What’s Going On? Update from Your Intern Pastor – December 28, 2023

Hi Church,

Hey! Brady here. My role at Mountainview is going to look a little different for the next while, but I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Here’s “What’s Going On” with me.

400 Hour ICL

ICL stands for “In-Context Learning” and it’s my official placement for my Master of Divinity program which I am taking (mostly) online through Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I have to do two ICLs for my program: a 200 hour and a 400 hour. The 200 hour ICL is to be a cross-cultural placement, which I have yet to do, and the 400 hour ICL can be done right here at Mountainview.

This 400 hour ICL will take place from January through May and it will mean a few changes in my role in the new year.

Youth Group

As some of you know or may have heard, I will be stepping away, as much as possible, from Youth Group for January through May. There are a number of different requirements that I have to meet for my ICL to be the best that it can be and I need the time to do those things.

Since being hired at Mountainview my role has included Youth Group, Young Adults, and Preaching. In order to have the extra time needed to do my ICL, I needed to give up either Youth, Young Adults, or both. Stepping away from Young Adults wouldn’t give me enough time to do the things my ICL requires and so, in a way, my hands were tied and I needed to step away from Youth Group, for the time being.

That being said, the last thing I want to see is that ministry suffer in my absence. I have put together a rough schedule for the second half of the year and I have full confidence in our volunteer team to do an amazing job without me. They have already been doing so much of the hands-on ministry that the success of our Youth Group is far more dependent on them than it is on me. Additionally, Pastor Erick will be taking on a major teaching role leading discussions on Youth Alpha.

New Roles
While I won’t be actively involved in Sunday Night Youth, I want to stay connected with young people in our community. Young Adults Pub Night will continue to run on a monthly basis and I have some dedicated time in my schedule for mentoring and life coaching relationships. Please connect with me about any questions or inquiries you have about this, I’d love to chat.

One of the major things I hope to accomplish through this ICL is to develop my skills as a leader. I will be doing some coaching with Pastor Kristy (though she is extremely capable in her role without my help) and I’m thankful that she is willing to work with me in this role for the next few months. I will also be attending Board meetings, as I have been, as well as council and elders meetings.

My preaching schedule is also receiving a rather dramatic increase. Instead of preaching once every 6-8 weeks, for January through May I will be preaching twice a month, though not always at Mountainview. Pulpit supply and classical appointments allow me to get additional experience preaching at other churches and get a little extra cash on the side, which is always appreciated!

My main goal in terms of discernment for this ICL is to pay attention to the ways that God is using me. A question that I am constantly asking myself is “Do I want to be a youth pastor indefinitely?” I love working with young people and don’t see myself getting sick of that any time soon. The question is, when I finish at seminary and get ordained, Lord willing, will I want to be a lead pastor and what kind of lead pastor will I want to be? Will I want to work at a church like Mountainview and lead a large staff team or will I want to work at a smaller church and do more myself?

Please pray for me in this time of transition and discernment and feel free to send me any encouragement or advice you think may be helpful for me.

In Christ,

Pastor Brady