Related Information
Workshop Report
Discerning Your Calling Workshop
Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa
Saturday, November 4, 2006
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Is there one right career for each of us?
Can I make a wrong choice about my vocation?
Can my calling to a profession change?
These were the questions posed to participants at the Discerning Your Calling Workshop at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, in November 2006. Many of us wrestle with these questions at different times in our lives, but the college years are particularly intense when it comes to issues of calling and discernment. Deciding on a major can be even more stressful than normal if these questions have not been addressed. This is one of the reasons Calvin Theological Seminary offers Discerning Your Calling workshops.
Three people from CTS led the workshop: David Rylaarsdam, Associate Professor of Historical Theology; Greg Janke, Director of Admissions; and Fiona Baker, Administrative Assistant for the Making Connections Initiative. The workshop opened with morning prayers led by Greg, and a song of worship led by a Dordt student. Greg introduced David's talk with a clip from the first movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which Gandalf talks to Frodo about how we must use the times we have been given. This is essentially what we are talking about in the discernment conversation: What are we to do with the time we have been given on earth? How does God want us to use our gifts? David began his talk about "Calling" by reminding workshop participants that we are first and foremost called to follow Jesus Christ. It is from this relationship that the whole of our life should flow. Therefore, when considering the issue of calling, we must first go back to the fact that we are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. David also shared his own story of calling, and discussed the calling to ministry versus other professions.
After a coffee break and time to chat with workshop participants, Greg Janke opened with a clip from The Simpsons. The clip showed Springfield's Rev. Lovejoy conducting a marriage ceremony in which he personifies the stereotypical image of a pastor whose sermon bears little relevance to the people sitting in the pews-let alone the bride and groom! This led to a discussion of our many stereotypical images of ministers. one participant recalled a time when she was a child and spotted her pastor in a restaurant. Her response was one of surprise because her pastor had never before seemed like a "real" person. Greg talked about the reality of what it means to be a minister, reminding participants that that there are many other vocational ministries to consider, such as chaplaincy, youth ministry, and campus ministry. Although some can be ordained positions, many are designed for or more suited to non-ordained people. Weaving in examples of his life of ministry, Greg then walked the group through five gifts and desires to think about when considering vocational ministry. He also pointed out that it is important to gain experiences in various ministry settings when considering which ministry to enter. opportunities such as short-term missions, summer camps, and youth ministry can help with vocational decision-making.
Fiona Baker ended the day with thoughts on the actual spiritual discipline of discernment, including ideas for spending time with God. She shared her story of discernment and the spiritual formation tools she has learned from others. The workshop concluded with a time of guided prayer.
Over lunch the workshop leaders had time to hear the stories of the participants. Some were in their first year of college and sensing a call to ministry, but not sure what that would look like. A few had been out of college for many years, and even had vocational ministry experience, but sensed God calling them to something new. It was a privilege to hear how God is moving in each of their lives. As Dordt College Professor of Theology Tom Wolthuis mentioned during the workshop, discernment is never a one-time deal. Rarely, if ever, does a person receive a one-time "lightning bolt" answer to the questions of discernment. Rather, it is a lifelong journey during which God reveals his desires for us in his own time. In the meantime, we work on being faithful disciples of Christ, and as we discover who we are in Christ, our calling and sense of vocation will become clear. We do hope and pray that our time with the "discerners" at the workshop was a helpful piece of their journey.
By Fiona Baker