On Monday night, right after I was done on Skype with a few friends, my phone started ringing. It was from a number in my area code, so I answered, thinking it was a parent of one of my students.
It was a Pastor from a church about 40 minutes south of here and he called to tell me that his congregation is extending me a Divine Call.
For those of you not fluent in Lutheran-speak, a Divine Call is somewhat like a job offer. When a church/school (because our schools are run by sponsoring congregation(s))l has a need for a teacher or pastor, they go to their District President and tell them the qualifications they require. The DP then goes to his database of all the teachers in the synod and looks through all the names of the people who fit those qualifications. He sends a short list of around five people back to the congregation, and then their voters discuss to which person they would like to extend the call.
In my case, the 6th grade Language Arts and Music teacher is retiring at the end of this school year. The calling congregation needed someone with those requirements, and out of all the people in our system who fit that profile, they voted that I would be the one to get the Call. (How HUMBLING!) The Holy Spirit saw fit that this congregation extend to me the deep honor and privilege of self-examination, study and prayer.
Here’s where the difficult part comes in. In the next three weeks or so (they don’t have a deadline), I need to evaluate my gifts and talents and determine in which capacity I will better serve the Church. Will I stay at my current area of ministry/teaching? Would my gifts be best used elsewhere?
Here’s the breakdown (keep in mind these are both schools of 150-180 students with about 20 kids per grade):
Current Teaching Position:
- 7th and 8th grade Literature, English and Writing (Each a separate class period)
- 5th-8th Music (Two choirs and two class periods per week each)
- 7th and 8th grade Art
New Offer:
- 5th and 6th grade Religion
- 6th grade Language Arts (includes Reading/Grammar/Writing in one block)
- 7th and 8th Grade Language (Grammar/Writing)
- 5th grade Math
- 6th grade Science
- 5th and 6th grade Art
- 5-8 Music (One choir and one class period per week)
- 5-6 Library
This is the whirlwind that will be my life for the next few weeks. I know this blog is fairly new, so many of you may not know me very well. Despite that fact, if you have any opinions or thoughts that you’d like to share with me, I would appreciate hearing them. I would also like to plead for prayers that I would have clarity in evaluating my gifts and ability to be confident in my decision. Thanks for being a sounding board and let me spill some of my extra nervous energy here. (Sleeping has been difficult this week…)
When I’ve had to make job decisions, it seems like “my gut” kinda knows what to do. I’ve always believed this feeling is God’s gentle hand guiding my way. I think you probably already know what you are called to do and just need to feel comfortable with your decision.