Petersen's Tips for the Ministry

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Currently browsing thread: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry Petersen Sep 08, 2006 07:15:43

Petersen's Tips for the Ministry
Petersen email Posted on: Sep 08, 2006 07:15:43	No Theology here, just some practical stuff based on my experience. Your odometer will probably have different numbers. 1. Communion kit for shut-ins and hospital. Buy a small chalice through a catholic supply catalog like Donnely's or Dayton. We give graduating field ed students a very simple, but sturdy stainless steel chalice that is perfect. But it is a bit pricey at $125. You can get prettier and smaller chalices less expensively, but avoid ornate. Get a paten to match. That is the easy part. Next get a sturdy, screw-top flask, not a plastic shampoo bottle. You want something that won't leak. I have been told I shouldn't keep wine in the flask for extended periods becuase the wine will corrode the lining. It has wine in it continuously for 7 years, and I have never had a problem. (Not the same wine. I dump it and wash it occasionally, and am always adding new wine to it.) Now for the real key: Go to a camera shop and get a camera bag. Camera bags are padded and have adjustable compartments. My bag is black and very sturdy. The key thing though is that I carry the flask upright. No matter how tight the flask top screws down, you'll have problems if you carry it on its side. Because the wine drips when you pour and gets into the threads, that eventually gets on the side and in your bag and makes things sticky. I can hardly imagine a worse set-up than the AAL plastic shot glass "kit." Anyway, my bag works beautifully and is just big enough for chalice, paten, small pyx, flagon, 4 or 5 purificators, a bible, and a hymnal. Perfect. The whole thing cost less than $200 is far superior and more practical than anything Almy sells. 2. Wardrobe a. Collars Wear a clerical collar all the time. It is not a vestment for Sundays. It is the work uniform. Stick with black and stick with one style. It terms of cost and ease the Roman-CPH tab collars are your best bet. Anglican-neckband collars are slightly more hassle and cost. A collarette (the thing that makes a neckband collar look like a cassock) are the most hassle and money. So make a fashion choice and then stick with it. Don't use one for dress up and another for day-to-day ministry. If you do it ruins the uniform idea and draws attention to it. I advise sticking with long sleeves year-round. It is classier and I am of the opinion that short-sleeves shouldn't be worn with a jacket. b. colors/jackets Stick with black slacks and a black shirt. You can get a black sport coat and black suits. I think you can pull off the Evanson-classic gret herrringbone sport coat or some version of it in gray, but that is it. Leave khakis and browns and reds and blues for your date nights. Again: it is a uniform. c. collar buttons If you wear a Anglican-neckband collar and buy the cheapest buttons you might have a problem where it touches your neck in the front. I had these for a long time and it was a big pain. I had a little rash there. It looked awful and also itched. Finally a friend pointed out to me that it was an allergy to the metal. It is the exact same problem that some women have with cheap jewlery. Since I was wearing it everyday for years, it got pretty bad. It turns out you can put different buttons. The button I wear in the front has a "pearl" base. I don't know if it is the oyster shell stuff of just plastic. But it cost something like $1 more and has completely stopped the problem. 3. Day off I think the whole day off thing is overblown in our synod. I waste so much time in any given week that there is no way I deserve a day off. So don't be afraid to go in on your day off or to work evenings, etc. And don't count Sunday morning as hours at work. You'd be there whether you were "working" or not. There are people in this world that actually work hard in miserable conditions. Clergy whining is tiresome. But I do think a day off is a good idea and should generally be strived for. For me Fridays have proven the best day. Monday is no good because you always get roped into meetings on Mondays. No one schedules meetings on a Friday night. I also feel the need to get at it first thing Monday morning and really can't wait until Tuesday. So even if I try to take Mondays off I always end up working. I tried Saturday, thinking this would be good with the school schedule and put me in the same place as the rest of the world. But that was the worst. If I am eager to get at things Monday morning, Saturdays are essential. That is crunch time. Besides that, Saturdays are always hoping at Church. That is when people are there (altar guild, etc.) It is good to be there. And, once again, it is a day when things are scheduled because of the peoples' schedules. Finally, if you take Fridays off instead of Mondays you often get holidays you'd otherwise miss: like labor day. I got two undeserved days off this week, whereas my brethren sold on Mondays only got one.

