Gifts of Shared Ministry

by Dawn Rolke

For the past 8 years, as a United Church minister, I have made my way with three congregations in suburban Regina. I am called by Eastside United. We live and work with Bread of Life Lutheran, a large congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and with St. Philip, a mature, family-sized Anglican congregation.

At the Living Spirit Centre, we have three clergy (Anglican, Lutheran, United), three secretaries, an intern, a part-time United Church Christian Education person, and numerous laypeople who serve in key leadership roles. Each congregation has its own board, vestry or council which directs its ministry; and each congregation retains strong ties to its denomination. Together we have a Living Spirit Centre Council which, with joint committees, oversees life at the Centre. At weekly staff meetings, we discuss program, administrative and worship matters. Always, we ask the question: "Can we do this together?" If not, one group may pursue an idea on their own, or the idea may be dropped.

Space-wise, everything gets booked through the Central Office and the two full-time secretaries. Regarding worship, each congregation has a service on Sunday mornings, with the Lutherans and Anglicans sharing a service on Saturdays, too. We have mid-week Joint Worship during Lent and Advent, and other joint services throughout the year.

Finances are managed separately, with each congregation contributing to joint projects, expenses, and the mortgage based on its membership. Each year, we do a member count and adjust contributions accordingly. In 2004, a building project increased the size of our facility, giving us two sanctuaries, a large narthex, and a lower level of classrooms and meeting space. In August, 2005, we completed an outdoor Cretan labyrinth, replacing the Chartres Labyrinth built in 1999.

On paper, it all seems very straightforward. In practice, it's not. Rather, we are "eternally becoming," part of an unfolding creation story.

Guides, Mentors and Models

Most ministers, I believe, long to be reshaped in the image of God. This, in fact, may be our central longing and why we place ourselves among life-long Christians and other seeking people. In Shared Ministry, I experience an abundance of mentors and guides. Significant among them are my two ordained colleagues, Jerry (Lutheran pastor) and Helena (Anglican priest). Jerry and Helena are fine pastors, servant-leaders, and communicators, and both were key in the formation of the Centre.

Daily, I appreciate my colleagues. Because of proximity, we borrow and share resources and books. We worship and pray together. We give and take, given personal strengths and weaknesses. We talk theology. As the youngest minister, I also observe the way my more experienced colleagues negotiate difficult people and situations. I am simply a different leader because of this ongoing apprenticeship.

As minister to a relatively young congregation, I also benefit from the wisdom of the lay elders at St. Philip and Bread of Life. St. Philip, especially, has leaders who ground us in tradition, while lay leaders at Bread of Life often call us into radical risk and trust. This leadership is felt throughout the entire Centre and has a vital shaping force

Cross-Fertilization

In any authentically shared setting, there is bound to be cross-fertilization. In 2005 Eastside United decided to use a very moving Marty Haugen (Lutheran) liturgy for our summer worship. The Lutherans had purchased it, but as with everything, the resource was available for all. Using it, Eastside parishioners got a feel for singing a liturgy week after week; they also experienced weekly confession in a different and, perhaps, a deeper way. Similarly, over the years, Bread of Life noticed the United Church passion and commitment to Justice and Outreach work. This created a push within their congregation for similar work and now, a Joint Outreach program is taking shape.

The Triple-Braided Rope: Balance and Stability

Tucked into the book of Ecclesiastes is an interesting passage: "A triple-braided rope is not easily broken" (4:12b). I find the triple-braid an interesting image for life at the Centre, where we often notice the moderating and balancing influence of three groups. In the beginning years, particularly, differences would often arise over God language and inclusive language, worship forms, and the place of gay and lesbian people in the church (among other things). Often, two denominational groups would be polarized, and the third would offer a way through the disagreement.

Theological Call to Oneness

I remember well a comment made by a United Church person after our first summer in Shared Ministry (1997). Because we were a small group that summer, we decided to worship with the Lutherans for two months and share resources. At the end of the summer, one member said, "We may not know what we are, but we're not that." I found the comment delightful and honest, but I'm not sure we would hear such a comment today. Though many members still prefer a United Church way of doing things, many also consider attendance at joint functions, worship, and learning events a deep part of our call at the Centre. That call is to know each other more deeply, to challenge ourselves on the edges of what isn't quite comfortable, and to validate the many expressions of faith and worship. Many parishioners appreciate that we stay in Shared Ministry not just out of need, but out of a gospel call to "be one."

More ...

This is a small taste of life at the Living Spirit Centre. In closing, I offer words spoken by our Moderator, The Rev. Peter Short when he visited us in Nov, 2004. "Connection is not something we have to create; it is something we have to remember." At LSC, we are trying to remember.

Congregational News April 2006 Vol. 12 No. 3

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