’t get my hopes up. So I’m trying not to… Maybe typing out the words “Mandy, don’t get your hopes up” will work… nope. Still excited. I don’t know if this is all gonna happen, but I’m excited.

One thing I do know, I had a friend tell me yesterday that I better give God some glory for what is going on in our life right now.

So: hallelujah!

I hope y’all can rejoice with me. I’m so excited I can’t even sleep.

There’s a sneak peak into what could be The Thompson’s Two-Ten!

Do you tell your spouse everything?

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When Drew and I started dating, we were both working in youth ministry. We were mentoring teenagers. We were having one on one meetings. We were hearing 17 year old secrets.

And we kept them.

And we didn’t share this information with each other.

That practice continued when we were married. And it also stretched over into our individual friendships, Bible studies, and small groups. I have been in a small group of some sort for years. And I don’t tell Drew the details of what is shared in these sessions. These are grown-up secrets. And I keep them.

I may share with him the bits of information that relate to me, ie: what our Bible study leader taught us. Or what we were studying for that lesson. Or what I realized during our lesson.

The same goes for Drew’s small group experience.

We both mentor some college students now. And we don’t share those secrets either. We even hang out with individual friends, and we don’t share the things that are told to us by our friends.

Sure, sometimes that means one of us doesn’t know if another couple is pregnant. That’s ok. It doesn’t happen often. And when it does, we simply apologize and explain that we don’t share others’ deep information with one another. I think it’s much better to apologize for not knowing, than to apologize for sharing too much.

So that’s how we do it.

What about you?

Do you tell your spouse everything? Or do you keep others’ secrets a secret from your spouse?