Transition into Ministry Program
I have experienced the gifts of the TiM program throughout my first year. There have been high points and low points during my first appointive year at Silver Lake UMC. There are many facets of the program that have greatly benefited me during my first year. Two of those gifts have been the relationships with pastors in the program and the mentoring of Maria Campbell. They supported me, they encouraged me, and they listened to me during my low points. They celebrated, shared their joy and their knowledge during the high points pushing me to go higher.
I am unsure if I would still be in ministry if it had not been for my mentor, Maria Campbell. There wasn’t a single topic we would not talk about during our monthly meetings. It was one place where I could be open, vulnerable and honest, revealing what was really going on in ministry, without being judged or critiqued. She encouraged me to dive deeper when we unpacked low points or problems and was the first person to tell me to celebrate the high points. She was my advocate to others, including my TiM Committee and myself.
I love having a group of pastors who are in the early stages of ministry with me. I’ve appreciated the wisdom shared and the inspiration given by those in the later years of the program. The collegiality and friendship with those completing the first year of the program has been awesome. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call them. We can go out and have fun together or get serious and have some amazing dialogue about a whole host of topics. I am grateful for a group of pastors that says, “I’m here for you!”
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