May of 1999 was my last month at the King’s Daughters School. I had been there since January of 1989. It was the longest “stretch” I’d ever been in one place in my life. Even though we had moved from Nashville to Columbia, this was the longest I’d ever been connected to one place. Growing-up in Iowa, we had moved pretty consistently up until I was in 6th grade. Then we stayed put in Knoxville my 6th through 12th grades. I went to a couple different colleges before settling in Middle Tennessee from 1987 to 2000.
I steeled my heart, as it were, and left. I was going to work full-time over the summer at New Life, work of the public schools for a year, then transition full-time with New Life by the next summer.
I felt close to Rick, the worship pastor and I had a lot of respect for the senior pastor and the youth pastor. I felt like we would be a good team, but it became apparent pretty quickly that the interpersonal dynamics of the staff were fractured.
I tried to stay as neutral as I could. I listened to everyone and tried to be empathetic. Everyone had valid points, but there was not an openness to bring things together.
The elders got involved. Hard feelings were developed, and of course Rick and Mark resigned and left as well as a few of the musicians. By January of 2000 (after surviving Y2K) I was in charge of Children Birth-5th grade, small groups, and all of the corporate worship times. I was an itinerate teacher of “Gifted” students in the district and Christian was born August of 1999. June 1999-July of 2000 was an insane time for my family and I. I was exhausted. I made mistakes at New Life. I didn’t know what I was doing at school. I felt like a lot of negative energy was flowing my way at Church.
Things were not working out the way I had envisioned them.
Then I got a letter. I made a phone call. And I got spun into an area I never imagined I’d be.
chris
No comments:
Post a Comment