The Ministry Collaborative Podcast: Highlights from Our First Year
Preachers, you’re entering one of my favorite seasons of the year. Fall Stewardship Campaign Season. I wish it lasted all year long because if there was one thing Jesus had on his mind, it was money. He seemed to think it was a matter of...
Our world changed on September 11, 2001. During the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., our nation came face-to-face with our vulnerability. For the first time, many people came to the realization of their need for a Higher Power. As a Pastor...
From Guest Writer: Sheldon McGorman Pastor of Watford City Assembly of God Church, Watford City, ND. Pastor Sheldon McGorman explores what is generosity and why it's so important to communicate to congregations. Watch the video to learn more. The Overflow from Macedonian Ministry on Vimeo....
"I’ll never forget it. Being a pastor in New York City on September 11, 2001 is seared in my mind." Tom Tewell opens his first devotional with these powerful words that recall one of the darkest hours in American history. Read more about how he was...
If I were to recommend one book this summer for you preachers, it would be Talk Like Ted: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds by Carmine Gallo. It’s not a preaching book, per say, but it is a book about the...
From Guest Writer: Mark Ramsey Pastor of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX. When I became a parent several years ago, I was amazed at the unsolicited advice about everything from sleep schedules to food ideas to nap routines to socialization regimes. In the much...
How did Jesus’ original followers remember their Lord’s messages years after they heard them? Were they such attentive listeners that they remembered the messages for a long time? Or, was there something distinctive about the way Jesus presented the content and connected with His audience...
From Guest Writer: Rev. John Lovelace Cantelow, III Senior Pastor of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL Paul says in Romans 10:14-15(NIV), "How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they...
We are pleased to share a great article about Macedonian Ministry by McKenzie Electric Cooperative, featuring our Watford City, North Dakota Cohort and their recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land! http://mckenzieelectric.coopwebbuilder2.com/sites/mckenzieelectric/files/MEC/MKZ_JULY2016.pdf ...
”
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