Master Potter, Simple Clay Ministry
Jennifer Duncan-Taylor of Master Potter, Simple Clay Ministry. (For more information on her presentations in the Pacific Northwest contact Jennifer at
Twenty-three years ago, I sat at my potter’s wheel frustrated with a vase that just wasn’t cooperating (click here to read that story.). It was nearly midnight after a long day at work and I was exhausted and yet frantic to get my quota of pots ready for our town’s annual Lavender Festival. I started yelling at the pot “What is the matter with you?! Don’t you see that I want to do something really great with you? Why are you fighting me on this?!?” My tears of frustration gave way to sobs of conviction and truth. It was me.I was the disobedient pot and the voice that spoke was the Holy Spirit.
That night began a radical change in my life. As a person who had been living as a cruisin’ along Christian, I had failed to fully submit my life to the hands of The Master Potter. From that moment on, I allowed the Lord to reveal His message through the experience of working with clay, the wheel, tools and the kiln. The connections came quickly and profoundly over the next few years and I began to share with others.
The metaphor of Potter and Clay is always oversimplified in songs and sermons, yet it is truly a rich and deep meditation of scripture that I have come to know through the years of throwing 25 tons of clay. Now and then, He still reveals a new “aha” to me and I am refreshed and renewed by His continued grace and wisdom. I am honored by His gift to me. And it is this gift that I hope you will invite me to share with your Women’s Fellowship:
1. Out of the Pit: How the most worthless soil (clay) is hopelessly buried, stuck and unable to do anything for itself until The Potter digs it up, rescues and resurrects it from the pit and “sets it’s foot upon the rock.”
2. Soul Shaping: How clay must be contrite, smooth and malleable (obedient) for The Potter to do His work. Clay must be centered and stable (at peace) on the wheel and in the hands of The Potter. Clay has to be opened up to reveal it’s “heart” and The Potter designs a pot exclusively through its heart.
3. Mug Shots: How each of us is a unique piece of work, peculiar to the specifications of The Potter and how He is able to turn our weaknesses and imperfections into strengths and purpose. The Potter uses many tools throughout our lives to shape, refine, cut away, smooth out and reveal His vision for the clay and ultimately prepare it for good service.
4. Refiner’s Fire and Cracked Pots: How pots must, absolutely must, be refined by fire and this brings joy to The Potter because it is the only way the pots will be strong, useful and beautiful for His purpose. Cracked pots have a unique purpose to a potter, but ultimately The Potter will remake the brokenhearted into new masterpieces.
How it Works:
In planning ahead, she will meet with your women’s leadership team to customize the presentation to best fit the needs of your women’s fellowship. She will bring examples of what a 2hr, all-day, or retreat format would look like and how a schedule might work.
Once the format for the event is decided, Jennifer will customize the worksheets, submit it to the leadership team for preview and make changes if necessary.
Provide a suggested song list for worship ideas that enhance each section of the presentation.
Provide the “Mug Shots” discussion question in a hand-out form.
For the event, she will bring her wheel, clay and all sorts of tools and examples to enrich her talk. Jennifer talks while throwing pots and working through all of the steps of making pots and how that relates to the “Master Potter” metaphor and scriptures. Jennifer brings a drop cloth, extension cords and even her own vacuum cleaner.
Include a PowerPoint (on a thumb drive) as a supplement throughout the presentation.
Provide gifts for drawing throughout the event.
What Church Women’s Leadership Team Will Do:
Meet with Jennifer – decide on a 2-hour, all-day or retreat format.
Plan a typical event: Determine agenda and timing (with Jennifer’s input). Decide on tickets/registration, seating, refreshments/meals. Arrange for lighting, sound and camera/technology for the screen and PowerPoint.
Preview worksheets, help edit.
Make copies of worksheets available for all participants.
Arrange for a worship team or other music format.
Arrange for two people to help Jennifer set up before and pack-up at the end.
Planning a Master Potter, Simple Clay Presentation or Retreat
Sample Retreat:
Friday night:
- Coffee and cookies
- Small group sharing/storytelling about your favorite “go-to” mug
- Worship in song and prayer
- “Out of the Pit” (45 min).
- Gift drawing, Worship, Prayer, Dismissed
Saturday morning:
- Continental breakfast
- Worship in song and prayer,
- “Soul Shaping Part 1 (60 min).
- Break.
- “Soul Shaping Part 2” (45 min).
- Gift Raffle
Lunch
Private reflection or small group discussion.
Saturday Afternoon:
- Worship and prayer,
- “Mug Shots”and the tools of The Potter (60 min).
- Gift Raffle and Break.
- “Refiner’s Fire” and cracked pots (60 min).
- Worship in song and prayer
- Close and clean up
Optional: Dinner with soup, salad, bread
All Day
Same as a retreat but time constraints on breaks, lunch and omitting the mid-day reflection time. Perhaps shortening song-worship time. Stories will be edited and a few will need to be eliminated to fit within the schedule.
2-Hour
All topics are covered in general, but most stories and examples are severely shortened or left out completely for sake of time. ONE topic is covered more in depth, depending upon the decision of the leadership team as to the message that they think is more pertinent for their church women.
Master Potter, Simple Clay Ministry - Women's Ministry Presentations
For more information on Master Potter, Simple Clay Ministry presentations in the Pacific Northwest contact Jennifer at