The Ministry Collaborative Podcast: Highlights from Our First Year
Have you ever promised someone, “I’ll pray for you” …and then forgotten to do it? I have! Sometimes, I say that I’m going to pray for someone…but amid the busyness of life and ministry…I forget! Then a day later…I think of that person for whom...
In this 5 minute video excerpt from the 2015 Macedonian Ministry Leadership Conference, Dr. Willie Jennings reminds us that the location of our church is not by chance but rather...
Matthew 4:20 is one of the many Biblical verses that puzzle me. After Jesus invited two brothers, Simon and Andrew, to “Follow me,” the text says that “immediately they left their nets and followed Jesus.” Leaving their nets meant leaving everything that Simon and Andrew knew....
Evangelism has become an unfortunate word in the church and, frankly, I wish the term had never been coined. In far too many cases, it has reduced to a program of the church (as just one of many programs) what is in truth fundamental to...
[info-box] “Macedonian Ministry has changed my life. The group of faith leaders in our cohort have become my closest friends. We worship together, encourage each other, challenge each other, mourn and celebrate with each other. Most of all, we *hear* each other. The biggest gift of...
From Guest Writer: Rev. Ryan Baer, Pastor, Ridglea Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, TX, and Macedonian Ministry Fort Worth, TX Cohort Member I was 21 years old the first time I encountered the American liturgy. I was a senior in college, going to school full-time and serving part-time...
I love the story of the young man who wanted just the right card to express a deep sentiment to the girl he loved. Finally…he found it! The card said simply, “To the only girl I’ve ever loved.” “Terrific. Wonderful,” he said to the store...
“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.” Matthew 6: 33 A “Children’s Chat” that I saw in a worship service made a profound point about priorities. A pastor took a huge jar filled...
An unforgettable image that is seared in my memory bank from 9/11 was the firemen and police officers who ran INTO the burning buildings… as hundreds were running OUT! These civic servants risked their own lives and in many cases… gave their own lives… to...
”
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