This weekend our family celebrated two very special occasions. As you saw in the previous post, we had our son Andrew baptized Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon our family celebrated Michael’s ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church. The first four years of our marriage Michael was a seminary student. Upon gradation with a Masters of Divinity (M. Div.) degree from ORU, Michael decided to pursue ordination in the Presbyterian Church. Since ORU is not a Presbyterian seminary, he spent the next two years completing independent study courses to meet the requirements of our denomination. During these years Michael was a Dorm Director and Student Activities Director at ORU, then later the Director of Youth Ministries at our church, First Presbyterian Church. This past spring he received and accepted the call to be a minister at First Church. So, yesterday it all became “official.” In so many ways this service was like a wedding with all the pomp, formality, and significance. Promises and vows were made and charges were given. Michael’s official title at our church is Associate Pastor of Next Generation Ministries. History was made at our church (which is over 130 years old), as we not only celebrated one, but two ordinations. Michael’s partner in crime, err ministry, Vince was also ordained. Vince and his family of 6 just returned to Tulsa after three years at Princeton Theological Seminary. Vince will be the executive director of a Christian camp that is connected to our church.
Festivities for the weekend began Friday afternoon when Michael’s sister DeAnn and her four children arrived. Saturday brought his parents, brother John, sister Danielle and her two children to town. Michael comes from a huge family, so this was only a small representative of the larger clan. My parents are already in town. Extended family from my side came on Sunday to help us celebrate.
It was a great day for our family! Above is one picture from the service. I hope to share more in the future. Currently, we are just trying to recover from all the celebrating!
Festivities for the weekend began Friday afternoon when Michael’s sister DeAnn and her four children arrived. Saturday brought his parents, brother John, sister Danielle and her two children to town. Michael comes from a huge family, so this was only a small representative of the larger clan. My parents are already in town. Extended family from my side came on Sunday to help us celebrate.
It was a great day for our family! Above is one picture from the service. I hope to share more in the future. Currently, we are just trying to recover from all the celebrating!
9 comments:
Congratulations on two very special occasions! We are so proud of Michael and his dedication to God's calling and his family. We hope he gets some much needed rest (and you too!). What a great photo of Andrew at his baptism. Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with you all.
Sounds like you had a great weekend! I love the new family picture! (One of these days I'll figure out how to attach one to my postings!!!)
Congratulations! What a special time for your family. Your blog was the first I read when starting the Vietnam adoption process. I read the whole thing in one sitting back in March and found so much encouragement from it. It is fun to see how God has been working in your lives. Being in full time ministry is an interesting adventure, too! May your lives continue to grow in God's grace.
Carla C (from Dillon forum)
Congratulations! My it is safe to say you have had a very busy,blessed and wonderful year!
How wonderful! Congratulations Michael! And congrats on the baptism as well! Glad you are all doing well. Now get some rest. :)
Hey,
Love the last two posts. You all are so beautiful (and handsome) in your new family picture!
Michael is a smart man I tell ya, all that education and such, but I love that he is really a kick back and 'flex or die' type of man.
You know, your now a ministers wife. Hummmm, how does that feel : )
xoxox Andrew and Sarah
Natasha
What a great weekend! Your family looks great. What a wonderful memory for your family.
Congrats! We really do have a lot in common. Wish we lived closer so that our kids could play. Rocco is 18 months now and a wonderful handful. My husband, Jason, is also a minister and we are in the midst of a church move.
Hang in there. The ride is bumpy at times, and very eventful, when you're a minister's wife.
Heather
Congrats on the ordination! Kirk has been ordained (episcopal) for 7 years, I think. It's quite a calling!
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