The Ministry Collaborative Podcast: Highlights from Our First Year
Guest Writer: The Rev. Carrie R. English Rector, Resurrection Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL Resurrection Episcopal Church is a Christian community Church dedicated to serving God and all creation. Learn more. I began my process for ordination in the Episcopal Church at St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church. There was a...
At the end of each year, the editors of Time Magazine select one person who has made the most impact in the world the previous year. The first recipient was Charles Lindberg, who in 1927 made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean...
When was the last time you lost something valuable to you…your car keys…glasses…wallet…passport…or your password to an important document? How did you feel when you found it? Two-year-old Grant was lost in a shopping mall. When his parents discovered that he was missing… they were TERRIFIED!...
Macedonian Ministry’s mission is to help pastors become more faithful and effective leaders in their congregations and local communities. In addition to our Staff and Advisory Board, these gifted faculty leaders are now available to lead workshops and seminars for our cohorts and alumni to...
The 19th century Irish playwright, Oscar Wilde, once said, “There are two great tragedies in life. The first is not getting what you want. The second is getting it. When you get the thing you think you want…you realize that it can’t ultimately satisfy you.” Jesus...
I was 18 years old and a freshman at the small liberal arts college I attended in Sterling, Kansas, when I had one of my first experiences of repentance. It came by way of Bonnie Carson. Bonnie was a tall, graceful, athletic African American from...
When the flight attendants on a jet airplane review the safety instructions before takeoff, they always say these words, “In the unlikely event of a loss of cabin pressure during the flight, an oxygen mask will automatically drop down in front of you. If you...
A Pastor friend of mine charges every couple he marries to remember what he calls, “The Six Most Important Words.” He reminds the couple that these six words can save a relationship. The six words are… “I am sorry, I was wrong!” When in your...
The late Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, tells the delightful story of two vandals who broke into a shop in the middle of the night. They didn’t steal anything and they didn’t break anything…but what they did caused havoc in the store the next morning!...
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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