JonathanBryant.info

-Another good day at Foothills. I was in Seneca today, playing in Eric’s band for the last time in the foreseeable future. I’ll be in Toccoa next week, and I’m PUMPED!
-Good set today: .Friend of God .You Never Let Go .What a Friend We Have in Jesus (SWEET arrangement by Scott Henderson. I got to play acoustic. It went over VERY well) .We Need Each Other (Sanctus Real).
-Had to change from electric to acoustic today during a song transition. Went well, but BIG possibility for disaster!
-I think the most excited thing for me today came after the first service. David Odom (one of the other leaders @ Foothills) has been using the band I’ll be working with from Toccoa Falls college. Now, I’ve heard these guys and gals were good… but I had no idea. Eric, Rachael, Candice, Abigail, and I were headed out to lunch and I forgot my phone in the green room. So I go back through the auditorium and the band is ROCKING! So I look and the acoustic player is Scott from TF. Then I see that the drummer is from TF. Then I see Heather from TF singing and blowing the roof off. Over half the band was made up of college students and it was QUALITY! I’m really looking forward to connecting with the students and making some great relationships and musical strides in Toccoa.
-So I start work tomorrow. Wow.
-Tomorrow is “Meeting Day.” Everyone has warned me about it… but I love meetings. I do enjoy being prepared and connected.
-We’ll be choosing another day for me to work during the week (Wed or Thurs probably). So my work week will look like: Monday in Seneca, Wed of Thurs in Toccoa, Saturday setup and practice in Toccoa, Sunday service and teardown.
-I’m really excited to be working with Shannon, the campus pastor, very closely. He has a heart for Toccoa, and he’s PUMPED about the new year.
-Money’s pretty tight right now. I haven’t had a steady job in about 5 1/2 months. Just being honest.
-February 1st will be a relief. It’s payday. Like a real, we’re getting 2 checks, payday. I’m excited.
-I think Shannon (campus pastor) and I are going to invest in an M Audio midi controller and Interface to work with Reason and Ableton. If you understand what that is, cool. I only halfway get it. (It has to deal with making loops and click tracks to use during worship).
-I think that I need to invest in some sort of modeling device for my guitar. Foothills uses no amps for guitars or bass, only modeling devices through in-ears, so no stage noise. Good system, but I don’t have the hardware yet. Maybe I could sell some of my analog gear to purchase one, we’ll see. Anyone used one (Line 6 X3 live? Vox Tonelab?)? Got opinions?
-We’re about to go to the store and get a shower curtain. FUN! Haha.
-I had my first baking success last night. Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing. I am HORRIBLE at baking, but usually a good cook. Last night I actually got the cupcakes right. Yea!
-Candice is still feeling bad. I’m trying to take care of her. She’s sweet when she’s sick.
-We had a blast with Eric, Rachael, and Dakota at Copper River today. (Eric is the worship pastor at Foothills and Rachael is his wife. Dakota is their very cool kid).

Ok, shower curtain, here we come! Goodnight everyone!
Full work day report to come tomorrow!

Ok, I know the first thought someone’s gonna have is, “I thought we were supposed to be ministers all the time, not just when we get paid for it!” If that’s you, please click the little X in the top right-hand corner of this page or the little red dot in the top left-hand corner of this page to see what I have to say to that argument.
Just kidding, but to that I have to say… I’m not talking about “ministry” in a sense of our everyday, God-given calling to spread the Good News about Jesus Christ. What I AM talking about is the idea of getting paid to do work for the church.

See, I’ve been in full time ministry (and by that, I mean my primary place of employment was a church organization) for about 6 1/2 years now. Also, by full time, I don’t necessarily mean that all these years I have been getting a full time salary or compensation for the work I was doing… sometimes I have been paid full time salary, sometimes it has been housing and periodic gifts, and sometimes nothing at all.
Let me also say that I have been out of vocational ministry since July 27th of this year. My previous employer and I decided that the position I was then filling was not the right fit for me or the church… so I moved out, and they are in active pursuit of another Worship Pastor. Please be praying for them in their time of searching and hiring. Also, be in prayer for my family as we search and seek after God’s plan for our lives.

