printed 16 January 2025
Learn for five minutes
After a diversified profession in ministry that has included parish work in two of Scotland’s largest cities, industrial chaplaincy and pioneering a church on a brand new property, Rev Elizabeth Spence has developed her personal important suggestions for brand new ministers.
Whereas conventional schooling was based mostly on the three Rs – studying, writing and arithmetic – Ms Spence, who just lately resigned as locum minister at Dryla Church in Edinburgh, recognized 4 Rs which she believes laid an excellent basis for a profession in Kirk: reliability, Refresh, assessment and revel in.
“I’ve had loads of candidates through the years and the very first thing I inform them is you want reliability,” Ms Spence mentioned.
“In case you say you are going to do one thing, do it. In case you’re dedicated to these folks, keep away from placing conferences above folks. Conferences are vital, however persons are extra vital.”
If that time is ensuring you are there for different folks, the subsequent one is – refresh – ensuring ministers maintain themselves.
“I’ve met many ministers who maintain it as a badge of honor that they by no means take a time off, however you want time to refresh your self,” he mentioned.
Equally, ministers must put aside time to assessment what they’re doing, a 3rd of Ms Spence’s 4 bucks.
“One in every of my greatest bugbears is that you could depart college and end the examination and by no means need to assessment something once more as a result of nobody asks you,” he defined.
“Ensure you use pastoral supervision or no less than put aside time to usually assessment your ministry, not simply in a sensible approach, however in a religious approach.”
And his last reminder of why ministers reply their calls.
“Happiness!” she mentioned
“God has referred to as you to a beautiful ministry to serve the Church and to serve folks.”
Ministry Spence’s second profession.
Beforehand he labored in schooling and have become extra concerned with the church after transferring to the Black Isle the place he joined the Killiernan Congregation of the brand new minister and moderator of the longer term Church of Scotland, the Very Rev Dr Susan Brown.
Mrs Spence recalled: “It was her first cost so she had loads of vitality – which she nonetheless does – and when she requested for somebody who might play the guitar or was keen to go on the Sunday College rota, I volunteered and was abruptly extra sensible. That is once I realized that I wanted to make a dedication to the Church and to Christ.”
This shortly led to a way of calling, which he initially resisted, however with the encouragement of his minister, determined to place himself ahead for the Elective College.
“I assumed I would not be accepted anyway, so I simply relaxed and did not really feel any strain,” she admits.
“By the tip of the elective course, I knew I actually needed to do that.”
His first task as a minister was again in Dundee the place he had beforehand lived as a scholar, and he awakened the morning after his ordination at Lochy Outdated and St Luke’s considering: “I do not know what I ought to do. I’ve to do it now.”
Nevertheless, it turned out that Lochy was an excellent place to start his ministry with a congregation, akin to his subsequent congregation at Ibrox Parish Church in Glasgow, that was keen to embrace new issues and new methods of doing issues.
In between, he additionally hung out as a office chaplain in Glasgow the place he was “on objective” to begin conversations with employees in council places of work and procuring centres.
A pioneering place
However at the same time as she contemplated retirement, Ms. Spence discovered herself taking up a brand new problem.
When he and his spouse Denise moved to a brand new property in Bonnyrigg, he discovered that the property was additionally the placement of a pioneering ministry, not in a church, however as a part of the area people.
When she went earlier than the interview panel, Ms Spence admitted she had no thought what the job would possibly entail.
“They advised me nobody had executed it and, bless them, took an opportunity and supplied me the put up,” he laughed.
“What I cherished about it was: you don’t have any thought what is going on to work and what’s not or who you are going to work with since you’re standing in the midst of a newly constructed housing property.”
His first step was to contact the native college, which had no chaplain of its personal and was completely happy to get him concerned.
He enlisted the assistance of an present native church and turned to social media to let residents of the brand new property know what he was going to do there and arrange an off-the-cuff assembly place in a gazebo reverse the varsity the place dad and mom might collect. A chat over espresso and contemporary scones.
But when his 4 bucks make an excellent basis for ministry basically, pioneering ministry with out the protection web of a longtime congregation or constructing additionally requires some further expertise and skills. Ms Spence advises creativity and creativeness in addition to the power to community, but in addition bravery.
“Once we began a dementia membership at Ibrox, we requested what we wanted, and somebody mentioned a kettle and a packet of biscuits,” he mentioned.
“You simply need to say we have not fairly received it but, however let’s bat and do it, and dare to say one thing hasn’t labored and stopped.
“I additionally consider that each church is a pioneer ministry. In case you attempt one thing new, that is pioneering. If the church responds to the parish and what they see and listen to, that is pioneering. Each church has the facility to do this.”
Learn extra from our interview with Rev Elizabeth Spence on our Speaking Ministry web page.
