“In whatever they do the Good Offices persons will bear in mind the well-being of both the colleagues who ask for their help and the ministry itself.” - from the Pacific Northwest District (PNWD) of the UUA guidelines on Good Offices Representatives." I am one of four Good Offices Representatives nominated and elected by my peers to serve my fellow ministers and their congregations in Canada; I serve the area with the greatest number of ministers. As well, the Central Region has undergone a tremendous amount of ministerial transition over the last few years and continues to do so, with the departures and retirements of settled ministers, the arrivals of interims and interns and the beginning of new ministries in London, Waterloo, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Durham and Peterborough. It has been a busy time, but I have and continue to deeply value this opportunity to serve my colleagues and their churches and ministries. The Good Offices Representative is at one and the same time one who is called upon to “minister to ministers” in times of need, celebration and transition and to serve the greater denomination by helping to build, maintain and strengthen congregational health and wellness. Good Officers are ministers to whom other ministers feel they can turn for guidance, support and advice, as well as a simple listening ear – and they are also ministers with specialized understanding and training in the relationship between healthy congregations and ministry who may be accessed by key lay leaders as well. I consider it a high honour to have been asked for the third year to remain one of Canada’s Good Officers. While I was on sabbatical, I continued to offer these services to several colleagues and congregations in transition and some in deep need of support. Without offering identifying details, it is safe to say that my work encompassed a ministry of hospitality and welcome to those coming from far away who may have felt isolated or under stress, a ministry of introduction and connection to those trying to find their way into a network of collegial support, a ministry of empathy, support and guidance to those encountering challenging institutional dynamics, a ministry of counsel to those preparing to leave or retire, a ministry of healing to those in grief or distress and a ministry of witness, presence and support to the congregations that these colleagues serve. While these ministries may also include emailing and phone calling, more often than not I have made the effort to meet colleagues or their congregations in need of Good Offices face to face, so this ministry does take time and often quite a lot of driving. Nobody knows the trouble I've seen Nobody knows my sorrow Nobody knows the trouble I've seen Glory Hallelujah However, knowing how ‘alone at the centre’ most ministers truly are, it is worth every minute and mile I can give to make sure they feel connected, understood, appreciated and valued – in good times as well as in challenging ones. I am also very aware of the very special stresses that congregations face when their ministers are in transition or in deep need, and have been called to minister on my own to these congregations. I have learned a great deal about myself, about ministry and about congregational life in serving as a Good Offices Representative in ways that I believe will continue to benefit my own congregation. As well, I attended the new in-depth two day Good Offices Training prior to Ministry Days at General Assembly in Portland Oregon. This training had been highly anticipated (indeed it was postponed for a year pending the new manual) and it was extremely helpful. More than thirty of us from across the continent gathered to share stories, advice, learning, experiences and successes as well as challenges in ministering to our fellow ministers and their congregations. Our training included presentations from experts in congregational wellness and health, small group work, plenary time, questions and answers and individual case studies and reflection. We focused on diagnostic, mediation, deep listening, advocacy, education, wellness, resolution, management and community-building skills – all of which are essential to ministering well to a complex human community like a church. I have already gained good insight from the mediation, counseling and consultation work in which I have previously been engaged as a Good Offices person, and feel that both the training and the actual work that encompass being a Good Officer are a valuable asset to my ministry with our church. UU Values The UU Principles I feel are most connected to my Good Offices work are Principles 2 and 3: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; But it is within in our overall Covenant as an “Association of Congregations” (a less quoted but equally important part of our congregational polity) that I feel this work is truly embedded. As the final sentence of our Purposes and Principles states: “As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.” My work as a Good Offices Representative lifts up this wider denominational circle of commitment, mutual trust and support to me on a regular basis, and grounds my faith, my ministry and my Calling to ‘Love the world” no matter where I am. Next Page