Since there has been some interest expressed in sharing ministry ups and downs and what works, I'm thrilled to soon see some light at the end of the tunnel.
A few months ago I found out I was not getting a new Associate Pastor at the usual time of appointment, which would have been July 1 but that I would be waiting a year to get a very qualified young guy who is finishing up his seminary degree at Duke.
So the plan has been how a congregation that has almost always had two pastors is going to get along with just me for a year. I hired some temp staff to help with visitation, redistributed some duties to other people. But, right after my last Associate left I had eight funerals over about six weeks. It has been wearing.
But, the good news is that, do to some changing circumstances for my new young staff member, he is going to be able to start on January 1 instead of June 30th. So at this point, I only have to get along short staffed for a couple more months!