My Life as a Choose Your Own Adventure
Since recently deciding to resign from NCA, the options Joe and I are considering are pretty wide-ranging and we're having a difficult time narrowing the choices. I decided to let my blog become a Choose Your Own Adventure story like the ones I used to read when I was a kid (back in the mid to late 80's the books had different "paths" you could take as you read and it usually affected the outcome, so you could re-read and pick different paths each time). So, we officially resigned on July 21st (although we resigned in our hearts more like July 9th) and we started pursuing other opportunities immediately. If you think Joe and Tina should go to Memphis, TN read about the first option. If you think Joe and Tina should go to Minneapolis, MN, read the second option. If you think Joe and Tina should move to Fresno, CA, read the third option. If you think Joe and Tina should remain in Springfield, read the fourth option.
The first option we considered was to pastor a church in Memphis, Tennessee. Joe was asked earlier this summer to consider this position. Memphis is a cool, albeit somewhat crime-ridden city with a ton of culture and music and good food to offer. The church is within our denomination (Evangelical Methodist, a conservative version of Methodist) and is located in a somewhat affluent part of the city. The previous pastor was paid well enough that he could comfortably support his family of four and his wife worked part-time as the church secretary. They were the church's only staff to serve the 100-member congregation. Since Joe and I would LOVE to work together in ministry, this would be a good fit and I would enjoy getting to do stuff like marketing, web-design, PowerPoints, the bulletin, and other technology stuff to support Joe's ministry. If we moved to Memphis for this church, we would need to sell our house here (which means we would have to get our house ready to sell ASAP), and find a house to live in there. The only catch to this option is that Joe isn't the only person applying for the job and the church isn't in a big hurry to make this decision. Since Joe and I have been waiting on one job or another to be decided upon since NOVEMBER of last year, then more waiting seems dreadful.
Option Two. When Joe and I first started dating, he was headed off for a summer of ministry on the East Coast with an organization called Youthworks! (the exclamation point is in the name of the ministry, not added for emphasis). He worked to oversee ministry staff who worked with short-term youth mission groups in Pennsylvania, upstate New York and Maine. The bigwigs at Youthworks! really like Joe and have in the past to move to Minneapolis and come on staff full-time as a Regional Director with their ministry. In the past, this position was one that required a lot of travel. Recently, they made changes to how the position works and the bulk of the work is now done out of the offices in Minneapolis, with only occasional trips to locations. If we pursued this option, he would most certainly be offered the job, but we wouldn't be able to work together in ministry. I would have to get a job with demands/hours that might not line up with Joe's. The upside: Minneapolis is a cold-climate location which fits nicely with my love of sweaters. Same rules apply to selling our house ASAP and finding housing in Minneapolis ASAP.
Option Three. This option is one of our least favorites, as California seems like a bit of a death-trap at present. What isn't on fire seems to be shaking with a 5.4 earthquake or filled with maniac paparrazzi. Anyway, Joe was recently told of a church in Fresno that is in need of a youth pastor. While he has worked as a youth pastor for several years, he feels like going back to work as a youth pastor at the age of 39 seems...well, exhausting. Youth pastors need to be energetic enough to stay up weird hours at things like lock-ins and need to be able to play basketball or paintball or other stereotypical youth-oriented events. Joe likes that adults are content to sit and talk, rather than pelt one another with paintballs. And he likes to sleep. If we pursued Option Three, we would need a big fatty salary to afford to live in Fresno AND we would need some sort of medication to give us the energy to keep up with youth in the way that effective youth ministry demands. Plus, we'd need to become more alert to avoid being anywhere near Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan or anyone else interesting enough to draw paparrazzi. Other than hearing that the church in Fresno is looking for a youth pastor, we haven't done anything to pursue this option.
Finally, Option Four. We COULD reman in Springfield, but that would most likely involve selling our house and living in a van down by the river. If you'd like us to live in a van down by the river, then shame on you.
There are actually a couple of other "options" that are varying degrees iffy -- Bartlesville, OK; Colorado Springs, CO, and Hungary (as in the European country, not the state of wanting a snack). Feedback on what you would do if you were us? What adventure would you choose?
The first option we considered was to pastor a church in Memphis, Tennessee. Joe was asked earlier this summer to consider this position. Memphis is a cool, albeit somewhat crime-ridden city with a ton of culture and music and good food to offer. The church is within our denomination (Evangelical Methodist, a conservative version of Methodist) and is located in a somewhat affluent part of the city. The previous pastor was paid well enough that he could comfortably support his family of four and his wife worked part-time as the church secretary. They were the church's only staff to serve the 100-member congregation. Since Joe and I would LOVE to work together in ministry, this would be a good fit and I would enjoy getting to do stuff like marketing, web-design, PowerPoints, the bulletin, and other technology stuff to support Joe's ministry. If we moved to Memphis for this church, we would need to sell our house here (which means we would have to get our house ready to sell ASAP), and find a house to live in there. The only catch to this option is that Joe isn't the only person applying for the job and the church isn't in a big hurry to make this decision. Since Joe and I have been waiting on one job or another to be decided upon since NOVEMBER of last year, then more waiting seems dreadful.
Option Two. When Joe and I first started dating, he was headed off for a summer of ministry on the East Coast with an organization called Youthworks! (the exclamation point is in the name of the ministry, not added for emphasis). He worked to oversee ministry staff who worked with short-term youth mission groups in Pennsylvania, upstate New York and Maine. The bigwigs at Youthworks! really like Joe and have in the past to move to Minneapolis and come on staff full-time as a Regional Director with their ministry. In the past, this position was one that required a lot of travel. Recently, they made changes to how the position works and the bulk of the work is now done out of the offices in Minneapolis, with only occasional trips to locations. If we pursued this option, he would most certainly be offered the job, but we wouldn't be able to work together in ministry. I would have to get a job with demands/hours that might not line up with Joe's. The upside: Minneapolis is a cold-climate location which fits nicely with my love of sweaters. Same rules apply to selling our house ASAP and finding housing in Minneapolis ASAP.
Option Three. This option is one of our least favorites, as California seems like a bit of a death-trap at present. What isn't on fire seems to be shaking with a 5.4 earthquake or filled with maniac paparrazzi. Anyway, Joe was recently told of a church in Fresno that is in need of a youth pastor. While he has worked as a youth pastor for several years, he feels like going back to work as a youth pastor at the age of 39 seems...well, exhausting. Youth pastors need to be energetic enough to stay up weird hours at things like lock-ins and need to be able to play basketball or paintball or other stereotypical youth-oriented events. Joe likes that adults are content to sit and talk, rather than pelt one another with paintballs. And he likes to sleep. If we pursued Option Three, we would need a big fatty salary to afford to live in Fresno AND we would need some sort of medication to give us the energy to keep up with youth in the way that effective youth ministry demands. Plus, we'd need to become more alert to avoid being anywhere near Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan or anyone else interesting enough to draw paparrazzi. Other than hearing that the church in Fresno is looking for a youth pastor, we haven't done anything to pursue this option.
Finally, Option Four. We COULD reman in Springfield, but that would most likely involve selling our house and living in a van down by the river. If you'd like us to live in a van down by the river, then shame on you.
There are actually a couple of other "options" that are varying degrees iffy -- Bartlesville, OK; Colorado Springs, CO, and Hungary (as in the European country, not the state of wanting a snack). Feedback on what you would do if you were us? What adventure would you choose?
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