Petersen's Tips for the Ministry

Petersen
email
Posted on:
Sep 08, 2006 07:15:43

No Theology here, just some practical stuff based on my experience. Your odometer will probably have different numbers.

1. Communion kit for shut-ins and hospital.

Buy a small chalice through a catholic supply catalog like Donnely's or Dayton. We give graduating field ed students a very simple, but sturdy stainless steel chalice that is perfect. But it is a bit pricey at $125. You can get prettier and smaller chalices less expensively, but avoid ornate. Get a paten to match. That is the easy part.

Next get a sturdy, screw-top flask, not a plastic shampoo bottle. You want something that won't leak. I have been told I shouldn't keep wine in the flask for extended periods becuase the wine will corrode the lining. It has wine in it continuously for 7 years, and I have never had a problem. (Not the same wine. I dump it and wash it occasionally, and am always adding new wine to it.)

Now for the real key: Go to a camera shop and get a camera bag. Camera bags are padded and have adjustable compartments. My bag is black and very sturdy. The key thing though is that I carry the flask upright. No matter how tight the flask top screws down, you'll have problems if you carry it on its side. Because the wine drips when you pour and gets into the threads, that eventually gets on the side and in your bag and makes things sticky. I can hardly imagine a worse set-up than the AAL plastic shot glass "kit."

Anyway, my bag works beautifully and is just big enough for chalice, paten, small pyx, flagon, 4 or 5 purificators, a bible, and a hymnal. Perfect. The whole thing cost less than $200 is far superior and more practical than anything Almy sells.

2. Wardrobe

a. Collars

Wear a clerical collar all the time. It is not a vestment for Sundays. It is the work uniform.

Stick with black and stick with one style. It terms of cost and ease the Roman-CPH tab collars are your best bet. Anglican-neckband collars are slightly more hassle and cost. A collarette (the thing that makes a neckband collar look like a cassock) are the most hassle and money. So make a fashion choice and then stick with it. Don't use one for dress up and another for day-to-day ministry. If you do it ruins the uniform idea and draws attention to it. I advise sticking with long sleeves year-round. It is classier and I am of the opinion that short-sleeves shouldn't be worn with a jacket.

b. colors/jackets

Stick with black slacks and a black shirt. You can get a black sport coat and black suits. I think you can pull off the Evanson-classic gret herrringbone sport coat or some version of it in gray, but that is it. Leave khakis and browns and reds and blues for your date nights. Again: it is a uniform.

c. collar buttons

If you wear a Anglican-neckband collar and buy the cheapest buttons you might have a problem where it touches your neck in the front. I had these for a long time and it was a big pain. I had a little rash there. It looked awful and also itched. Finally a friend pointed out to me that it was an allergy to the metal. It is the exact same problem that some women have with cheap jewlery. Since I was wearing it everyday for years, it got pretty bad. It turns out you can put different buttons. The button I wear in the front has a "pearl" base. I don't know if it is the oyster shell stuff of just plastic. But it cost something like $1 more and has completely stopped the problem.

3. Day off

I think the whole day off thing is overblown in our synod. I waste so much time in any given week that there is no way I deserve a day off. So don't be afraid to go in on your day off or to work evenings, etc. And don't count Sunday morning as hours at work. You'd be there whether you were "working" or not. There are people in this world that actually work hard in miserable conditions. Clergy whining is tiresome.

