I told you yesterday how I we are planning a Golden Anniversary celebration for my in-laws. I suppose I’m comfortable with planning this event because, let’s face it, receptions are part of the “Pastor’s Wife Job Description.” Albeit, a responsibility we didn’t realize when we got into this ministry life. Nevertheless, we find ourselves regularly planning events: showers, receptions, and banquets.

Decorating tables is always the bane of my existence. Admittedly, that’s because I am not a fan of your typical vase with a flower. Or of a mirror with a candle on top. That’s just…boring. And typical. {sigh} Of course that makes this detail more difficult to accomplish because I want it to be special. And different. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with flowers or candles. I’d just prefer they be creatively utilized. I know, I know…

The Plan

We’re planning to set up 15 round tables, and then include a circle of chairs around the reception hall so attendees have a seating choice. This plan again reduces costs, because we only have to plan centerpieces for 15 tables, plus some decor for the dessert table. That’s very doable! I was trolling Pinterest looking for nice table decor. Nothing that was going to cost an arm and a leg, of course. Which can generally be a tall order.

Ideas

My first thought was to do something like this trick with the glass:

Pinterest link

But I would only want to buy one glass per table, and I think that it will end up being too small for the table. But I do like it. I think it’s a really cute idea!

Another idea utilizing a glass was this:

Pinterest link

I really like this idea! The glasses and tea light candles can be purchased at the Dollar Store, and the shades could be hand-made from vellum paper and wire hangers making this a very economical centerpiece. In the end, though, I decided that it was also too small, and maybe too casual for this kind of event. But I love it. I’m determined to make this for some event some time!

The Final Decision

What we have settled on is a variation of this:

source

In a vase like this (without the floating flowers):

Pinterest link

I think this arrangement will fill out each table nicely and be eye-catching. The glass vases can also be purchased at the Dollar Store (but I have a friend who offered to loan us some she had from a recent reception she hosted. She has 15. Providential, huh?). I’ll go for a walk in the wooded area behind my house and find a nice bunch of branches to spray paint gold. And then I’ll purchase some nice-looking silk flowers to tuck in with each arrangement.

Side Note: If you’re planning a baby shower this Spring, pleeeeeeeaase do this centerpiece! I adore it. And I don’t have any baby showers in my immediate future.

Pinterest link

Now don’t start rumors…I’m not having any more!

Some neat ideas, no? I might have to make the little lamps to put on my table here at home just because I like them so much.

So, what about you? Do you have any showers or banquets in your future? What do you do for table centerpieces?

Related Posts:

Planning a Reception – Something We Never Expected to Be Part of Our Job {smile}
Planning a Reception – the food. The FOOD!

My sweet in-laws are celebrating 50 years of marriage next month! I love them. We’re blessed to have an excellent relationship. They have been a wonderful example to my husband and me of a godly and happy marriage. They have also been supportive of us through the ups and downs of ministry life. Look at this picture from their wedding!

I just love old wedding pictures! And those cute 60′s tea-length wedding dresses! {sigh}

Well, they were blessed with three wonderful sons.

Three wonderful(ly) non-celebratory sons.

To whom it never occurred that a celebration for 50 years might be in order.

So, guess what? I’m We’re planning a celebration.

Well, of course this is nothing new to us Pastor’s wives. It’s the start of “wedding season” for us which includes an awful lot of receptions, and showers, right? So I thought I’d share with you some of the ideas we’ve got. {Enter Pinterest} Maybe it will help you if you’re planning a similar event. Kind of fun, I think. And completely practical too!

The basic details of this reception are: we are planning for approximately 250 people {I know, right?!?}. We’ve chosen to host a come and go dessert reception. This will certainly reduce the cost for that many people!

Of course there are some aspects that simply can’t be “do it yourself” (DIY). Things like tables, plates, serving ware, linens, and beverage supplies. Thankfully, my in-laws’ church, where we are holding our reception, has a wonderfully stocked kitchen. From there we will have glass plates, as well as all the beverage supplies-a large coffeepot as well as glass coffee cups for everyone to drink their coffee or tea in. They also have a very nice punch bowl set. Aren’t we blessed?? What they do not have are table linens. Because they live in a small town, there is only one linen rental company, thus only one price. No choice there but to pay that fee.

Invitations

So on to the DIY portions of our reception. Because this is an anniversary celebration, special invitations are appropriate. And while I love paper crafts, I didn’t have the time or patience to make 75 handmade invitations. Our solution? Did you know you can buy printable invitations? Here is the design we purchased.

When you purchase the boxed set, they come with instructions inside so you can set up a template on your computer to help you properly print the invitations on your own. It was very easy. We didn’t waste…too many. You know what the best part is? We bought them from Hobby Lobby. They regularly provide 40% off coupons so we were able to save a significant amount of money off each box we purchased. Yay for spending less money!

Cakeilicious

One other detail that was not entirely DIY – our cake. There is a family friend who does cakes for fun. She is making a very nice cake for us. And for this, I am eternally grateful because it could have blown our entire budget!

Tomorrow I’ll post about our table decor. I thought that was going to be the worst part of the entire process. Boy was I pleasantly surprised!

And then Saturday I’ll tell about our dessert table. I drool every time I think about the food we’re going to make.

Related Posts:

Planning a Reception – Table Decor Can Be Expensive…Or Not
Planning a Reception – the food. The FOOD!

Last week I introduced my series on mentoring. Today I want you to consider why you would need a mentor.

