Page 11 - August 2022 News On 7
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BIG NEWS! WHAT IS PRACTICAL MINISTRY?
                  BY REV. TRACY B RICHARDS
                  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord
                  your God is with you wherever you go."    ~ Joshua 1:9


                  As promised, I am sharing a little announcement this month!
     You may remember from previous posts that I am a member of a Christian entrepreneurs networking group called Born to
     Fly. For about a year now, I’ve been a regular contributor to their devotional newsletters and I’m excited to share that I was
     recently invited to host my own recurring segment on their Born to Fly Podcast!

     When the BTF founder, Jane Trapman, and I discussed what these segments might look like, we agreed that it would cool to
     try something a bit different from the interview style that Jane has been so successful with. What we came up with is a
     format that will allow me to share my raw and honest thoughts and experiences as a solopreneur who is doing her best to be
     a successful business owner while staying committed to faith, values and biblical principals.

     I have to say that I am both nervous and excited about this project. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at podcasting and this
     format is very much in line with who I am and how I want to serve my community. As I shared last month, I had an “aha”
     moment that “life, profession, and ministry are meant to be interconnected”, which is what inspired me to call my segment
     “Practical Ministry”. Very simply, I see it as a way to apply Godly principles into our work and everyday life.

     Ever  since  I  started  writing  my  ‘Process  of  Illumination’  blog  in  2007,  it  never  felt  right  to  try  to  separate  my  personal
     experiences from my work as a psychotherapist. Even though that may be frowned upon in some circles, what I discovered
     is that healing happens in relationship and relationships need to be authentic and truthful in order for them to feel safe. I
     have always felt it was important for my clients to know that, even though I have skills and training to help them, I don’t
     have all the answers and the real “work” was mostly done outside of my office. For me to be credible and relatable, I wanted
     them  to  know  that  I  had  struggles  and  made  mistakes,  just  like  them.  If  we  aren’t  prepared  to  risk  something  by  being
     vulnerable with another person, we’ll never find the sanctuary that truly safe relationships can offer.

     There’s no doubt that letting ourselves be vulnerable can be scary and hard but in every scary situation there’s usually a
     “double bind” that says “damned if I do, damned if I don’t”.


     So which one do we pick?

     There’s a saying in the Genesis Process (a change/recovery progam I facilitate) that goes: “The hard thing is usually the right
     thing. If we choose the right thing, God will bless it.”


     That alone gives me the courage to do the right thing, no matter how scary it may be.

     So, not only is this podcast scary and a risk in itself, but it will provide a vehicle for me to document and share the many
     risks and vulnerable moments I’ll be coming up against along the way. I hope it will inspire others to embrace the challenges
     that make us human and to face the fears that keep us stuck. At the very least, just know that there are people all around you
     who can relate, no matter what you’re going through.


     My ‘Practical Ministry’ segment on the Born to Fly podcast will be officially introduced on August 11th with regular episodes
     beginning in the fall. I also encourage you to check out Jane’s archive of over 100 amazing, informative interviews with other
     inspring Christian entrepreneurs.

     I really hope you’ll listen in and follow along as I stumble my way around this new medium. What makes it all worth it is that
     I’ll be doing my best to stand up for what I believe in and, hopefully, I’ll make a positive difference in my little corner of the
     world, while I’m at it.

                                     If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to subscribe to my blog at tracybrichards.com/blog.
                                               For more information about my ministry email me at tracy@tracybrichards.com.
                                                             For wedding or life celebrant inquiries visit xolifecelebrations.com
                                                       Listen to my Practical Ministry segments on the Born To Fly Podcast here
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