TMC Program Staff Adam Borneman, Jennifer Watley Maxell, and Mark Ramsey talk with Elizabeth Lynn (Shifting Ground) about creating space for deeper reflection, alignment vs. agreement, and why facilitation is a critical tool for all areas of ministry. Contact TMC Staff about Facilitation Training. Episode Transcript....
TMC Program Staff Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, Mark Ramsey, and Adam Borneman discuss the April data from the Hartford Center for Religion Research on church attendance trends, as well as what it might - and most certainly doesn't - tell us about ministry today. Read the...
Did you see this snafu at a recent Arizona college graduation? An AI system that was supposed to read graduates' names at a ceremony malfunctioned, skipping and mispronouncing names, robbing many students of their once-in-a-lifetime moment of recognition. This was predictably followed by boos and...
TMC Program Staff Mark Ramsey, Adam Mixon, Ryan Bonfiglio, and Adam Borneman discuss the importance of bearing witness to both injustice and joy, why resurrection calls us to solidarity with those who suffer, and how prophetic preaching ought to be marked by energizing hope. Episode Transcript....
TMC Program Staff Adam Borneman, Adam Mixon, and Beth Daniel speak with the Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers about joy as a divine gift, even in difficult times; God's delight in our one-to-one interactions; and the critical difference between busy-ness and centerness. Katie's blog post. Episode Transcript....
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Adam Borneman, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Mark Ramsey, and Beth Daniel) discuss the struggle over narratives; principalities and powers; and why memory is critical for hope. Listen to Jennifer's conversation with Avril Speaks and Julie Tiemann here. Read Adam Mixon's blog post here. Episode Transcript....
One of my most significant callings as a father is to make sure my children understand the real value of the internet. So naturally we watch a lot of funny cat videos on YouTube. On one such occasion, my eight-year-old chuckled at some absurd cat behavior, turned...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Beth Daniel, Mark Ramsey, Jennifer Watley Maxell, and Adam Borneman) discuss confrontation and comfort, the importance of context, and how the gospel helps us get under our assumptions. Read the original blog post and poem here. Episode Transcript....
Program Director Adam Borneman continues his conversation with Matt Adair (Transformational Discipleship, United Church Atlanta), Marcuetta Sims (Cumberland Counseling Centers) and Marcus Robinson about expansive diversity, proximity and friction, and how the church can be a powerful witness in a divided world....
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I was the Facilitator for the first New York City cohort, and at the time, I was working in theological education on Christian leadership formation, so it seemed like a natural fit. What I discovered, though, was something quite different from my “day job.” While the content and topics of the curriculum was a crucial part of our gatherings, it was the community of mutual care and support that made the content relevant, not the other way around. And second, having three years of strong bonding created an extraordinarily resilient community that, in turn, was able to build up resilience in our leaders. I think every member of my cohort went through significant seasons of both joy and heartache, professionally and vocationally, during our time. And the cohort, in turn, lived out the exhortation of Romans 12:15, “rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep,” with a depth and integrity that I have rarely experienced, and often doing both in the same gathering. It was a privilege and a blessing to me and my own faith and ministry to be their facilitator, and I am eternally grateful to the Ministry Collaborative for calling me to that work!”
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was unique to my particular situation. It was needed, appreciated and healing. It was affirming. Most valuable was the unspoken understanding of what we all were facing in our ministry context. There was a sense that we could finish each other’s sentences. Solidarity and empathy.”
Graduation Date:
May 23, 2021
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was unique to my particular situation. It was needed, appreciated and healing. It was affirming. Most valuable was the unspoken understanding of what we all were facing in our ministry context. There was a sense that we could finish each other’s sentences. Solidarity and empathy.”
Graduation Date:
May 23, 2021
“I truly looked forward to this every week. The discussion topics, activities, and small group conversations were all very rich and meaningful. This experience gave me space to reflect on what’s happening right now in my congregation and community. It helped me to think about what might be next in my own ministry. It offered some very concrete ways I might work on equipping leaders in my congregation. I really enjoyed meeting colleagues from different places, denominations, and contexts–and learning from their experiences and reflections. I also appreciated hearing further conversation and reinforcement in the podcasts.”
Graduation Date:
July 14, 2021
“The experience was, in one word, enriching. It was timely as well. I was at a critical point in my own ministry and this literally breathed life back into me. The time went by so fast that I didn’t even realize two months had passed. To be able to share that type of camaraderie with other preachers, and realize that my struggles are not isolated, was liberating.”
Graduation Date:
March 18, 2021
“It was great to find confirmation and affirmation of my ministry through the voices of other pastors. I particularly enjoyed the focused time on talking about each of us as individuals and pastors, and not so much on what our churches look like.”
Graduation Date:
January 31st, 2020