THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
MINISTRY FACING CHALLENGE AND CHANGE
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Our sequel The Journey Continues travels into the Mountain and Plains States. During this time frame, church life is moving from center stage to the sidelines. The quest to discover God interacts with the ups and downs of ministry and life. Due to advances in medicine and technology, fewer people were calling on the Church for prayer including stalwart church members. It was a time when the minister sensed he was facing society’s loss of faith in God and faith in our Country.
In church life, photos from the past showed packed sanctuaries including balcony and overflowing Sunday School classes. For the minister church growth was measuring the upswing from the condition of the congregation at arrival. For some stalwart members church growth was returning to the good old days of a packed house.
During this time of change there are ups and downs during the quest to discover God in our daily life. How does maintaining a faith in God help shine a light during the dark days? How does maintaining that faith affect the journey?
The good news of the gospel is: there is life after death. The question is for the minister: is there professional life and professional death? Or, having seen the good old days are there any good new days to come? The journey continues.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The Journey Continues: Ministry Facing Challenge and Change will travel though the mountain and plains states. The quest for meaning that began in Journey to God will be expanded through the challenges and changes of raising a family, facing the ever changing expectations of ministers, church, and faith in God.
Our young family is now a family with teenagers, driver licenses, cars, and dating. The one-salaried family becomes a two-salaried family with positive and negative reactions. Maintaining a Christian presence in the face of negative comments and ridicule is part of the experience of serving God in our world.
During the doctoral program, some role reversal takes place as teenagers ask dad to see his report card along with, “Have you done your homework yet?” The teens and dad take over cooking duties as Mom’s work schedule changes. A new experience of “burnt offerings” at the dinner table becomes frequent.
The ministry will face questions that challenge the role of ministers, campus ministers, and chaplains in the face of a fast growing improvement in health care, technological advances in communication, information, and office equipment. The computer age opens the doors to the inexperienced to enter the job market ahead of or replacing of older, experienced workers. As change continues, values are modified or set aside. The bottom line and compliance issues take the place of hard work and customer service. The idea of being kind to others changes to a “get yours before they get theirs” attitude.
Attempting to serve when the church was moved from the mainstream to the sidelines is part of the challenge change brings. Having to prove something that once was taken for granted is part of regaining an awareness of the value of the Christian Faith.
About the Author
Dr Ron is an ordained minister with an earned doctorate. He writes a column entitled “I Believe.” Dr. Ron has served congregations for 50+ years.
Dr Ron and his wife Robbie have four grown children, eight grand-children, and two great grand children. They make their home in Cherokee, Oklahoma.