Monday, March 12, 2012

Not in the manual

Good advice dictates that you should have an action plan for certain emergencies.

Someone talks about suicide, self harm, an eating disorder or abuse.
Someone collapses during a church service.

In the examples above, the response "let me think about this for the next hours, do some research, and get back to you" wouldn't cut it.

Over the last few weeks I've heard numerous stories which wouldn't be in the usual "ministry playbook."

The baby being christened stops breathing.
A member of your congregation goes missing for two days.
Whilst eating at McDonald's, one of the teens you're with gets mugged in the toilets.
The bus that transported you to an event doesn't reappear to return you home.
Whilst the coffin is being lowered into the ground, the lid catches on the edge of the hole and gets slowly pried open.

If you happen to be officiating at this wedding...



I guess it is these times which make ministry... interesting.

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