One of the things I absolutely love about ordered ministry is that it gives me the opportunity to use ideas from a wide range of fields of study. This is one of those places where my nature as a dillitante (Oh, look! Something new to play with!) is actually helpful.

With a background in sociology, I became quite interested in the work of Dr. Reginald Bibby, a sociologist of religion and one of the foremost voices in Canadians' views of religion and life.

After reading "There's Got to Be More!", I decided to take some of his theories and see if I could create some practical ways of putting them into effect. I wrote up some of those experiences in an article that was published in The United Church of Canada's Exchange Magazine. Dr. Bibby found the article and reprinted it in his "Restless Churches".

Since that time, I've created a number of workshops to help congregations as they explore some of the foundational concepts in Dr. Bibby's writing.

Ministry of Reconnection (Exchange article) 

Naming Ministers of Reconnection: A  

Exploring a Ministry of Reconnection: A workshop to help people entering into this ministry begin to understand their responsibilities and who they will be chatting with.

Exploring a Ministry of Reconnection (Part 2): Follow-up in the Ministry of Reconnection.

Gifts of the Spirit: A congregational workshop, created for use during worship, to help people name other's gifts and to begin to recognize their own.

Wants to Actions: A congregational workshop, designed to help people begin to name ministries to which the congregation is called which could respond to the spiritual needs of the wider community.