The first three weeks

So far I am extremely impressed with this church and couldn't be more thrilled to be learning from them.

There is too much to say and not enough time, so I will attempt to write a few posts about some things I've learned in the last few weeks.

Part of this internship requires that I read over 5,000 pages of text and write over a hundred papers during the course of the internship.  Yes, we write an average of five papers per week.  They aren't huge papers, obviously, but they are read, analyzed, scrutinized, and dissected by Mark, and discussed in front of all of the other pastors and interns, so they'd better be well-thought out, well-written, and well-defended.

Those of you who know me well know that I love this aspect of the internship, but it is still a lot of work, since the books and papers just keep coming.  Mark has designed the internship to be a major lesson on ecclesiology and church polity, so most of the books and papers deal with such subjects.  Some, however, are more historical-theological in their thrust.

More than reading the books, however I'm getting so much out of physically being here and observing this church. 

I'm impressed with how upfront and honest CHBC is about who they are and that they don't change things just to be more palatable to the culture.  They are very clear about what they expect from their members, namely that they are there every Sunday morning and evening.  I actually heard a pastor tell someone during a membership interview that if they don't plan to attend both the morning and evening service, they ought to join another church.  This was said not in a mean way at all, but they believe their evening service is a vital part of growing as a congregation.
 
I'm impressed with how bold, precise, and confident Mark is when he speaks.  In fact he often jumps in and corrects us if we don't speak precisely enough, or to the point, so we have all grown a ton in this way.  Although he keeps a busy schedule, he is extremely relaxed, and always has guys coming in and out of his study.  He surrounds himself with an excellent team of pastors and elders, making him one of the least stressed out guys I know.

I'm impressed with their "service review" which takes place each Sunday after the evening service.  All the elders and pastors, a group of members and the interns gather together to talk about every aspect of both services that day, from the music to the prayers to the sermons.  Because it takes place on Sunday, everyone still has the service fresh in their minds.  Each person at the meeting is asked specifically about each part of the service, and they feel completely comfortable sharing things they liked or didn't like.  This provides accountability and consistency, and also gives members the chance to give their input on the services.

 The first three weeks of this internship have been at once both exhilarating and exhausting. I'm thoroughly enjoying observing how they lead, shepherd, and disciple their congregation and I am now more excited to be a pastor than I have ever been!