Big changes

I've come to some conclusions in light of the principles that I mentioned in my previous post.

I am not spending enough time with or doing a good job with or being responsible about my family.

Of the three major activities in my life (work, family, school), only one is really negotiable. You don't see church on my list, but I don't see my faith as a category separate from the other parts of my life.

The result of all of this is that I have a new direction. I have changed my degree plan from MDiv to Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, MACM. Instead of 30? more hours, I can graduate in 9. This means several things: I still get another master's, I don't have to take 10 hours per semester, I can focus on family and work, and I can finally serve at church in ways that I haven't had time for.

At the same time, I'm moving toward a management position at Academy, perhaps even going on salary as early as this summer.

The current plan is to ride the retail horse until Shana is able to return to teaching school so that I can work on the PhD. I should know within the next four or five years if retail is where I want to stay, and if I'll have my own store or just be somebody's assistant. I'm not so sure that I won't have more influence in the church as the manager of a retail store than as a staff member anyway. Don't see many deacons or elders who are also staff.

Terry argued that I didn't need to justify anything, but I'm so about being reasonable that I appreciate setting myself up as a person with reasons...

And on a lighter note, if you google "Jason Fry ministry," this site shows up as the first result. Maybe people in France really do read this...

Props to my friend Miller for this good post about staying in or leaving the institutional church, and what such a decision looks like in terms of day to day life.