6 Months In

So it is now over 6 months that we have been in Birmingham and I have a few reflections and piece of advice based on the experience so far.

1)    Never make assumptions regarding church drama groups.

I thought these were all just a bit of a laugh. Something people did to have some fun and normally revolving around musicals or pantomimes.

Having appeared as Constable MacDonald in the Carrs Lane Players version of the Lady Killers I now know that is not the case.

Yes it was generally fun but it was something more serious than I imagined. It was part of a long tradition going back to just before I was born and this involved serious acting (ok comedy but proper acting not just having a laugh and hoping for the best).

 

2)    Getting involved in a production is a great way to get to know people in a new church

Ok so I got involved by not knowing how to say no when somebody got injured and they needed a replacement BUT it was a great way to get to know a number of people in church I am not sure I would have really spoken to. Now, this is not to underestimate the level of fear involved as I got a grasp on what was involved but it was a great experience overall. I discovered new depths in myself and was encouraged by a great group of people.

 

3)    Whilst you have to be careful of not committing to things more than will be possible it doesn’t mean you can’t get involved

When I arrived at my new church I was very aware that I am only probably there for 2 years and so involvement needs to be thought out. It was a bit of a surprise then when I found myself volunteering to facilitate a house group. The thing is that they needed somebody now and nobody was stepping forward. It is in my locality and meets once a month on one of my non-working days. I was clear throughout the discussions leading up to me taking on the role that it would be for one year and if I got paid work on a Tuesday that I would have to give up on it. They were fine with that and just glad that their immediate future was secure. So it is that I have found myself facilitating a house group where almost all of the pensioners are over the age of retirement – some being third agers and some being well into the forth age.

 

4)    Training is sometimes formal but can also be more informal

So Karl arrived to formally train for ministry. I have found myself going through my own formation process through an unexpected mixture of formal and informal training, although I don’t know what ministry it will lead to.

The house group facilitation I spoke of under point 3 is an example of informal training. I am learning on the job, so to speak, how to facilitate a small group of older people. The previous leader of the group is still there and in the handover stage has been very good at acting as a bit of a mentor. I have been encouraged to bring my own ideas whilst ensuring continuity with what went before. I am sure I will learn a lot through this group over the coming year or so.

However, as I say not all the training has been informal. I have found myself doing a vocational qualification. In the autumn I discovered that one of the smaller local universities did a one year part-time qualification in chaplaincy with young people. I was somewhat surprised when all the funding came together for this as easily as it did. Yet, I know this is an important course for me. It has come together in a way which indicates that it is the right thing for me to be doing. It is not research based but is rather focused on reflecting on my on the ground experience as a chaplain, what the theory and good practice around chaplaincy is and looking at the subject of spirituality particularly in relation to faith development and young people.

 The chaplaincy course is not just teaching me formally though. I am having my first experience of being the racial minority as the course has more Afro-Caribbean students than it does white. Through being in this class I am becoming more familiar with one of the black majority church traditions in particular and the cultural differences which sometimes exist. This is something I think is a really useful experience for me.

Reflecting on what is going on here I have to say it feels as though I am going through formation as much as my husband is just on a different, less recognised and in some ways far less secure route and to a different form of ministry.

 

5)    Being a Local Preacher Helps You Get to Know the Area and New Ways of Doing Things

I am learning all sorts of things about Birmingham and the people here, in part through being a local preacher and getting out and about in the circuit. Being “on plan” (which means on the rota to preach in various churches) you get to know the area in ways you perhaps wouldn’t otherwise.

You learn aspects of history as well as more about the cultural and socio-economic mix of the area. I think this is a privilege we don’t often recognise as local preachers but it’s there.

In terms of the new ways of doing things I’m learning I’m really privileged to have arrived in the Birmingham Methodist Circuit as they are working their way through a programme called Holy Habits. This is intended to develop and encourage deeper discipleship. It was developed by Andrew Roberts who is one of the Methodist Church Learning Network staff and his book on Holy Habits has just been released. I note that there is also a shiny new website which is under the process of development to accompany this too.

 

6)    If You Have A Theological Library Provided by your Landlord Use It….You Never Know What You Might Find

So Karl has come here to study but for me, as his wife, Queens is pretty much just the landlord. Living here does have benefits though (and not just it’s proximity to Waitrose, a wonderful gelateria and good transport links) and the main one for me is the access to the library.

It’s not just the easy access to the course materials for my chaplaincy course I love about it. What I enjoy far more is the ability to just mooch and discover things, particularly amongst the feminist and black theology sections which the Queens Foundation library prides itself upon.

To give one example today I was having a recovery day after a small medical procedure and so I didn’t want to go far. Thus I just wandered over to the library and as I was looking through the journals I found an article in the December 15 volume of the Journal of Asian Women’sResource Centre for Culture and Theology entitled ‘Joanne: God’s Grace! – A Sharing by a Transgender Christian Woman written by Joanne Leung with Pearl Wong. This article told the story of the Christian trans woman who has set up the only NGO for trans people in Hong Kong. It was a fascinating article which I just happened to stumble across. I didn’t know this NGO existed but I now do which helps me in a couple of ways. Firstly, I can now pray in an informed way for the trans community in Hong Kong and secondly I am aware of another trans person of faith whose work needs to be recognised and supported. (Please don’t read from this I don’t also think secular initiatives and activists need supporting – that is not what I am saying. Rather we are all aware of the conflict that sometime arises between gender identity and faith and so knowledge of those working in this area is important particularly when it may be a particularly useful resource if somebody in one of our Chinese speaking churches were to require support – their online resources are published in English and Chinese).

 

So there it is some reflection on what has happened and what I've been learning since I came to Birmingham. I haven't mentioned my chaplaincy job at the university. This continues to go well and I love it.