Besides being biblical (see Titus 2:3-5), consider these statistics:

• 80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor’s children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
• 80% of the adult children of pastors sought professional help for depression.
• 95% of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouses.
• 33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
• 75% report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.
• 90% of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be like before they entered the ministry.
• 50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
• 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend.
• 40% report serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.
• 50% of pastors feel so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.
• 1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.
• 94% of clergy families feel the pressures of the pastor’s ministry.
• 80% of pastors’ spouses wish their spouse would choose a different profession.
• 4,000 new churches begin each year and 7,000 churches close.
• Over 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month last year.
• Over 1,300 pastors were terminated by the local church each month, many without cause.
• Many denominations report an “empty pulpit crisis”. They cannot find ministers willing to fill positions.
• 50% of pastors’ marriages end in divorce.
• 80% of pastors spend under 15 minutes a day in prayer.
• Nearly 40% of pastors have had an extra-marital sexual affair since entering ministry.
• Only 70% of pastors felt called of God into ministry when they began.
• 90% of pastors said ministry was completely different from what they thought it would be.
• Only 50% of pastors felt called of God into ministry three years later.
• Over 50% of pastors’ wives feel that their husbands entering ministry was the most destructive thing to ever happen to their families.

Sources: Pastor to Pastor, Focus on the Family, Ministries Today, Charisma Magazine, TNT Ministries, Campus Crusade for Christ and the Global Pastors Network.

If even one of these statistics could be said about you, then a mentor can make a significant difference in your life and ministry. And the reality is that many of us resonate with these stats. It is important to note that a mentor is not a professional counselor. In some cases a counselor is necessary. But there are times, when properly placed, that you might find the stressors and challenges of ministry more manageable by having a mentor to openly and honestly talk to.

If you read these statistics today, and feel a mentor might benefit you, consider contacting me to discuss the possibility of being connected to another pastor’s wife or woman in ministry.

Among the ministries I am involved with, one of the most personally meaningful is the opportunity to mentor other pastor’s wives and women in ministry. This is a passion that has grown over the years as I found myself in need of a mentor and had difficulty finding an older woman willing to step into that role.

Photo Source

Titus 2:3-5 specifically targets women’s relationship with one another. Paul encourages the young pastor Titus to identify qualified older women who could, and should, teach and model godliness to the younger women in his church body:

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

I believe pastor’s wives and women in ministry are especially in need of mentoring relationships. Unfortunately, older women often feel unqualified and uncomfortable to commit.  But what’s really involved? What does it take to be a mentor? Perfection? Formal training? A counseling degree? Wisdom beyond your years? Grandmotherhood??

No.

Only three characteristics are needed: a heart for God, experience in life, and a love for people. If you have these characteristics, you can mentor someone else.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting about mentoring relationships: What does it look like? What are the benefits? When do I need a mentor? How do I find one? And I’ll be introducing you to some of the older women in my life who have mentored me.

Through these posts I hope you’ll come to understand how vital it is to have wise women speaking into your lives. More so I pray you’ll actively seek to find yourself a mentor, or become a mentor to another woman.

Related Posts:

Why Would I Need a Mentor?
What Are the Benefits of a Mentor?

We linked this post to:

If you didn’t know, our family recently moved to a new ministry position. With this change in scenery, I find myself (again) in a new life, new city, and new ministry trying to make new friends.

Given the number of times God has chosen to move us, it would be really easy for me to just decide to live the hermit’s life. But, of course, I don’t let myself do that. I can’t let myself do that. It’s not what God has called me to.

Lately, I’ve been contemplating our years in ministry. There have been lessons learned.  They are lessons I wish I’d learned sooner. Lessons like:

1) Contrary to what society says, life is a journey, not a ladder. It is about seasons, and whatever season you find yourself in, find the joy in it.

2) Relationships require investment. Your family needs relationships. You need relationships. Not surface relationships but quality relationships. And this is worth investing in. It is worth working hard to attain. Make the effort.

3) Be okay with being imperfect. Every time we have to start over, this truth resonates with me. We all want to be accepted. At the end of the day, people are more important. Don’t ever let your instinct to “put the best foot forward” keep you from people.

4) Laughter is a gift. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Offer grace to yourself and to others in the form of joy. Be generous with this.

5) Always remember the faithfulness of God. He is trustworthy. Even if I feel His timing is not mine, He can be trusted.

The journey of the ministry-life is a faith walk. It stretches us and pushes us into territories we’d never go ourselves. But it is a beautiful journey ordained by God.

Are there lessons you are learning along the path of your ministry walk? I hope you’ll remember His promises today:

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV) – “The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”

Related Posts:

Today’s PSA: We’re Not Perfect
Trust Me and Don’t Be Afraid
Preach the Gospel to…Yourself

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We linked this post to:

Wowee-wow-wow….it’s been CrAzY busy this last week!! Whew…

Last week we had the privilege to go to the Ohio Ministry Network’s minister’s retreat. It was at Kalahari Resort & Indoor Water Park in Sandusky, OH.

It was insanely fun! If not, absolutely exhausting. My favorite part, if you can’t figure out, was the opportunity to spend time with some wonderful pastor’s wives and women in ministry. Have I ever told you that I love women in ministry?

When we came home from this beautiful time of rest (ha!), relaxation (heh!), and rejuvination (yeah…), I had the opportunity to speak to a wonderful group of women about Living Simply, and Simply Living. Getting the opportunity to speak to women’s groups is one of my favorite things of all. This was such an enjoyable night!

Then Saturday morning we took off with our Junior Bible Quiz team for a day-long meet. Love my girls!

Our teams won first and second place in our division! Several of our kids won individual awards too. Such a fun, and very long day!

On Sunday, we began a new KidsVille K through 2 program at church, which I have the privilege to help lead. Leading kids in worship is so fun and inspiring…and tiring. I was, uh, too busy to get a picture of that.

Did I mention I’m tired? Yeah…and I LOVE it!