Anyone up for a chat thread?

RileyG · Jan 26, 2026

RamiC said:
I am so lucky, 6 degrees celcius. I am praying for the roasting hot and the freezing cold from here. I wish water and shade and warm clothes and safety, whichever you all need for whatever you are in.

It was 1 degree Fahrenheit when I came home from work on Saturday. Brrrr! No complaints from me though

Paidiske · Jan 26, 2026

It's predicted to be 43 degrees Celsius here today (109 Fahrenheit). I am thinking that that is warm enough to go without a clergy collar.

RileyG · Jan 26, 2026

Paidiske said:
It's predicted to be 43 degrees Celsius here today (109 Fahrenheit). I am thinking that that is warm enough to go without a clergy collar.

Yikes! That sounds miserable! Stay cool!

Paidiske · Jan 26, 2026

Fortunately, the hospital is air conditioned.

Hmm. That makes me wonder something. Do our American friends have "total fire ban" days? Or is that a uniquely Australian thing?

RileyG · Jan 26, 2026

Paidiske said:
Fortunately, the hospital is air conditioned.

Hmm. That makes me wonder something. Do our American friends have "total fire ban" days? Or is that a uniquely Australian thing?

Yes. We have total fire ban days. Especially on hot, dry weather.

RamiC · Jan 27, 2026

RileyG said:
It was 1 degree Fahrenheit when I came home from work on Saturday. Brrrr! No complaints from me though

Get the right coat, I hope you have the right coat. :angel:

Arcangl86 · Jan 29, 2026

Paidiske said:
Fortunately, the hospital is air conditioned.

Hmm. That makes me wonder something. Do our American friends have "total fire ban" days? Or is that a uniquely Australian thing?

It's a thing, though not in all states I think. There are states that wildfires as a severe problem and thus take measures to try and stop them.

Paidiske · Jan 29, 2026

On a completely unrelated note, sometimes precious pastoral feedback comes in the most unexpected forms:

Arcangl86 · Jan 29, 2026

So we officially have our the first female ABC.

Paidiske · Jan 30, 2026

Arcangl86 said:
So we officially have our the first female ABC.

I recommend against reading the comments.

Shane R · Feb 1, 2026

There was a luncheon after worship today. Whilst I was eating baked ham, chicken & noodles, creamed peas, succotash, cheesy broccoli rice, and brownies a congregational meeting broke out. The big annual one too; lots of numbers and reports and such and a bit of arguing.

Paidiske · Feb 1, 2026

You're doing supply ministry, at the moment, I think? How does that work with things like the annual meeting? Do you have to chair it, or does someone else?

Shane R · Feb 1, 2026

Usually I am asked to pray and then they leave me to my lunch. On rare occasions I am asked for an opinion about evangelism or the Sunday school program or youth catechism class.

Paidiske · Feb 1, 2026

Oh nice. All care and no responsibility!

Shane R · Monday at 4:31 PM

So the big point of controversy was the synod asked this congregation for an additional $500 a year. The question was raised: What do they even do for us? Fair question. Answer: nothing at present. Logical follow-up: Why should we remain in the synod? My silent thoughts here: I could find you a new synod by next month. It's not my place. Let it go. Let it go. . .

Shane R · Monday at 4:44 PM

My point is: a lot of times the big American denominations are ambivalent to or actively against smaller rural parishes but it's not my place to tell them to give up the 130 year old building and start anew smaller and leaner. 90% of the time it wouldn't work. For those where it does, it's a major transition and they do lose members.

Paidiske · Monday at 4:46 PM

Hmm. I hear congregations make this kind of complaint, that "we give all this money to the diocese and don't see anything for it," all the time.

But they don't take into account all the benefits of the infrastructure that the diocese maintains. For example, folks, are you currently identifying the person who will be your rector in fifteen years, investing in their training and formation, and so on? Are you securing legal counsel on matters to do with compliance, insurance, child safety, and whatever else? Do you have a team who are able to manage properties and investments wisely? Etc. etc.

There are so many quiet ways that dioceses support parishes, that go unnoticed and taken for granted, but without all of that background infrastructure, that little congregation wouldn't be able to take care of all of those things for themselves.

Shane R · Monday at 5:01 PM

I have a problem with denominations that have an obvious vendetta against country parishes, which several American denominations do. But at the same time, it is not my place to enact change as a supply pastor. Now, if the congregation wants change, I might know a path for that but it's not my place to implement it.

Paidiske · Monday at 5:04 PM

Why do those denominations have a problem with country parishes? I mean, I know a lot struggle to support themselves, but I would have thought that one would value the faithful presence in those communities...?

Shane R · Tuesday at 11:03 AM

No. Here, many of these country parishes are sitting on large reserves of money. Money pledged or bequested decades ago by people who have been in the yard for 80 years. The one I was at Sunday is sitting on $330,000 in the endowment account. There was one I had a contract with for about 8 months a while back that had $440,000 in the bank. The denominations know these little congregations with 20-40 people have all this money and want to gain access to it.

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