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I am just now accessing the forum, so I apologize I did not give a proper introduction, but I wanted to share that this quote really resonates with my experience of being a first call pastor in a very established, organized church that can feel stifling at times.

I have often said I feel like I am being asked to carry out a vision that is not my own. I believe that as Christians, we have a collective call, but that the real LIFE comes from the particular nature of our call, which is discerned with God in each of our lives.

It is so hard for me to carry on with programs that I do not understand the purpose of. I have found much more life in the relationship building work of making something new. I wonder if others can relate?

And furthermore, as a leader in my community, I think God is inviting me to be mindful that if I want others to join in ministry with me, their visions need to be invited and included, rather than the top-down approach that I have stepped into in many ways. That’s much harder work but more fruitful work.