For many years now, our daughter, Kristin, and I have been very involved in ministry initiatives. As most of you know, I attended seminary for almost a decade and I teach several Bible studies a week in addition to other tasks, such as a career transition ministry that two friends and I were involved in for many years. Just this morning, another pastor asked for a meeting to discuss ministry ideas that he has and wants to consider for his own career.
What most of you don’t know is that Kristin actually received her doctorate on the same day that I earned one of my doctorates in 2007. In fact, we graduated together, which was really something special. Kristin, formerly an elementary teacher, left the school system and started doing ministry in the church, She has worked with young children and had more than fifteen years of experience at her church position. Several years ago, she moved to a different church, still Presbyterian, and became responsible for the older kids – think high school and college age. She has now been at this ministry for almost three years and, as before, she really loves it.
Kristin is a natural when it comes to working with kids. While I would much prefer to work with adults, Kristin is just wired in such a way as to be beloved by all who have the good fortune to have her as a teacher. Ministries have grown exponentially under her leadership and Janet and I couldn’t be more proud of her accomplishments.
Several years ago, Kristin decided to once again go back to school and become a pastor in the Presbyterian Church. She has spent the better part of the last two and a half years taking module classes with others in a cohort type of environment. She already has an undergrad teaching degree, a Master’s in Special Education and a Doctorate to support her love of teaching. But, in typical Kristin fashion, that wasn’t enough.
Kristin is passionate about being able to serve communion, to perform baptisms, weddings, funerals and other functions in the church world. In order for that to happen, she needed specific credentials in addition to the support of the church session and the Wabash Valley Presbytery. Her journey toward formal commissioning included her graduation from school this month and yesterday she was presented with her first stole and blessings of the Presbytery. She was beyond excited and so are we.
She has already told us that she doesn’t have a strong desire to be a Senior Pastor or to lead a church. Rather, she wants to stay in a position of service to the younger generations – taking them on retreats, teaching them the Bible, answering questions of concern to younger folks and all the other tasks that she is currently involved in. In fact, we may even team teach certain Bible studies which we have already done throughout the years.
But the piece that was missing was the ability to deal with the sacraments of the church. Technically, she will be referred to as a Commissioned Ruling Elder (CRE) or a Commissioned Lay Pastor. With her past education, exposure to kids and almost twenty years of commitment to church ministries as a staff member, she has quite a successful run in her area of calling… And that is what it is with her – a calling!
There is no doubt that Kristin’s spiritual gifts and love of people have her, undoubtedly, in the correct position for her to be a wonderful ambassador for Christ in the community. I think she has attained something many folks have never been fortunate enough to ever experience. Her passion, style and spiritual gifts are aligned in a way that magnifies the impact she has with her charges.
Within several weeks, she will also occupy the pulpit and be available to assist with sermons and other responsibilities generally associated with a pastor’s duties. It has been a celebratory week for the Toussaint clan.
Our verse for tonight highlights some of the words of the apostle Paul. In discussing spiritual gifts, and how each of us is divinely given different gifts, Paul reminds us of several offices that God’s people occupy. He tells us, speaking of God, in Ephesians 4:11-13, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Notice that most of the offices have a singular responsibility but Paul places the office of “pastor and teacher” as one office in the church. It is one of the interesting verses that we had to deeply delve in to during our study of Greek. This is clearly in the center of Kristin’s giftedness. While she has been a teacher for her entire career, she has now officially added the pastor component as well.
My encouragement this evening is that each of us is given unique gifts and assignments from the Lord that we are to accomplish during our lifetimes for the benefit of the kingdom of God. I am convinced that Kristin is squarely situated in the core of her calling. My prayer is that each of us will successfully find our way to the unique place that God has chosen for us. Sometimes, it takes a lifetime to move from where we are to where God wants us to be. But discouragement should not be on the menu. If we are committed to the Lord, and trust His plans for us, we can’t help but end up where He wants us to be. Please join me in congratulating Kristin on another job well done. We love you, Kristin, and wish you a lifetime of service to the Lord. And to the rest of you, have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…