One of my most significant memories is the day that the Evangelical United Brethren Church of Hummelstown voted on a new name as we became a United Methodist congregation. I was ten years old then, but clearly remember voting for the name “Evangelical” while the majority of the congregation voted for “Trinity”.
That congregation provided a place to belong, a way to grow as a Christian young person, and encouragement to explore a variety of ministry options. Today, as I live into the role of Coordinator for Pathways of Spiritual Leadership, I can honestly say that my pathway was set on a firm foundation by a congregation of people and pastoral leaders who did their best to transform the world through relationships of love.
So, what does a Coordinator for Pathways of Spiritual Leadership do? Great question! I am discovering that every day! Right now, that means that I am working with Kevin Witt, who is the Director of our Annual Conference focus on GROWING Spiritual Leaders. We are developing plans, working on new initiatives, and collaborating with partners who also focus on the formation of spiritual transformational leaders.
I am particularly good at “how”, so determining how we become spiritual leaders and how we make more spiritual leaders, and how we put this into action will be the biggest part of my job. That is the pathway that I will be coordinating, primarily as it relates to youth, young adults, and those on a ministry-focused path. But, don’t breathe a sigh of relief! In order to help our young people be spiritual leaders, the adults in our congregations must also develop as spiritual leaders – transforming ourselves and others through relationships of love!
You may have read in the previous edition of Susquehanna LINK, my husband, Gary Shockley, and I have served in many places beyond our Central PA roots in the past 30 years. Each of those moves to a new place gave me the opportunity to reinvent myself – from preacher’s wife and mother, to Christian Education trainer, to resource center director, to coach, researcher, and most recently vitality strategist for local churches. As a lay person in ministry, my pathway has been invigorating! Part of my work as a growing spiritual leader has been paying attention to God’s work along the way. It has been fascinating for me to learn to look sooner rather than later for how God uses circumstances and other people to provide the right next step for me to grow in skills and attitudes that God then uses to help local congregations become more vital in the impact they make in their communities. The opportunity to serve God’s people – especially those in leadership in local United Methodist congregations – has been most fulfilling, and I am thrilled to be here for such a time as this!
One thing that I really need is a clearer sense of how God has been working with the local congregations to develop spiritual leaders. Please feel free to contact me by phone at 717-766-7441 x 3604 or email kshockley@susumc.org if you want to share your story with me.
Some evidence that we are making spiritual leaders can be found in how well we are building relationships with others, how we take risks to do things beyond what we have always done – especially in meeting a specific need within the community, and how well we make disciples of Jesus Christ in intentional ways.
I want to hear how God is moving throughout the Susquehanna Conference!
