Our Michigan Annual Conference ordained 17 and commissioned 9 people this year. It was a true celebration of the calling and equipping of leaders that continues in our United Methodist history.
In my July 3 sermon, “Wisdom and Passion Live in Freedom and Fruitfulness,” I shared the basic approach of the Church to explore and examine the calls to ministry people experience. The high level view is to test for Fitness, Readiness, and Effectiveness.
Fitness refers to a person’s basic condition, mental health, and self-care. Readiness is reflected in preparation through education and use of basic ministry skills. Effectiveness is the fruitfulness in how God impacts the world through the person.
All this belongs to the early years of pastoral ministry. But what about ongoing exploration and examination beyond that time? How do you know how well you are doing in your 8th, 19th, or 33rd (in my case) year of ministry?
Just as each congregation has an annual Church Conference to care for local business and celebrate ministry, each pastor is evaluated annually in a methodical way by Church leadership. There is a standard evaluation form and additional questions from the District Superintendent. I do a self-evaluation and together with Church leaders we complete a Joint Dialogue form that identifies up to three S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound) for the coming year.
The standard form evaluates the pastor in these areas on a numerical scale:
Ministry of Word: Preaching & Teaching
Ministry of Order: Leadership & Equipping of Laity
Ministries of Sacrament and Pastoral Care
Ministry of Mission and Service
Interpersonal and Relational Skills
Personal Spiritual Formation & Self Care
Connectionalism / Stewardship
District and Conference Leadership
Pastoral Strengths
Areas Needing Intentional Growth/Improvement
Then there are 21 additional questions from the District Superintendent, such as:
- How is it with your soul, what are you doing to nurture your Spirit and your relationship with God in Jesus Christ?
- How are you caring for yourself physically, financially, and relationally (quality time with significant persons in your life)?
- What is your church’s vision? How are you helping them move toward or expand the vision?
- Please describe how this church looks when it’s healthy and vibrant in mission and ministry.
Here is my response to that question this year:
In a recent sermon, I said “We hold passionate classic faith and fire. Our singing is inspired, our service is humble and helpful, our study is serious and joyful, and we seek to receive and give love in Jesus’ name. We gather, connect, learn, and serve for the glory of God and the benefit of Greenville and the world.” We value life-long commitments to God. We focus on and respond well to missional needs in the community and through the Conference, especially the EngageMI program. Strong adult education groups contribute to our health. United Women in Faith are renewing their activity. We are building or rebuilding more connected relationships with the Scouts and Christian Child Care Center. The commitment to serving the community is vibrantly expressed in our relationship with City Church.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have methodical ways of exploring and evaluating our lives of faith. What I call five paths of discipleship are the basic practices we ask of people who join the Church: As a member of this congregation will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness? How would you describe your faith when it’s healthy and vibrant across these five areas?
Each year I come to appreciate the evaluation process because it gives me the opportunity to lift up my heart and see my life in a bigger context than the daily blessings and burdens that claim my attention most of the time. And it reminds me how amazing it is to serve with so many loving people. I invite you to take time yet this summer to explore and examine your faith in light of the five paths of discipleship or other helpful questions. And I would appreciate the chance to listen and encourage you along the way.