Canadian Mennonite
Volume 13, No. 23
Nov. 30, 2009
Personal Reflections
The meaning of ministry
Terrell Wiebe, a third-year student at Canadian Mennonite University, spent the summer as a pastoral intern at Lethbridge Mennonite Church, Alta. Pastor Ruth Preston Schilk and Wiebe both reflect on his experience as part of the congregation.
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From pastor to intern
Lethbridge Mennonite Church was very blessed by God in having Terrell Wiebe as our half-time summer pastoral intern. We have a close relationship with L’Arche Lethbridge, a community for mentally challenged adults, and gladly shared Terrell with the wonderful people there, where he worked at his other half-time job.
Even though the internship program is only 12 weeks long, he got to know our congregation quickly in a variety of settings which, besides Sunday school and worship, included a church camp-out, dinner invitations, ping-pong games, a church swim night, a men’s breakfast, making pizza with the Sunday school kids, organizing Ultimate Frisbee and helping our congregation serve at the local soup kitchen.
We were enriched by the “formal” things he adid as an intern, including his leading of worship, visitations and sermons, and also by who he is as a Christian. He came to us with Christian maturity, depth of character and leadership experience, so we thank his family, home congregation and Christian educators for their powerful and positive influence.
And thanks, Terrell, for responding to the Holy Spirit at work in your life and in our congregation.
From intern to congregation
Looking back on my summer as an intern at Lethbridge Mennonite and L’Arche Lethbridge, the one word that comes to mind is “ministry.” What is ministry?
This summer I learned that ministry is not just what comes from the pulpit and ministry does not solely have to come from one called to lead God’s people. Ministry is actually quite simple. I see it as embodying and sharing the love that God gave us to those around us.
This summer I was able to experience some of the height and depth of God’s love, and take part in, as well as experience, different forms of the ministry of God. Although I do appreciate the honour that was bestowed upon me in letting me stand behind the pulpit, I have come to realize that the pulpit is not where the majority of the ministry of a church takes place.
It is in relationships that God’s love shines through. It is in the coffee and cookies after the service, the church visitations and the daily meetings with church members where I was able to minister and, more importantly, where I was ministered to. As a church we minister to one another in the hope that we would each then minister by showing God’s unfailing love to those outside the church.
L’Arche was an entirely different experience, yet one where I also found ministry foremost in my thoughts. Working with adults with developmental disabilities was an incredible way of sharing God’s love for all his children, yet it was the love and unconditional acceptance that was given to me that sticks out most clearly in my mind. Although I entered L’Arche expecting to be a conduit of God’s love and ministry, I found that the L’Arche community as a whole already was a place where God’s love and acceptance were evident. As I became immersed in the community I could feel the love and ministry that was present in every relationship.
It was a great experience and it gave me a good understanding of how the body of Christ ought to function—as a group of people who have unconditional love for each other and who are not afraid to show it.
I am quite interested in pursuing a position in the church and I know that this summer has given me a better understanding of what that position will look like. However, more notably, this summer has taught me the meaning of ministry by showing me the need for community, for relationship and for fellowship. I have always known that we are all called to minister to one another through love, but I thank L’Arche and Lethbridge Mennonite for showing me what that really means.