On Tuesday I attended my last session of the Fresh Start program. Fresh Start is a two-year program for clergy who are entering a new parish. It's designed to help clergy make the transition into the parish successfully and smoothly. Studies have shown that it takes about two years for a clergyperson to fully enter the life of a parish, so the program is designed to help that process.
Since I've been at St. Antony's for two years, I guess that means I've successfully entered the life of the parish! I've "graduated" from Fresh Start!
Our meeting on Tuesday was held at St. Alban's Church in Edmonds. There were about twenty clergy present, and it was good to see them all. One of the benefits of Fresh Start for me has been getting to know clergy from around the diocese.
We began with a time of "check-in" where we were invited to share "what we brought in the door with us." There was a wide variety of sharing, from humorous incidents to stories of deeply engaged ministry and a few folks dealing with very difficult situations, especially burnout. It reminded me of the breadth of our diocese and our ministries.
I traveled to and from Edmonds with Kathleen Kingslight, the new rector at St. Paul's, Bremerton. Kathleen and I are forming a good friendship as we share our impressions of ministry in the Bremerton and Silverdale area.
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