We are in the midst of Charge Conference season! This is a very enjoyable time for those in our United Methodist connection who enjoy the process of identifying and electing laity to serve in various leadership positions, and for clergy who enjoy getting paid and having things like pension contributions and health insurance and other benefits in place. Many of us get great satisfaction in having big green checkmarks to indicate the successful completion of all necessary online reports. It is also enjoyable for those who enjoy the opportunity to gather with friends from neighboring churches to worship God, to participate in holy conferencing, and to witness exciting times in the ministry of individuals from our local churches who are called to being set apart and equipped for some sort of ministry beyond their local church.
This can be a challenging time of year for those in our connection who find it to be difficult to identify people who have the spiritual gifts in the areas where leadership is needed and who are willing to say yes. It can also be a challenging time for those who do not enjoy the tasks of gathering necessary data and entering it in a timely fashion into the Online Data Collection System.
So here’s where the “Just Doin’ my job” part comes in. Some of my friends in ministry want to avoid me as if I’m the plague this time of year. It’s as if my (hopefully) helpful reminders are somehow directed at them personally.
Please keep in mind that I do not make decisions about what is expected to be reported during Charge Conference season. I’m simply asked to ensure that it is done. For those of you who find this part of our connectional commitment to be life-draining, I understand. I love attending each Charge Conference where I get to worship and fellowship with you. I enjoy reading State of the Church Reports and Reports of Pastoral Ministry and celebrating all of the fruitful ministry that is taking place in and through each local church. The checking to see that all T’s are crossed and I’s dotted and scanning all of the completed reports into E-Bridge (our official documents cloud), I confess that is not the most exciting part of my job. If you are struggling with the administrative parts that are required of you during this Charge Conference season, I invite you to join me in recognizing that sometimes we must suck it up and do those things that we are expected to do so we can get on with all of the other fruitful Kingdom work that we get to participate in. When I call, text or email you to ask for some attention to detail, please keep in mind that I am just doing my job, and this Charge Conference season soon will pass. And, even if gentle reminders were required, I will be glad to see you and greet you and I will continue to give thanks for you and your ministry.
Peace and blessings, y’all,
To print or share this message, you are encouraged to use this pdf:
Claire -Just Doin’ My Job
To read past editions – you are encouraged to follow this link:
https://capitaldistrictnc.org/claire-ificaton/
