Central Plains Mennonite Conference
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Central Plains Structure
    • Staff >
      • Executive Conference Minister
      • Ministerial Leadership
      • Formation Minister
      • Hispanic Ministries
    • Map of Conference
    • Congregations >
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Board
    • Committees >
      • Christian Formation
      • Outreach and Service >
        • Church Planting
        • Peace and Justice Task Group
        • Practicing Offering and Receiving Hospitality
      • Pastoral Leadership
    • Partners in Mission >
      • Agape Peace Center
      • Philip Friesen
    • Camps & Schools
    • Who are the Mennonites?
  • CPMC at Work
    • MC USA Delegate Resources
    • Publications >
      • Scattered Seeds
      • The Sower
    • Events >
      • Annual Meeting 2022
    • CPMC Covenant
    • New Ministries Fund >
      • Reports of Past Grant Recipients
    • Counsel on variance
  • Congregational Leaders
    • Pastors
    • Elders & Deacons
    • Church Council
    • Support for Conflict >
      • Facilitation Services and Donations
    • Pastor Openings
  • Mission Leaders
    • Racism webinar videos
    • Ecuador/Venezuela Partnership >
      • Latest News from Ecuador/Venezuela
      • Story of the Ecuador Partnership >
        • Timeline & Resources
      • Personnel and Partnership Members >
        • Ross Richers
        • Wigginton Bravo
      • Quito Property Fund
    • Church Planting >
      • Developing Congregations
    • Travel Like Dave
    • Missional Discipleship Initiative
    • Islam and the Gospel
  • Formation Leaders
    • Formation in Worship
    • Formation Resource Library
    • Children and Families >
      • Faith at Home
      • Curriculum for Children
      • Shine
      • Resources for Parents
      • Protecting Children
    • Youth >
      • Youth Mission Together
      • Youth Sponsors
      • Youth Curriculum
      • Youth SS Teachers
      • Mentor Coordinator
      • CO Resources
      • Helpful sites for YM
    • Adults >
      • Adult Faith at Home
      • Adult Curriculum
      • Teaching resources
      • Adult Spirituality
    • Shalom Readers
    • Curriculum Evaluation Tool
  • Resources
    • Anti Racism Resources
    • Bible study Webinars >
      • Bible Study Webinars 2016
      • Bible Study Webinars 2017
    • Conference Documents
    • Christian Discernment
    • En Espanol
    • Immigration
    • Mennonite Links
    • Spiritual Deliverance
    • Archives
  • Contact Us
    • Contact form
    • Church contact info form
    • Donate
    • COVID Relief
    • Discerning Future Leaders
    • Sunday Speaking Information Sheet

Part 1 of Important Work: Stories from CPMC's Communities, PLC

4/14/2020

0 Comments

 
In addition to the Conference Ministry staff, the work of the conference is done in large part by the Conference Board and three committees: Pastoral Leadership, Christian Formation, and Outreach & Service. As a glimpse into the work of our conference, these three committees and the Conference Board were each invited to share a short story of recent committee activity. 

THE WORK OF THE PASTORAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE
by Kelsey Guckenberger, pastor of Christ Community Church, Des Moines, IA

Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in God. 
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
It's leaves are always green. 
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit. 

Becoming a pastor is a long process. There are late nights of studying for Church History exams in the library, early morning commutes to Field Education placements, cramming everything you have learned about yourself as a ministering person into 1,500 characters (including spaces) for your Mennonite Leadership Information form (ML), waiting for churches to call you, interviewing with a congregation, discerning with the congregation if God is calling you there, and interviewing with a group of experienced and wise people on the Pastoral Leadership Committee (PLC).

Amidst this process it is easy to get caught up in the small details and big questions. Where will I be called? Will my spouse be able to find a job there? How will we be welcomed into the community? In all of the uncertainty that comes with becoming a pastor, we are invited to do the same thing that we are called to do for our entire ministry: to trust in God. 

