Continuing Series in the Life of a Pastoral Care Pastor

May 12 & 13, 2010, – Wednesday & Thursday: Both days have been full days at the office. On Wednesday I had several meeting in the morning before heading out to a lunch meeting with my altar prayer team where we discussed several upcoming issues. We are plotting out the direction that we see God taking us through the summer as we gear up for the Fall kick-off in September. Had a chance to slip home after the lunch and take care of my little alarm clock, i.e. feed her and take her for a walk before heading back to church to teach the FPU class that evening. On Thursday I made several hospital visits in the morning before arriving back at the church for an 11 AM meeting with my Health Director. She is an RN and has volunteered to help set up a health care ministry. She is recovering from breast cancer and wants to serve the church in this way so we are planning how it should look. We are purchasing 3 AED’s and re-stocking the first-aid kits that the various ministries have in their areas. All afternoon, until 4 was involved in our church budget process as I am on the Leadership Team. We had our first look at the total overall budget and processed through several big budget items. How much do we project our church growth to be and how much to we project our tithes and offerings for the coming year. We need lots of prayer to discern the right path to take. As soon as that meeting was over had a scheduled meeting with a young man who needed some advice about his upcoming wedding but shortly before he arrived another young man came in asking for me. We talked some about some issues he was having at home with his mom and I gave him some “fatherly” advice about how to treat his mother and appreciate her as she has raised him as a single mom. Then my scheduled appointment came in that needed some advice on his upcoming wedding but as we talked I discerned that was not the issue so as I listened and asked questions that God gave me to ask, it turned out he felt this black cloud hanging over him and just could not seemed to connect with God. As he talked about how religious he was I knew that he did not have a personal experience with Jesus….he just knew about Him…like a lot of people. I shared with him the gospel and he prayed and asked Jesus to forgive him and come into his life and lead him from now on…it was a great experience watching his new birth. His whole countenance changed as relief came to him and he immediately wanted to know how to learn and serve this Jesus, the savior of his soul. We rejoiced some afterwards and as we were leaving I introduced him to Lynn and she will get him connected into the GUSH ministry. Afterwards headed home for supper and a meeting with a couple Jeanette and I are mentoring through the pre-marital process. Overall it was a good day…now I am looking forward to playing some golf tomorrow with John, my golf partner on Friday’s.