Field Notes #1: Arrival in Stanley

Okey dokey. Here's my next blog series: "Field Notes." Tomorrow, I officially start my summer field education placement. The Field Ed program at Duke Divinity School offers summer and academic year opportunities for students in church and agency placements, many of which (mine included) are funded by the Duke Endowment. Two units of field ed, one of which should be in a church setting, are required for successful completion of the M.Div. degree. Here are a few quips from the Field Ed website:

Field Education provides an opportunity for students to discern their vocational identity through contextual learning. Settings vary, from parish to non-profit and from domestic to international.

As part of the Field Education program, each student commits to:

• Explore ministerial roles and identity, work to clarify and test his or her call, build and strengthen skills for ministry
• 40 hours per week of preparation and presence for a 10-week summer placement
• 13-15 hours weekly of preparation and presence for a 30-week academic year placement

This summer, I'll be at Hill's Chapel United Methodist Church in Stanley, North Carolina.

The church isn't quite where Google Maps has Stanley tagged, but it's basically on the west side of Lake Norman. At the moment, I'm actually staying at a house that is right on the lake. I'll be moving into the old parsonage, but it's currently being renovated (the building will also include new offices, meeting space and more--it looks GREAT, even if it's still a bit of a mess), so for now I'm with the Edwards family. They are wonderful folks with a beautiful home and two adorable Yorkies. Check out the video below to see Lilly, one of their pups (who is sitting on the bed with me as I type this), begging for my pita bites.

(I LOVE dogs.)

Earlier, the pastor, Dr. Val Rosenquist, gave me a tour of the church. They recently tore down their old sanctuary and education building, but I was surprised by just how much space they still have. Their Family Life Center is a great location, where their contemporary service usually meets and where all worship is currently being held. They usually have a 9:00 a.m. contemporary service and an 11:00 a.m. traditional service, but starting May 30, they'll go to one blended service at 10:00 a.m. I'm looking forward to seeing what the differences are in the normal services tomorrow and then learning what it means to have a "blended" service. I'm hoping to have some opportunities to observe or help with worship planning and maybe with music, too.

Besides great spaces for worship, meetings, Sunday School, events and more, HCUMC has some really fun stuff out back. Behind the church is a playground, a baseball field, a basketball court, a track, a volleyball court and a picnic patio. All those things are open to the public, and apparently they are all frequented by members of the community. What a great hospitality and outreach resource! I'll definitely be jogging the track some this summer, and I brought my softball glove and can hopefully track down a basketball, so who knows.

Tomorrow I'll report about my first Sunday at HCUMC! I'm now off to have dinner with the Edwards and get ready to play music at Maddi's Southern Bistro in Huntersville's Birkdale Village tonight at 9. Music is going to be the sort of me-time supplement to my field ed--I had a fun show last night at eeZ Fusion & Sushi, also in Birkdale.