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20 Years Overdue!!!
More than 20 years overdue, my husband finally remodeled his office. He is always giving to others and rarely does anything for himself. Our congregation gave him a gift certificate to Home Depot for his birthday and that was the incentive to begin. There is one thing about his office I want to share with you. From our experience, most people are afraid to talk to their pastor and there is an unfair stigma put on the pastor's office. i.e., "He got called in to the pastor's office!" The devil wants people to be fearful of seeking counsel from the pastor. Because of this, my husband has made his office "kid friendly." All the children in our church know there is candy in his office. His rules are: The child must approach him and politely ask if they may have a candy. He will in turn tell them they can. He wants them to learn his office is a friendly place and also learn how to politely ask for something. Remodeling his office was also a test run to find out if we could paint the "popcorn" ceiling. We now know it must be stripped off and re-textured. Hopefully, after the holidays, we will begin the same process in our auditorium. More work coming our way, but the rewards sure are beautiful.P.S. I want to add thanks to Greg Galban, Ron Ferrell, and Bryce for the many hours they volunteered to get this job done.
His shofar is suspended from the ceiling. I love the shadow.
Part of the sitting area.
The candy jars are on the file cabinet in right side. Yummy!
His valet, various certificates, & the corner of his desk. I love the unique candle holder.
He downsized his desk. The previous one was a massive piece of furniture donated to him by Wells Fargo. I think it was the president's desk. It was nice but just too big and somewhat intimidating.
His shofar is suspended from the ceiling. I love the shadow.
Part of the sitting area.
The candy jars are on the file cabinet in right side. Yummy!
His valet, various certificates, & the corner of his desk. I love the unique candle holder.
He downsized his desk. The previous one was a massive piece of furniture donated to him by Wells Fargo. I think it was the president's desk. It was nice but just too big and somewhat intimidating. 
Jana, it looks great!!
ReplyDeleteMark - knowing what it was before, you are probably shocked. LOL We still a few small things to finish but it is a def improvement.
ReplyDeleteLooks great; even in the pictures it has a warm feel. I was also impressed by your use of the word "counsel" - that word has become increasingly obsolete. Thank God for a pastor that still feels that commitment to his saints.
ReplyDeleteKaren - too many pastors are afraid to use the word "counsel" for fear of a lawsuit. That is part of the reason Brian pursued a degree in Pyschology. Many pastors now offer "pastoral care" but Brian knows his education backs his position and he still "counsels." When he was just a teenager, he went to Bible School in Africa under the teachings of Sis. Else Lund. Upon returning to the states, several people told him he should get a degree in Theology. Brian felt pursuing a degree in counseling would better serve the people to whom he ministers and, also, he thought he already had a good grip on Theology. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jana, Brian's office looks great. How big is it? I can't quite tell that from the pictures. I think it's commendable that he works so hard to make his office warm, even to children, as a pastor's office should be. Too many pastors' offices seem "off limits," although that might not be the intent. The fact is, a pastor can prepare a sermon any place, but he can't have the privacy he needs to minister and shoulder the problems of others without a friendly office that allows people to be comfortable enough to confide in him. So tell Brian I said remodeling was anything but selfish. (I'm talking here about a sensible room and a sensible man, not a museum built in the pastor's honor and because of his inflated ego. Having conversed a bit on Brian's blog, I see him as "real.")
ReplyDeleteJana,
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't realize that. Guess I was thinking on the side of "harsh" or lack of fulfilling a God-given role, when in reality, it is being done on the side of "caution". Just forgot how lawsuit crazy our society is. However, how wonderful that Brian had the foresight and determination to pursue his degree in counseling. One more reason why I admire him so much.
Helen - I'm not quite sure the size of Brian's office, but I would guess it to be equal to a decent size bedroom. Most of the office and classroom space in our facility is much too small for the auditorium size. Brian is a very humble man and it doesn't take much to make him happy. His office is always an "open door" to anyone. His studying and preparations for services are always done long before service time. This remodel was a huge transformation with a minimal cost. The new desk was from Sam's Club for $125, the curtains were from Wal-Mart, the black chair was from Marshall's clearance, and most other items were already in the room. Oh, the rug was from Home Depot. If a person is creative, they can make things look like champagne on a beer budget. LOL I am blessed to have Brian as my much better half.
ReplyDeleteKaren - I understand what you originally thought and, unfortunately, there are pastors who refuse to counsel and send their parishioners to a lay minister, or they give people appointments. I heard of one pastor who required people to make appointments with his administrative assistant and when people tried to schedule, they were told, "The first availablle appointment is four months from now." That is terribly sad. I, too, would believe that is a lack of fulfilling a God-given role.
Jana-
ReplyDeleteThe office looks great. A big change from the last time I was there and did some studying on the crowded couch. I can't wait to do some studying/visiting in the new Oval Office. Everything looks very warm, inviting and high class. Great job.
Josh - You would KNOW the difference!!! LOL It's amazing what some paint and a few items from Marshall's, Home Depot, and Sam's Club can do to a room.
ReplyDeleteNice office!!!! I know what you mean about it being intimidating to talk to the pastor...Bro King has an ingenious idea of giving candy to all the kids in his office after church is dismissed on Sunday nights. (Somehow very big older kids end up in the line too...I caught my married friend Courtney in line last week! LOL)
ReplyDeletePlease tell Bro Allard happy late birthday for me! Love you guys!
Janell - TO have a small budget, I am pleased with the results. Brian is enjoying the new view. He, too, has "older" kids that sneak in his office for treats. It gets bad when he has it stocked with chocolate. LOL
ReplyDelete