Frederich Theoford Focus, our 2005 Ford station wagon,
reached a significant milestone this summer: 100,000 miles. We hope he's up for another 100,000––but to
make it there, the second half of his life will be characterized by several
trips to "the car doctor" (which is how our 3 year old refers to the
mechanic). Recently Frederich had a small
"health problem."
Specifically, his rear-end was sagging.
It's not that I have a problem with saggy bottoms, but Frederich's
rear-end problem was wearing the tires––so his lazy-bum was becoming expensive.
After a couple of mis-diagnoses, we returned from our
5,000 mile summer and took Frederich to our friendly neighborhood
mechanic. The service was superb. Pete communicated constantly, clearly, and candidly
about the Frederich's rear-end. Not
only that, but Pete diagnosed the problem, gave us an hour to make a decision,
and had the car fixed: all within a day.
This isn't a post about Frederich's saggy bum but
about supporting seminarians. Pete's business, just a few miles from Trinity's campus, offers a 10%
discount to TEDS students. So, not only
do we trust Pete to care for our dearest Frederich, we know that he's caring
for us, too. He's going to shoot us
straight and not sell us an alternator to alter the rear-end.*
Caring for seminarians is something that I think a lot
about. Terese and I are so grateful for
the amazing support we've had over the last two years. Many people have cared for us in the
especially mundane parts of life. This summer we reflected a lot on God's provision through these people. But I
know many seminarians who just struggle along.
But we saw something else this summer. We've seen church families who simply needed a
project; lacking vision for such a project, we've seen Sunday school classes wandering aimlessly through their quarterlies and
churches drawing
million dollar plans for buildings. This
was painful to watch––especially in light of the needs of families like
Josh's––families representative of many seminarians.
Our friend, I'll call him Josh, is in his early
40s. Josh, feeling called to ministry,
knew that he needed seminary training.
He and his wife had considered moving to Chicagoland for several years,
but were consistently unable to sell their home. Finally, they decided to take the plunge and
made plans to relocate. Shortly after
they made their decision, they found out that they were pregnant. Yet they remained committed to the Lord's
call.
Since being at seminary, Josh's family has been faced
with many difficulties: they never sold their home and now rent it––trying to
care for it from 1,000+ miles away.
After leaving behind a lucrative landscaping business, they feel the
financial burdens of being a full-time student and a full-time mom. Of course, having a newborn, a 4 year old, a
7 year old, and homeschooling is difficult to juggle with full-time
studies. But they also face small things
that most people wouldn't see:
–They left a home on several acres that they took pride in.
–They now pay more to rent from a less-than-interested landlord on a small suburban lot.
–On top of all of this, Josh had been out of school for a couple of decades. The rigors of TEDS academic life has been a steep curve for him.
They're a thousand miles from family, don't have time
for friends, and don't have money to do fun things.
Josh's family's needs are typical of seminarians. The equation doesn't add up:
–Seminarians are all the time having kids––an
expensive and time-consuming ordeal.
(Check out this cutie on TEDS kids on campus page.)
–Debt isn't a good option because seminarians graduate with not-so-lucrative jobs awaiting them.
–Debt isn't a good option because seminarians graduate with not-so-lucrative jobs awaiting them.
(As an aside, it's little wonder that there's a
"movin' on up" trend with pastors.
"Movin' on up" the ladder is usually accompanied by movin' on
up the pay-scale. Sometimes this movin'
helps pay college and seminary student loan debts.)
–Finding a job during seminary is complicated––especially for seminarians who are also parents. For example, Terese and I have decided that the following equation isn't worth it:
–Finding a job during seminary is complicated––especially for seminarians who are also parents. For example, Terese and I have decided that the following equation isn't worth it:
($ from job) – ($ for child-care) ≠ (a little $) +
(being away from our children).
–Seminarians are dedicated students. They take their studies seriously because they take shepherding God's flock seriously. But dedication takes time.
–Seminarians are dedicated students. They take their studies seriously because they take shepherding God's flock seriously. But dedication takes time.
So why do this?
Seminarians enter this lopsided equation because of a call. Whenever I rub shoulders with MDiv students,
I'm amazed at their level of commitment to God's call on their life. They're willing to sacrifice so
much––sometimes too much––to fulfill this call.
I spent much of my professional career guiding my
staff in self-care. When I see
seminarians sacrifice too much, my heart breaks for two reasons. First, because the equation requires
sacrificing stewardship toward family or studies or money. Something's gotta give. Second, while seminarians are breaking the bank to fulfill God's call, living as cheaply as possible, others live lavishly.
I hope to post more about supporting seminarians in
the future. But I'll sign off with some
quick ideas:
–Have your Sunday School class adopt a
seminarian. S/he can come once or twice
a year to teach the class (or preach!), and the class can keep up with her/his
family and studies. You don't have to be
close to a seminary to make this happen––harness the power of the internets.
–Talk to your church about hiring a seminarian during
the summers or even recent grads. (Look
for a post very soon on this.)
–Talk to your pastor about her/his seminary days. Often these are days of fond memories and
good friends. I bet s/he would love to
remember.
–Give. While seminarians aren’t looking for handouts, they are grateful for gifts. And it doesn’t take much: I’ve seen seminarians stretch $50 farther than I thought possible.
–Don't know a seminarian? I know enough seminarians all around the
country and can connect you! Shoot me a message.
*This is just one story where folks have "taken
care of" my family. To be sure,
most people who deserve the credit don't want it publicly. We are so grateful to these people
who have cared for us––especially those close to us, but also those, like Pete, who's
business is committed to "taking a hit."
**Saw = on the internet, hearing of friends' churches,
or attending.
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