My proudest moments in ministry are the Community Meal that several lay people started when I was serving Valley UM in Veneta, Oregon; working with a team of folks from the church and conference to sell the Capitol Hill UMC land to Habitat for Humanity; and beginning the Sellwood Faith Community with my husband and encountering a ton of different people along the way who have shaped us into the community we are now.
In Veneta my job was to say yes. Yes to a call to help hungry folks. Yes to people willing to do the work, to partner with the Oregon Food Bank and other local churches. Yes to those we didn’t know sharing our building. Yes to making relationships. And the community meal is still running. Still serving folks with nourishing food and welcoming relationships 9 years later.
At Capitol Hill my job was to say maybe. Maybe we can do something different. Maybe we can find resurrection life through this land. Maybe we can make a deal. While the houses aren’t built yet, it’s still a miracle to me the way that community bravely embraced closing with heavy hearts. They did all they could to seed blessings throughout the neighborhood and world through gifts, fighting for their Christian values, and a deep sense of generosity.
At Sellwood my job has been to make space for others. By simply opening the doors and welcoming people in lives have been changed over the dinner table. My job was to buy the table, refinish it, put some food on it, and invite others to come. My job has been to love and to listen as others encountered God already at work in their lives.
So often in ministry circles we talk about the pastor centered church, describing churches of the size I have served. What I have found is the best things of my ministry have been when I got out of the way and the people, filled with the Holy Spirit did the thing, not me. Starting a meal, closing a church, becoming who we truly are, all of it has been holy and beautiful. I am so thankful to have been able to encourage folks as they embraced their call, support and cheer on crazy ideas, and love people as they came to love their true selves.
-Eilidh
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