What's Going On? Pastor Brady 2

Hey! Brady here.

I have been at Mountainview for two years now and this means that my internship contract is half over already! Reaching this milestone has me feeling a bit reflective as well as curious for what God has in store for my future! I am extremely thankful for my time at Mountainview already and I am excited about the possibilities ahead. Here’s “What’s Going On” with me.

Past

It’s hard to believe that my internship contract is at its halfway point already. Time flies when you’re having fun! 

One of the things that I cannot emphasize enough about being here is how great it is to be a part of this staff team. Each one of our staff is so well suited for their roles and so clearly fulfilling God’s calling on their life. I am grateful to be able to work alongside such talented team players. Additionally, Pastor Erick’s mentorship and guidance has been an invaluable asset for my personal and professional development.

Getting to know the young people here continues to be one of my favourite parts about working at Mountainview. I am blessed by them and thankful for the role that I get to play in their lives however big or small. 

I feel like I have grown a lot when it comes to my preaching. A lot of that is thanks to the encouragement and feedback I have received from this congregation. I’ve jumped in on different sermon series that Pastor Erick has planned and even had the opportunity to plan and preach some of my own. Including the series on Jonah last summer, the Easter “Who is this?” series, and, most recently, a mini-series on Daniel.

Present

With the completion of my 400-hour placement, I am happy to be returning to my regular work with the Youth Group this fall! I have missed working so closely with the teens at Mountainview and I am excited to continue to play a significant role in their spiritual lives. 

My time at AOYC and SERVE this year has reminded me how much I love working with high school students. These are some of life’s most memorable and formative years and I am blessed to be a support and encouragement to these young men and women.

Just a few months ago, at a council meeting, we were reflecting on the things that we love about this church as well as some of the things that frustrate us or we would like to see change. My biggest frustration about my time at Mountainview so far has been that I don’t have more time to do everything! I want to be involved in more, but I only have 20 hours/week to work with. While I am thankful for this church’s flexibility and willingness to meet me at my current capacity, a part of me wishes that I could work here 40 hours/week. 

I love working with the Youth Group as well as the Young Adults. I also love mentoring, teaching, and preaching. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a member of the Church Board and, over the past few months, attend Council and Elders meetings. There is so much going on here that I enjoy being a part of, but I can only do so much in this current season.

Future

One of the main questions I wanted to answer going into this past placement season was “What kind of ministry is God going to call me into after graduation and ordination?” Should I pursue being a lead pastor or should I continue to work in youth ministry? Should I go back to sports ministry or something new entirely?

Over the last few months, as I prayed and listened for God’s voice with regards to these potential callings, the answer to each of them was never a “no”. Could God call me to be a lead pastor? From my discernment, the Holy Spirit told me “yes”. Could God call me to youth ministry long term? Yes. Could God call me away from church ministry to something else? Yes. After that discernment process, I felt a little stuck. It was as if God was telling me he could call me to any of those, but he wouldn’t tell me which one.

Right now, God has placed me at Mountainview. I’ve been here for two years and, Lord willing, I’ve got two more to go until my internship contract is done. Shannon and I love being a part of this community and developing deeper relationships. We are also so blessed to be close to many of our friends and family, especially as our little family continues to grow! I love working at this church and I continue to feel called to play a role here.

Rather than dreaming up new, grandiose ideas, my focus, for now, is to continue to strive to be faithful. Right here. Right now.

In Christ,

Pastor Brady