There is a lot of information to process when it comes to what Liz and I are doing over the next 14 months and so, although I have sought to communicate it regularly and in various ways, it seems we keep being asked the same questions over and over again. That's ok. Here are my definitive answers to those regular questions:
1) Where are you going?
Liz and I are moving our family to Littleton, Colorado. We will be living at (hopefully) Denver Seminary. This is very close to where Liz grew up. She has three siblings still in Denver - each about 10 minutes drive from the Seminary.
2) a) What will you be doing?
I will be studying full-time to complete his Master of Divinity. I began studying part-time toward this degree in 2003. I have been taking one or two subjects per semester for the past couple of years. Last year I studied Greek and one other subject while leading the ministry at Macquarie Uni, leading the NSW region of Student Life and being on the National Leadership team. It was a little crazy. I am going to complete the degree.
b) Why Denver Seminary?
Most of my study so far has been through Morling Baptist Theological College, on the corner of Macquarie Uni. It was convenient and all the classes I took were of a high standard (except one). But I serve alongside all different churches in Sydney. And the ecclesiastical politics of Sydney is toxic. To study at one of the various Bible Colleges in Sydney would result in people who preferred another college to be suspicous of me. So, I decided to flee to the US to complete my degree.
When I suggested studying in the US, I had a couple of different seminaries in mind as possible options. But Liz asked that we study close to her family. Denver Seminary is a good, solid evangelical seminary. It has excellent faculty and a good program. We agreed that it would be a good fit for my study needs and her family needs.
3) When do you leave?
Our plane tickets are booked: we leave 21st May.
4) Will you be back?
YES!! Completing my degree will require studying this summer (June-August), the full school year, and then next summer (June-August) as well. We anticipate returning to Australia at the end of August 2010.
5) Is this just the first step out of Student Life and into church ministry?
No! We live in the midst of two tensions.
On the one hand, some people think that no one should do full-time ministry without formal theological qualifications. Liz has been serving with CCC since 1985, and I have been since 1995. The training we have received has largely been in-house training. So those people think we aren't qualified!
On the other hand, some people think that we just need to be called to the ministry and, as practitioners, we need no further qualification. I agree with that to some degree, but I believe that training and equipping of those serving in ministry is important. At this stage of our ministry, we felt that it was good stewardship of our abilities and experience and future ministry opportunities to pursue this study.
Now, the M.Div is a qualification equivalent to (or exceeding that of) many church pastors. I have received regular offers of pastoral ministry positions over recent years. For various reasons, I don't believe that this sort of pastoral ministry is what God has called me to.
If I was to define my call in a sentence, I would say that it is: "to lead missional communities in Sydney/NSW". This is slightly different to my role in Student Life, and that is ok.
6) What will you do when you return?
The current plan is for Liz and I to return to the NSW regional coordinating role that I assumed only a year or so ago. There is still plenty of opportunity for expansion and development of the ministry. Our goal is to have "a ministry for every campus, the gospel for each student". We are still a long way from realising that goal.
7) Who is covering your roles while you are away?
That is still being confirmed. Unlike a commercial operation, we cannot just employ a replacement. Someone is going to have to sacrifice some of what they are currently doing to provide the pastoral care, strategic direction, etc. for the existing ministry. Most of the expansion components of the role will be put on hold.
8) Where will you live?
As I said above, we hope to live on campus at Denver Seminary. This will mean we only need one car. Philip will go to Liz's old elementary school. Katrise will have a couple of days in pre-school. I can just walk to the library to study :)
9) How much will this cost?
A lot!
We are trusting that God will provide a tenant for our house in Sydney so that we can cover the mortgage here with the rent.
Assuming that the exchange rate doesn't drop dramatically, we hope to cover our living expenses over there in line with our budget in Sydney.
Extra expenses we have or will incur are:
+ Airfares: God provided an amazing deal for the trip to the US; A$2,800 for the whole family! We will delay booking flights home until later in the year.
+ Visas: Applying for visas for the US has proven very costly: A$1,800, plus A$600 for medical tests and A$175 for a police check.
+ Car: We will need to buy a reliable car when we arrive in the US. We are budgetting about US$5,000 for this. My parents have offered to look after our car here in Australia.
+ Computer: My laptop currently only works when it is on a cooling stand with a desk fan blowing directly onto it. It's hard-drive is too small for the Bible software I will use at Seminary. It is over three years old. I am budgetting A$2,000 for a replacement.
+ Textbooks: The seminary advises that US$800p.a. is the usual cost of varioustext books.
+ Tuition: Taking a full-load means that the cost of tuition is about US$415 per credit hour - and I need about 50 hours to complete the degree.
So, our budget for special needs is over A$40,000. We are trusting God to provide it before we leave. Please join us in praying that he will :)
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