Resolutions are not often a good idea. Easily made, and easily broken. Even so, the new year is a helpful time to take stock of our lives and ministries.
As deacons, it is all too easy to get sucked in to other people’s ideas of what we should be doing. Now is a good moment to check that out, to see if we’ve lost a little bit of our diaconal focus. Are we still able to spend most of our time outside the church, or on its fringes, meeting the needs of others? If not, what needs to change?
Here, in no particular order, are some other starter ideas:
- How does the servant leadership of Christ inspire and enable me?
- How am I spiritually? Am I giving enough time and attention to my relationship with God, so that, as I feed on him, I am in turn able to feed others with his love? Do I need to make any changes?
- Do I make time to be with other deacons, to learn and grow together in mutual support and prayer?
- How am I dealing with the constraints on my time? Do I need to revisit any decisions?
- Are there projects and ideas that are on the back burner? Is 2018 the time when they need my attention and energy?
- How relational am I in my thinking and practice?
- What fresh ways are there to encourage my church to become more missional and outward-reaching?
- Can I free up other clergy by shouldering some of their diaconal responsibilities?
- What else can I do to encourage and support those who are on the fringes of the church?
- How can I ‘deacon’ colleagues in the workplace?
A happy and blessed new year be yours!
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 