But I do think a day off is a good idea and should generally be strived for. For me Fridays have proven the best day. Monday is no good because you always get roped into meetings on Mondays. No one schedules meetings on a Friday night. I also feel the need to get at it first thing Monday morning and really can't wait until Tuesday. So even if I try to take Mondays off I always end up working. I tried Saturday, thinking this would be good with the school schedule and put me in the same place as the rest of the world. But that was the worst. If I am eager to get at things Monday morning, Saturdays are essential. That is crunch time. Besides that, Saturdays are always hoping at Church. That is when people are there (altar guild, etc.) It is good to be there. And, once again, it is a day when things are scheduled because of the peoples' schedules. Finally, if you take Fridays off instead of Mondays you often get holidays you'd otherwise miss: like labor day. I got two undeserved days off this week, whereas my brethren sold on Mondays only got one.

Comments...

Sep 15, 2006 17:35:58 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Pr. BT Ball
Fr. Petersen-
about Monday day's off with a Holiday. Tuesday at the holy voter's meeting here, one of the saints made a motion to give the pastor the Tuesday off following a monday holiday - Memorial Day, Labor Day etc. My day off is currently Monday and he said that I should get a "weekend" like everyone else. This was completely unsolicited and surprised me like crazy. The chairman of the deacons stood up and said that they already told the pastor that he should do this, the problem is that the pastor doesn't. So the motion was amended to encourage the pastor to make sure he takes both Mondays and Tuesdays of such weeks, for his wife's sake. I serve good people here. But like synodical resolutions "to encourage" it just doesn't always make it happen.
Sep 14, 2006 12:23:17 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Roy Askins
I agree with everything you said about clerical, except maybe the first. While repetition is the mother of learning, discussion is the mother of understanding. So discuss please, why the collar is necessary at all times as a matter of uniform. The original intent of the collar was not uniform, but rather a vestment. The clergy used the collar as a means of being able to be dressed for the offices and mass quickly, without having to constantly change vestments. They did not use it to distinguish their office, though it certainly did, and continues to do an excellent job of distinguishing the office today. I suppose the underlying issue is, 'why is it necessary to distinguish the office by clothing? Is it so vital that the office of the pastor be identified by his clothing?' I ask out of ignorance as well as a truly undecided mind.
- Sep 14, 2006 14:28:53 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Petersen
  "I suppose the underlying issue is, 'why is it necessary to distinguish the office by clothing? "
  
  It is not. I find it helpful. It helps both me and my members to behave better. When I am dressed like the pastor they are more inclined to treat me as the pastor. And when the treat my like the pastor and I look like the pastor I am more inclined to act like it. It also helps to identify me in the hospital and the like.
  
  " Is it so vital that the office of the pastor be identified by his clothing?"
  
  No. Again, it is only helpful. These "tips" were only meant as that, just tips, no dogma. Feel free to disregard per your situation.
Sep 09, 2006 07:35:16 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Rebellious Pastor's Wife
Some great ideas...

I completely disagree with you on the day off issue though.
When my husband went on vicarage, he had a supervising pastor who in his first career had been an engineer...so he was structured, to say the least. He told my husband "You can't do this job in 40 hours per week (yes, counting Sunday), but you can do it in 45-50, except for maybe Advent and Lent." He showed this by example. He was in at eight in the morning, he left at 5:00. If he had a meeting that night, he left at 2:00 or 3:00. If he wanted an extra day off, he'd work an extra hour or two each day. From what I hear, when his wife switched to teaching nights, he changed his office hours to afternoons/evenings so that he could be with her. The kids are gone. His marriage is still a huge priority. To a certain extent, he gave us a structure to build on that helped us vouchsafe our family life.

My husband functions in a more flexible way than that. He might work from 10-6 one day and 8 to 4 another. He might work at home or in the office, or take a couple of hours off in the day because he knows he is working that night.

That Friday day off is important to us though (and he picked Friday for the very same reason). It is a day that no matter what the week looked like, we know we can count on to relax together, accomplish tasks together, and just have some down time. As a homeschool mom, I know it is crucial to me.

