Hello, friends!
Whenever I meet people, eventually the conversation turns towards vocation. I guess that's just one of the things that adults do. We talk about our work. I tell folk that Meg and I work for InterVarsity as campus missionaries. The next questions is always, "what campus are you at then?" What follows from there is an explanation that we're not doing as much work in the field but more staff supervision. That usually leads to a nice smile and a move to other topics. It's a conversation that's happened at least 50 times since we've moved here. I don't mind it but it seems like it would be a good idea to explain to you all, my wonderful ministry partners, exactly what I'll be doing with my time.
Whenever I meet people, eventually the conversation turns towards vocation. I guess that's just one of the things that adults do. We talk about our work. I tell folk that Meg and I work for InterVarsity as campus missionaries. The next questions is always, "what campus are you at then?" What follows from there is an explanation that we're not doing as much work in the field but more staff supervision. That usually leads to a nice smile and a move to other topics. It's a conversation that's happened at least 50 times since we've moved here. I don't mind it but it seems like it would be a good idea to explain to you all, my wonderful ministry partners, exactly what I'll be doing with my time.
My official title is Regional Coordinator for Ministry Partnership Development (MPD) for the Central Region. That does NOT fit well on a business card, nor does it make a whole lot of sense if you don't know the InterVarsity lingo. In layman's terms, it means this: I help the staff in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska get funded.
Of course, the big question is how I actually do that. My job consists of 3 main parts: Coaching, Procurement, and Innovation.
Coaching is as exactly like it sounds. I'm currently coaching a few staff around the Region in their MPD. We have weekly video chats where I check in on what work has been done, talk through any questions they may have, and talk about what work needs to happen this next week. It's fun work and I enjoy talking with staff and helping them along in their MPD journeys.
Procurement means raising funds for the Region. Our Regional office does all sorts of fun stuff including paying for various conferences and grants to staff. I want to make sure that we have enough funds available to do the things we need to do as well as a little extra so we can dream. As someone who loves MPD, this part of the job is definitely a lot of fun.
Innovation is my favorite part of the job. Friends, I have ideas. I have ideas about how to train new staff in MPD. I have ideas on how to make MPD more equitable and just. I have ideas on how to make our MPD more effective. I have ideas on how to change the culture around MPD so it's not a necessary evil but a joy and a life giving part of ministry. I have all sorts of ideas. What I ovea bout this job is that I now have the freedom to try to implement these ideas. When I was doing Regional MPD work as a hobby before, I had other campus obligations that took priority over my "side job." I certainly didn't mind my division of time; it was just reality.
Now, however, pretty much all my time gets to be spend on the MPD side of things. I still have some hours devoted to directing the Asian American Ministries pilot project but it's a separate job and one that will take a back seat to my Regional Coordinator role if push comes to shove.
Thus far, I've already loved to job so much. More than one person has noted that when I get to explaining my job they can hear the passion in my voice. I love the vision that comes with the job and I love the impact I get to have within the movement. It's been a pretty great ride.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
~Adam
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