The process of becoming a pastor calls us to trust, because trusting in God is more important than preaching the best sermon, or having a great resume, or reading the latest book. In the end, no amount of achievement, or education, or personality will make us faithful. Pastors are called to put down deep roots and reach for the living water that only Christ can give. In times when things are going well or times such as these that are difficult and dry, we are called to root ourselves in that living water and guide others to trust as well. For when we are rooted in Christ, we will not fail to bear much fruit. 

Kelsey Guckenberger was installed and licensed for pastoral ministry at Christ Community Church in Des Moines, IA on June 30, 2019.

The Pastoral Leadership Committee is charged with developing and maintaining high quality pastoral leadership for Central Plains congregations. PLC works closely with Susan Janzen, the Conference Minister for Ministerial Leadership. You can read more about the PLC on our website. http://www.centralplainsmc.org/pastoral-leadership.html.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Read articles from our latest issue of Scattered Seeds, the Central Plains Mennonite Conference bi-monthly print newsletter.

    Scattered Seeds is edited by Amanda Bleichty.

    Archives

    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019

    Categories

    All
    Changing Patterns
    CPMC Happenings
    CPMC Staff News
    Ecuador Partnership
    Pastoral Transitions

    RSS Feed

Office Manager: P.O. Box 101, Freeman, SD 57029  office@centralplainsmc.org  phone: 605-929-3325
Ministry Staff Office: P.O. Box 352, Kalona, IA 52247
  • Home
    • About Us
    • Central Plains Structure
    • Staff >
      • Executive Conference Minister
      • Ministerial Leadership
      • Formation Minister
      • Hispanic Ministries
    • Map of Conference
    • Congregations >
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Board
    • Committees >
      • Christian Formation
      • Outreach and Service >
        • Church Planting
        • Peace and Justice Task Group
        • Practicing Offering and Receiving Hospitality
      • Pastoral Leadership
    • Partners in Mission >
      • Agape Peace Center
      • Philip Friesen
    • Camps & Schools
    • Who are the Mennonites?
  • CPMC at Work
    • MC USA Delegate Resources
    • Publications >
      • Scattered Seeds
      • The Sower
    • Events >
      • Annual Meeting 2022
    • CPMC Covenant
    • New Ministries Fund >
      • Reports of Past Grant Recipients
    • Counsel on variance
  • Congregational Leaders
    • Pastors
    • Elders & Deacons
    • Church Council
    • Support for Conflict >
      • Facilitation Services and Donations
    • Pastor Openings
  • Mission Leaders
    • Racism webinar videos
    • Ecuador/Venezuela Partnership >
      • Latest News from Ecuador/Venezuela
      • Story of the Ecuador Partnership >
        • Timeline & Resources
      • Personnel and Partnership Members >
        • Ross Richers
        • Wigginton Bravo
      • Quito Property Fund
    • Church Planting >
      • Developing Congregations
    • Travel Like Dave
    • Missional Discipleship Initiative
    • Islam and the Gospel
  • Formation Leaders
    • Formation in Worship
    • Formation Resource Library
    • Children and Families >
      • Faith at Home
      • Curriculum for Children
      • Shine
      • Resources for Parents
      • Protecting Children
    • Youth >
      • Youth Mission Together
      • Youth Sponsors
      • Youth Curriculum
      • Youth SS Teachers
      • Mentor Coordinator
      • CO Resources
      • Helpful sites for YM
    • Adults >
      • Adult Faith at Home
      • Adult Curriculum
      • Teaching resources
      • Adult Spirituality
    • Shalom Readers
    • Curriculum Evaluation Tool
  • Resources
    • Anti Racism Resources
    • Bible study Webinars >
      • Bible Study Webinars 2016
      • Bible Study Webinars 2017
    • Conference Documents
    • Christian Discernment
    • En Espanol
    • Immigration
    • Mennonite Links
    • Spiritual Deliverance
    • Archives
  • Contact Us
    • Contact form
    • Church contact info form
    • Donate
    • COVID Relief
    • Discerning Future Leaders
    • Sunday Speaking Information Sheet