more personal

               Doesn’t time fly when you are enjoying yourself?  Hard to believe I am six weeks in to the sabbatical now. Seems to have gone quickly. Yet I feel like I have done a lot, four trips in all, lots of conversations, lots to think about.  Away from all that, or perhaps in the light of all of that, where am I at in myself?

 

      Suppose I have a real half time feeling about me at the minute. This is my 22^nd year in ministry and I am 44 this year!!  If all goes well I might have another twenty years in me church ministry wise. A few things going through my head.

 

      Want to go deeper in my relationship with God. Really believe ministry is about so much more than natural or spiritual giftedness. Want to live this stuff out.

 

      Don’t want to be lonely in the journey. Am learning the value of community. Everybody needs somebody.

 

      Don’t want to end up bitter in spirit or disappointed in myself or in the calling I have faithfully sought to follow.

 

      Feel the desire to live a more balanced life. Really want to be a better husband and a better dad. I have an amazing wife and great kids. Want to lead them too faithfully before God, before I lead the church actually.My church leadership of the fellowship must flow out of our home life and walk with God.

 

     Friends are really important and I have some great ones.

 

      So I am taking along hard look at me and reckon there are a few personal areas of change I would like to address as I get back into work in the autumn. BBC is a great church with amazing people. All sorts of things  excite me about moving forward in to the next chapter and I must admit I worry bout a few things too. Maybe they just all go with the job. But I really believe God is in this and we can trust him, actually I can trust him.

 

   Thanks for the thoughts and the prayers. Miss the congregation a lot.

 

G

 

Gordon  McDade