WRITTEN BY SHARON HOWARD
EASTERN PA DISTRICT TEAM
As our district enters the third year of offering development tracks, I am seeing God renew people in beautiful ways.
Glenda Conklin has been a pastor’s wife for 31 years and has homeschooled all three of her beautiful children. When I met her three years ago, she was honest with me that she was feeling on the lonely side, nervous about entering the empty nest stage, and quite disconnected from others in ministry. With her permission, I want to share a short interview I had with her:
You and your husband, Nate, were brave to be part of our first relational and marriage tracks. What was that like?
I am not sure I would call it brave. I honestly was on the verge of wanting out of ministry completely. I felt God prompt me to just wait. In the waiting, I met you and we talked about Empower and the cohorts that were beginning. I really did not know if I wanted to risk attending a group, but I felt prompted by the Spirit to go.
I asked my husband if we could join one of the monthly relational small groups. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I gradually figured out that it was just a safe place to build relationships with others in ministry. Some of those relationships have continued, and for the last year, one of the other wives and I have been meeting together to pray for other pastors’ wives in our local area.
The next year we joined one of the monthly marriage cohorts. It was good once again to connect with others and realize that other couples struggle too and that we really are not alone. I am an introvert so being vulnerable was a challenge. But even with the challenges of COVID-19, we kept at it.
As a result of the cohorts, I am realizing it is okay and normal to not be “all together” in our marriage and that God actually uses imperfect people. I am beginning to feel more connected, like I know more people, and realizing that I am not alone in this difficult place called ministry.
By the way, I am also beginning my second year of Empower. It is another beautiful place for women to have meaningful connections.
What would you say to others who may not be feeling very connected?
If others are feeling alone in ministry and in relationships, take the risk to get involved. It takes a time commitment and can be scary at first, but there is a sense of joy that develops in knowing that we are not in this alone and that God can even possibly use us to come alongside and bless others as well.
As a district team, we believe God has called our district to be a development network where workers and spouses are increasingly being transformed by Jesus and impacting the world around them. We believe one essential way for this to happen is for each ministry person to have a safe place where they can process real-life situations in community and to let the Gospel go deeper.
We long for each of you to be known and not alone. As you look to 2022, please consider joining one of our monthly relational or marriage cohorts. The Ministry, Marriage, and The Gospel track includes one facilitator couple and three other couples. The Better Together track includes one facilitator couple and six other individuals. Take time in 2022 to grow in honest sharing, listening, and praying.
Learn more about our 2022 tracks. If interested in joining, please submit an interest form today. Currently, this track is only available for official workers and spouses.