I am a hybrid of sorts. Minister and Mom. Mom and minister, in a small historic town where I live and work with my family of four (soon to be five) and my church family. I have many children, two my biological children and 40 or so that are my spiritual children, all whom I love, nurture, teach and disciple. Sometimes it feels strange that God has called me to be who I am, to do what I do as a Minister and a mother. Often I wonder how God has made me and molded me into this Minister Mom character. I didn't plan to do this, I didn't think I would ever become an ordained minister in the Baptist church when I thought about what I would be "when I grow up." But here I am.
But after all, I've come to consider my life and my calling a dream. A dream that God placed in my heart to be in this place where personal life overlaps into vocation. No person can truly minister if considering serving God as just a job. Real ministry encompasses our whole lives, whether we are official ministers or not. We Baptists believe in the priesthood of all believers. We are all priests, and that applies to every parent that attempts to raise a child in the way that they should go.
In my unique position, Minister to Children at FBC Pendleton and biological parent to two children within that congregation, I see the value in being church to so many young people. I model with my very life, what it is to be church and to be church together with them. On occasion, much to my amusement, children have been mistaken to the reality of who I am as a part of the church. Some think I live at church, I guess cause I'm always there when they show up and when they leave. One thinks that the two pastors that lead and shepherd our church are my mom and dad (much to my pastor's chagrin!). Some have thought I just like being with kids so I'm always their teacher or leader, never occurring to them that I serve in an "official" capacity as a minister on a church staff. Even though technically the children have been wrong, maybe they are also right about who I am. A song I recently learned and sang with the little ones goes, "I am the church, we are the church, you are the church, yes we are the church together."
My pastors and other staff members are my family. The children who are a part of our church are my family. Their families are my family. To each person I am connected in a special and sacred way. My own children are blessed to be a part of the body that is the church together, where children are valued and moms and ministers alike are called to live and move and have their being. Being church.
Julia's website is www.theministermom.webs.com
