No, pastors and church planters don’t have one-day work weeks, preaching on Sunday and then taking rest of the week off. Sunday is only the end of one week of hard work and the beginning of another.
Yesterday was my first full day in Bennington for my internship. In fact, in all my trips out here over the past five years, it was literally my first full day out here.
Anyway, the day was filled with meetings of various sorts. At 9am I attended the regional pastors’ meeting with several pastors from the Omaha area and beyond. It was a great time of Christian fellowship, light-hearted humor, mutual prayer, and engaging discussion.
I enjoyed catching up with several men that I had previously met and hearing how God was working in their churches. It was also fun to catch their vision for the future, especially in the areas of discipleship and church growth.
For lunch we went to a Chinese restaurant where I got to sit in on part of the a camp board meeting. Having worked at IRBC for several summers, it was interesting to hear the pastors discuss the ongoing ministry of the camp here in Nebraska.
Finally, I had a meeting with Pastor Eric to discuss the general plan for my internship. It was a great discussion not only about the internship but about church planting and life in general. I’m excited to see how God will teach both of us in the upcoming days.
For supper I ate Nebraska’s famous Runzas with the family, and afterward I headed to my house for the evening.
Before I went to bed I was able to do some reading from Haddon Robinson’s classic “Biblical Preaching” and download some other free books for future reading.
‘Twas a good day and a great way to start the internship! More than anything I was reminded of why I’m here. The vision and excitement and initiative of these Omaha-area pastors is exactly what I want to be a part of this year and in the future.
Bennington!
The sun was shining, the snow was melting, and the wind was blowing slightly.
A golden ’95 Toyota Camry meandered its way through several wind farms, clipping along at a steady 70 miles per hour.
Leaving a growing city of familiarity and comfort, the vehicle’s operator traveled 2 1/2 hours away to a city of opportunity, anticipation, and potential for personal growth. Unaware of the full implications of the transition, the driver eagerly looked forward to the days to come.
Crossing the Missouri River from Iowa into Nebraska, he was greeted with the sights that he had seen many times before and would soon grown very accustomed to.
Moments later, he had arrived at his destination. Good ol’ Bennington, Nebraska.
I got out of my car and walked into the house of the pastor with whom I have built a good relationship over the five years, and an hour later he was taking me to a house a few minutes away where I have since unpacked and settled in.
What am I doing here in Bennington?
Well, as I pursue a “career” in church planting, I am doing a 12-month ministry internship at a church plant here in the Omaha area. Working under the direction of Pastor Eric Wilmeth, I hope to gain a better understanding of US church planting and experience the rigors of it myself.
Since I will be here for a year, there’s no reason to explain everything now. Over time, all the details should be filled in as I write subsequent blog posts.
Time to dive into this exciting ministry! If anyone would like a copy of the prayer later I distributed last fall, simply leave a comment below and I will find a way to get it to you.
Please pray for me!
