Yeah, 2016 basically sucked for everyone… except Tom.
I was really confused at first when my friend Matthew said those words, so I decided to reflect on them and offer a sort of “State of the Bar Chaplain” report…
I spent the first five months of 2016 slowly and painfully leaving my previous church for reasons I’ve already addressed. During those months, I put systems in place to help future youth ministers, and this process required meticulous administrative attention. Administration is one of my weaker areas, and I have to expend a lot of energy to do it well, so I was pretty depleted from January through May. The support of the staff, the wisdom of trusted volunteers, and a lot of prayer carried me through those months.
Following some tough goodbyes with my students, I was unemployed and steadily eating through my savings. As application after application went unnoticed or rejected, I took whatever work I could find. I cut expenses to an absolute minimum. Friends and family bailed me out time and again. Coworkers paid me to serve at their events or clean their houses. My brother, my friends, and my pastors treated me to more free meals than I can count. My parents were particularly generous, always providing enough financial support that I could make ends meet (but never so much that I could get complacent).
The unemployment didn’t go on forever, but this style of chaplaincy makes a weekday 9-to-5 job pretty tricky. I knew going in that my schedule would have to be an amalgam of several part-time jobs for at least the first year or so, but I never imagined how many hours I’d be putting in. In addition to The Bar Chaplain, an internship with Baptist Health, supply preaching with Campus to City Wesley, and helping launch a church, I also have two part-time jobs, and I’m working on getting a third. Life has been hectic. It’s been scary. It’s been humbling. It’s been wonderful.
In launching the website, I’ve partnered with a lot of awesome people. Andrew Wolson‘s outstanding design work has been a source of great encouragement. I contracted Andrew for a simple redesign in September, but he felt such a passion for the imagery that he created all the neon icons you see on this blog and helped me design the layout as part of the package. My patreon subscribers have been a tremendous blessing as well. They send more than money; they offer prayers and words of support when I’m running low on energy and hope. One donor who wished to remain anonymous even sent me $200 in the first month so that I could print coasters (a project which took a backseat during the holidays but which will commence with the new year).
And then there’s Jessi. We started dating in September, but since we had been friends before that, she had already accompanied me on a handful of bar ministry nights. As a nursing student, she had served at City Rescue Mission and the Sulzbacher Center, and she continues to have an open heart for homeless people. She is also the strongest advocate for the Bar Chaplain ministry, frequently encouraging me to talk to one more person or write one more paragraph or send one more email or go to one more event. She has a keen sense for when God’s going to show up, and much of the content of this blog wouldn’t have happened without her support. And speaking of this blog…
The Bar Chaplain blog launched on October 28th, 2016.
As of this writing, it has had 2,393 views from 1,195 viewers.
The Bar Chaplain Twitter account has 602 followers.
The Bar Chaplain Facebook page has 184 likes.
The Bar Chaplain Patreon site has 10 patrons who contribute a combined $179 every month.
But more significantly, here are some of the things I’ve been able to participate in this year. I want to emphasize that other people run these events; I’ve just been a supporter, and I hope you’ll consider joining me for them in 2017:
The first Thursday of every month is Beer & Hymns at Bold City Brewery (previously at Silver Cow).
The second Thursday of every month is Beer & Hymns at Veterans United Brewing.
Every Sunday night, a Bible Study group meets at Aardwolf Brewing.
StoryHouse begins regular worship gatherings January 19th.
And we’re even looking at a smaller local Wild Goose Festival event in the spring that can hopefully lead to more opportunities to gather and collaborate.
I’ve partnered with some amazing pastors this year.
I’ve gotten to know some amazing bartenders and bar owners.
I’ve had countless conversations with the lonely, the lost, and the least of these.
I’ve seen God in some really unexpected places.
It’s been phenomenally busy,
and there is still so much work to do,
but there is joy in the process.
So getting back to my friend Matthew’s original point, yes.
Between a contentious election in the US, Brexit in the UK, unfathomable violence around the world, new international health concerns, the increasing influence of fake news, painful setbacks in the fights for human rights, and a slew of celebrity deaths, it’s been a tumultuous year. For me personally, it’s been near-constant financial tension, fluctuating employment status, unpredictable hours, and a deeper sense of fulfillment than I’ve felt in quite a while.
In a year of so much bad,
I experienced so much good
from the people around me
and the God who surrounds me.
2016 has been good to me,
but there is work to be done.
A lot went wrong this year on a global level,
but on the local level,
we can walk into 2017 with hope.
Good things are in the works.
Take heart.