In one sense, I do agree with you though. Sometimes there is an emphasis on "how to survive despite your congregation" that runs through seminary and synod. I remember it among the sem wives and it was often the theme of district retreats that I neglected to go to because they felt I "needed time away from my babies." It is important to take what you need and what your family needs, but that may look different, depending on the pastor and his family.
Sep 08, 2006 20:39:29 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Rev. PTMILLER
Yes, none one of us Pastors deserve a day off, but our wife and kids do. They need more than our lowly pay check and war stories, they need our time.

By the way autom.com has some really good prices on good communion ware.
Sep 08, 2006 15:45:52 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Paul Beisel
Why are long sleeves more appropriate than short? You've convinced Frese and Fickel of that obviously and now if I wear short sleeves I get chastised. I do it anyway. You've never lived on the Mississippi River apparently.

I'm with you on the day off thing. It annoys me that we have such a "career" mentality with regards to the Ministry. It is not like other careers. I see nothing wrong with coming home early during the week if you have nothing to do. But why do I deserve anymore time off than the workers in my congregation?
- Sep 08, 2006 20:13:43 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - E R Fickel
  Petersen did not convince me of this. My father taught it to me. A friend of mine (and yours) learned it at work, and convinced me that my father was correct. The simple fact is that is no such thing as a short sleeve dress shirt. If the sleeves are short, the shirt is casual. You don't wear a sportcoat or suitcoat with a casual shirt.
  
  The other dress item, that I think Pr. Petersen should add is to avoid slip on shoes. But these are his tips not mine.
  
  -Fickel
  - Sep 10, 2006 17:19:16 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Eric Brown
    That would explain why I don't wear a Sportcoat.
    
    I always were short sleeved clerical collars - they are easier to maintain for one who is not so adept at ironing, and the fact that they are more casual isn't necessarily a bad thing. If I go out to visit folks, I can get my hands dirty if I need to - because the collar is just my work shirt.
Sep 08, 2006 14:29:04 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Pr. HR Curtis
Re: Shut-in Communion kit.

A nice, fully stocked mass kit will have everything Petersen mentioned but with gold plate, the bag included, and it all fits together nicely. Here's a link to one that includes everything you need (including a linens, crucifix, chalice, paten, candles, cruets for water and wine, stole) for $275:
http://www.standre...s/MassKit-k411.htm

+HRC
- Sep 08, 2006 16:15:36 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Petersen
  Maybe the contents in this kit are worth it but I can tell by looking at it that the bag is all wrong.
  
  The key thing with developing your own kit is the ability to travel with the flask upright. This kit has the cruets with screw on lids on their sides. No good. Besides which, I doubt these glass bottles are going to travel that well or that the lids will screw on as tightly as a flask.
  
  No matter how careful you are and how well you wipe off the flask/cruet/plastic shampoo bottle from AAL, if it sits on its side it is going to get sticky. Yuck. I hate that. Get a camera bag. Problem solved.
  - Sep 08, 2006 20:50:21 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Pr. HR Curtis
    Two years in, I've never had a problem with the cruets leaking.
    
    Whichever way one goes, a water cruet or flask is necessary for cleansing the chalice and paten after the celebration.
    
    +HRC
Sep 08, 2006 10:23:23 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Nancy
How about . . .
Don't allow your parishoners to call you "Pastor First Name." Although it seems to promote friendliness and familiarity, it really cheapens the office and the respect it deserves. The pastor leads the way by instructing his parishoners who want to do this.
Sep 08, 2006 09:27:43 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Michael Schuermann
Great tip on the communion kit. Great post in general, really!
Sep 08, 2006 09:03:26 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Brian Westgate
AAL (Thrivent) shotglasses = YUCK!!!!!!!!
That's what we were given at Mequon this year (and every year . . .)
Obviously I'm not using it, for at least two reasons I can think of right now.
Sep 08, 2006 08:37:37 Re: Petersen's Tips for the Ministry - Stan
Pr. Petersen,
Thank you for your remarks under 2a. I like to know who my Pastor is, and it's easy when he's wearing his clerical.

Pax,
- Stan

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