Have you heard it?
I am not sure I have.
Can you feel it?
I think I have felt it!
That nudging – to take me out of the familiar – and embark on a new adventure.
In retrospect, I realize that I felt it the day my mother passed away in January 2018. As I left my hometown in WV to return to my home in Westminster, MD to await the arrival of my sons who were traveling to attend my mother’s funeral, (I had spent the past three days with my mother and was by her side when she passed away) I had a sense that “I’m not tied to be here for my parents anymore.” For six years, I had planned my work life around supporting my parents through their medical concerns, now they were both deceased (Dad in 2014; Mom in 2018).
A month later, I learned of the opportunity to use my God-given, extroverted personality (my sons say that I talk to everyone – my youngest son once told me that I would talk to a stump), the lessons I have gleaned over the years in my service to the local church (as someone whose husband happens to be a COB pastor), the skills I honed in my professional work in the worlds of education and science, as well as my varied life experiences – in service of Christ and in support of the mission and ministry of the Church of the Brethren, Inc. In March 2018 I was invited to join the Mission Advancement Team as an Advocate and in April 2018, I embarked on a new adventure. In this role, I am engaged in what I would call a “ministry of encouragement” – celebrating generosity and encouraging folks (everyone I meet, just like my boys say) – to become more deeply involved with the Church through their time, talents, and resources.
Do I have theological training you might ask? No, other than what I absorbed from living on the campus of Bethany Theological Seminary in Oak Brook, IL for 3 years while my husband was a student – and living with him for 30+ years.
Do I have skills honed through my life experiences? Absolutely!
Do I have a passion for the Church of the Brethren? Meet me…I will let you decide
I encourage you to ponder for a moment the skills you have that could be used even more in service to the Church to continue the work of Jesus. Yes – God calls ordinary people like you and me…so let us let the light of Christ that shines in us shine forth!
In the words of one of my favorite hymns…
Lord, you have come to the lakeshore, looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones;
you only asked me to follow humbly…
You need my hands full of caring , through my labors to give others rest
and constant love that keeps on loving…
Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore - Cesareo (accent mark over the a) Gabarain (accent mark over the second a)
Nancy McCrickard serves the denomination on the Mission Advancement Team as an Advocate, is a member of the Westminster COB, and serves on the Governing Board of SVMC.
