Living Well
You’ve probably heard experts tell you to take care of yourself during the pandemic. Be kinder, nicer, more forgiving and nurture your mind, body and spirit so you will be able to serve in the ministry you are called to and to set an example for others. Ministry leaders are often really good at taking care of others and putting themselves last. It’s servant leadership, right? Well, not exactly. We are invited to do what Jesus did. When the crowds became too much for him he took himself away for prayer, rest, quiet, time with his closest friends and probably doing a little fishing.
I am in small group for the next six weeks. Last week, the guest speaker ( a social worker and therapist) spoke about the pandemic and what people are experiencing while trying to live in it and maintain some normalcy and help others manage it too. She spoke of high anxiety, stress, depression, isolation and trauma. I was watching the chat box as she was talking and brave soul after brave soul spoke of their experiences of panic attacks, lethargy, sadness, a feeling of being overwhelmed, worried, fearful of contracting Covid and great sadness over the loss of being with friends, family and even strangers at the grocery store. It’s taking a toll on all of us. I was so moved by the vulnerability of the group and grateful for the space and place to talk about it and pray with one another.
It’s really tough right now. We know many of you are holding things together at the parish, or called on to do tasks you’ve never done before and are feeling weary, stressed, or discouraged too. You might be wondering right now how to make Advent and Christmas beautiful in the midst of the pandemic. What traditions to keep, to modify or to let go of? How to gather and engage people and find new volunteers. That and so much more is on your minds. We want to reach out this week with a bit of support, encouragement and hope.
We’ve invited Shannyn Fuerst, of Living Well to join us for a conversation on how to maintain some balance during the pandemic and how to manage the busiest of seasons coming upon us at home, work, community and the mission field.
Shannyn is from the Midwest and currently lives and pastor’s an ELCA Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA. She has encountered her own struggles with wellness, health and nutrition over the years. Weight fluctuations due to work stress and lifestyle and the challenges of being in a service profession have led her to finally take ownership of her own health. She understands the pressures and expectations that face ministry leaders and is passionate about helping others discover their strengths, care for themselves long term and live into healthy leadership.
We are excited to have Shannyn with us this week on our Blueprint for Hospitality Thursday, November 5th at 11:00 am CT ( Zoom link is in our Facebook event). We host a monthly gathering of ministry leaders and friends to talk about hospitality. This month - it’s all personal. Personal hospitality is often forgotten, pushed aside until we have time or it’s last on our list of things to do. But YOU are important. YOU are an incredible gift. YOU are worth spending time on. We invite you to join us - ask a colleague or your staff and volunteers to join in too. Shannyn will share her wisdom with us and there will be time for conversation, and as always, gifts and giveaways for everyone.
With all the beautiful things coming up in the next several weeks, we want to support, uplift, encourage and love you through it! See you on Thursday!
Peace,
Jane
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
