Tentmakers

Comment by Todd L. Garner on May 15, 2008 at 1:03pm

I'm looking to discuss the need to have more than one job to take care of the needs of the family. If you are in this situation, as I am, I would like to hear from you. I work in a hard rock mine 45 hours a week and it is very physically demanding. I love the strength conditioning and all the exercise but it makes it hard for me to do visitations and prepare a well thought out and rehearsed sermon.

Comment by Todd L. Garner on May 15, 2008 at 2:33pm

Great to hear from you Rev. Wurst Jr. Where is your home on this great little ball of blue?

Comment by Todd L. Garner on May 16, 2008 at 9:28am

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I'm only on day two of this and I've been working on getting my page set up and chatting with others from my page.

I'm not from the mid-west and I'm going to have to map the area to see where your at.

How many hour a week will you be doing the EMT/Firefighter thing to provide the needed income? How many worship on Sunday at your church? Have you lost people? How long have you been there?

We have around 14 on average and we have lost about that many, I have been here about 2 1/2 years so far.

Comment by Todd L. Garner on May 18, 2008 at 7:47am

I work 45 hours a week in a hard rock mine 4,000 feet below the surface of the earth. I'm a drillers assistant and have been for a year (June 3) and don't see any way out of it at this point.

Ours is also a rural area. We are in the panhandle of North Idaho. The strip of land is 60 miles from Washington to Montana. About 20 miles past washington you get past Coeur d'Alene and go over Fourth of July Pass and it is at that point you are in my neck of the woods. The next several communities are leading into the Silver Valley. My community is Osburn and we are large for the area from our side of 4th of July pass to Montana. We have about 1,500 people. We have a gas station and a grocery store and 3 taverns. The mine I work at is 2 mile from my front door. I work 6 am to 3 pm. I generally leave the house at 4:50 am and get to work and dressed to go under. I sit and read the Bible and drink coffee.

Our church has about 15 of so any given Sunday and my family as you can see makes up about 1/2 of them. I'm too Lutheran for most people. We have lost several to death and several more to practice. I'm not into the contemporary worship or the tips for better living. I'm not real popular with the people in the valley who are wanting to be entertained.

I'm looking forward to using my extra money to put radio ads on our local radio statio inviting people to come for an adult information class. I hope to see people show up who are interested in doctrine.

I need to get going.

Blessings in your bi-vocational ministry.

Todd

Comment by Timothy D. Schellenbach on May 22, 2008 at 9:53am

My situation is different than Todd's. I don't have a call to a congregation right now, being on candidate status. However, I helped fill the vacancy at the congregation of which I'm a member, as well as doing "pulpit supply" here and there as needed.

Food gets put on the table by means of my secular vocation as a lab tech at an optical retailer called "Visionworks" in Gurnee, IL. It's something I enjoy doing, but being a Pastor is who I am. I've had my name out there for over a year now for call lists, but nothing so far. My struggle is not to lose hope that there will someday be a pulpit and altar out there at which the Lord wishes me to serve.

Comment by Todd L. Garner on May 26, 2008 at 12:59pm

Timothy,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

I'm sure with the number of people retiring on the rise you will get a call in the near future. Have you talked to the DP and asked if there is anything you can do to increase your chances of a call?

TLG

Comment by Todd L. Garner on May 26, 2008 at 1:05pm

BTW,

I have been moved from one mine to another. I'm now 15 miles from home and work 50 hrs / week. I will be under ground as far as 7,800 feet but the quality of air is higher.

I still can't figure out why the mines were a place to send people you didn't like? :o)

Peace,

TLG

Comment by kiley garner on July 3, 2008 at 4:21pm

and the only time he gets off is on weekends and pastor stuff

Comment by kiley garner on July 3, 2008 at 4:22pm

and vacation

Comment by Todd L. Garner on July 3, 2008 at 10:44pm

I also get out of the mine to go to Seattle, WA for Pastor Lassman's CEU week in late June. What a great week that was, I already look forward to next years class.

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