ANYWAY… ALL that to say… I’ve had a few months now to think about what the pros and cons are of taking a break, so I’d like to share them with you now. These are just my thoughts and have nothing to do with any church I have ever or will ever be associated with. So, here they are, in no certain order:

-#1 I miss it. Really, to get up everyday, go to the office and talk about and dream up ways for our church to reach the surrounding areas is the best job I’ve ever had. Everything I’ve done since seems kinda dull.

+#1 The break was much needed. I worked 60+ hours per week and life got a little crazy. My wife and I never had a night of the week to ourselves, people always calling needing stuff, not a lot of wiggle room as far as my schedule went, etc. I needed it. That leads to the next positive…

+#2 I’ve learned my limits. I worked a lot and loved it, but during this time of introspection, I’ve looked back and started recognizing my limits as a leader, employee, husband, and father. My next ministry vocation will be checked against what I now realize are my boundaries concerning time, money, etc.

-#2 I’m out of practice. As a worship pastor, I was constantly practicing and playing and singing. Now that I’m not doing that “for a living,” my regiment has slacked a bit. Everytime I practice for a time of worship now, I can see how my chops, singing and playing, have let go a bit. (But I’m working on it)

-#3 The hiring process SUCKS HARD! I really do just hate the process of resumes, interviews, bleh blah… every ministry vocation I’ve ever had has started with a relationship, not a resume. I hope my next turns out to be the same.

+#3 Time with my daughter. So right now, I don’t feel like any less of a man to tell you that I went from making a good salary to making nothing. I am secure in the fact that God has us in this particular situation to grow us and not to harm us. All that said (haters are gonna hate) I love being home all day with my daughter! She’s almost 14mo old and she’s a BLAST! Starting to talk, running around, learning sign language, cuddling, reading books, IT’S AMAZING and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. I know that one day soon a job will call again and we’ll have to find somewhere for her to stay during the days, but I’ll always remember these few months we had (have) to share.

-#4 Money gets tight. As I said in the last one, I love being home with my daughter and I realize God has us in this situation to grow us… but, money is tough. It takes a toll out of me thinking about it, but when I step back, everything is covered. We’ve had to trim back a bit, but nothing is going unpaid. Utilities never turned off. God has us.

+#4 Networking. I’ve met a TON of new people during this time. Church leaders, planters, worship leaders, guys that go to these amazing churches and love to tell about them… it’s been a wonderful experience to get to talk to and learn from these guys.

-#5 My issues come up a LOT more than when I was working full time. I get a bunch of time to think and plan, but sometimes that backfires. A couple of my big issues (if we’re being honest) are fear and doubt… and believe me, they show up. It’s been good, because God has been dealing with them a TON, where as before I was working so much I didn’t have much time to entertain them. It’s gotta come into the light before it can be exposed, you know?

+#5 The future is ROCKING MY WORLD!! Jesus called me out of the darkness and into ministry on July 28th, 2001. Since then, every day has been great, because when it ends there is hope for tomorrow. Mercies that are new every morning, and a Fountain of blessings that never runs dry. I look to Jesus in these times, and know in my heart that He has a plan for my life, my family, and my vocation. He’s pretty neat.

So, there it was. 10 random thoughts because I couldn’t sleep after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was horrible, by the way… aliens. I know. Also, PLEASE don’t comment or e-mail me with advice on how to get a job or how a “real man” would go out and provide for his family. It’s happened before, and I’m still here, no job, still head above water, still loved by my wife, still have lights and water and cable and internet at my house. Besides, I will probably laugh at you, and no one likes to get laughed at, right?

Have a great night and a great Sunday morning in the AM!

-JB