Internship Week of October 9th

I attended Adult Forum again on Sunday morning. It was the first of a monthly discussion of Mitch Albom’s “Have a Little Faith.” We began by discussing spiritual journeys, which spoke to me quite a lot. I volunteered to share mine, and it felt really great to be able to contribute so much to the discussion. It was also enriching to hear the snippets of others’ stories; I realized how much we share, but at the same time how differing the stories can be. If you haven't already read it I highly recommend it.

I attended the Stephen’s Ministry meeting again on Tuesday. I’ve really enjoyed learning about the lay side of pastoral care. The people who are a part of this ministry are extraordinary individuals. They have been very welcoming of me, and encourage my opinions when I feel they are appropriate. I will be going with the rector to take communion to a Retirement Community next week; something I’m very excited about.

I met with my spiritual advisor this week. She and I discussed how it feels going from the process I was in to the one I’m in now, and how I feel my internship is going. I’m really optimistic about the experiences I’ve been having at my internship; the congregants have been supportive and welcoming.

Internship Week of October 2nd

I attended Adult Forum again on Sunday morning. It was more crowded than last Sunday and the discussion was very stimulating. There will be a monthly discussion of Mitch Albom’s “Have a Little Faith” starting next Sunday, so I spent a few days reading it this week. I found it really spoke to me in a lot of ways, and look forward to discussing it with the other participants. It will be lead by a parishioner instead of Rev. Ann, and I look forward to seeing how that leadership role, plays out.

I served at the 10:15 service. I was given the Archdeacon’s seat next to the rector. I the rector at the table for the Eucharist, and served wine at the High Altar. This was a little different for me, and I really enjoyed it. I made a few mistakes, but seemingly no one in the congregation noticed, as I received nothing but positive feedback.

The rector and I met for a time, and discussed many things. Mostly we talked about my involvement, and pastoral care. It was an eye opening discussion about how she, as the sole non-retired-staffed priest of the parish, handles her pastoral care duties. The rector spoke a lot about the importance of prioritizing everything, and about having support from parishioners.

I attended a jazz concert at the church. It was an event open to the public, and half of the people who attended were congregants and half were not. It was interesting to see how welcoming the congregants were to the members of the community, and how much everyone got out of the experience.

Internship Week of September 25th

So I've been at my internship parish for over about two weeks now, and here is my experience from last week.


I attended Adult Forum for the first time on Sunday morning following the 8am service. It was an extremely enjoyable experience. We were discussing the history of the church as a whole, its part of a four-week series that concludes next Sunday. Everyone was very welcoming to me, and it was fascinating to watch the dynamics play out between the rector and the parishioners who were in attendance. It was a fairly decent sized crowd of about 15 or so, and everyone had a great time discussing what the rector was teaching us.
I also attended the bi-monthly meeting of the Stephen’s ministers on Tuesday evening. I was most looking forward to this, as it was my first foray into the world of pastoral care. They explained things as we went along if I didn’t understand what was happening, and encouraged my participation. I really learned a lot from the meeting. These men and women dedicate time every week to go and visit with their care receivers and they get so much back in return. I think the Stephen’s Ministry is a really neat concept. The process they have for meeting and confidentially discussing their care receivers in a way that doesn’t violate confidentiality but allows them to get feedback and advice is fantastic. They are doing such important work, I really admire them all and can’t wait to learn more about pastoral care.