28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 The gracious...
In a round table conversation recorded back in January, The Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Adam Mixon, Jennifer Maxell, and Adam Borneman) discuss the important and difficult work of telling the truth in ministry....
In a conversation recorded back in March, Content Curator Adam Mixon speaks with Katie Nakamura Rengers, Vicar/Founder of The Abbey and Officer for Church Planting Infrastructure in the Episcopal Church, about growing up Japanese-American in the predominantly white Episcopal Church, ministering with those experiencing homelessness in a...
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29 When we think about naming and labeling, recall how God gave Adam the job of naming what He created. That naming was not just a vocabulary challenge, but it was an...
To assume that peace exists or can be maintained simply by remaining silent, is a misrepresentation of what peace is. To remain silent in the face of oppression or violence, is not “peace,” and that silence is not “golden.” This false peace is more akin...
Content Curator Adam Mixon speaks with Tyshawn Gardner, Pastor of Plum Grove Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, about what the Black Church can teach the rest of the world about faithfulness, adaptability, and persistence in the face of a global epidemic....
In a round table conversation recorded prior to COVID-19 shutdowns, The Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Adam Mixon, Jennifer Maxell, and Adam Borneman) discuss the pitfalls of making assumptions about ministry....
In a round table conversation recorded prior to COVID-19 shutdowns, The Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Adam Mixon, Jennifer Maxell, and Adam Borneman) imagine how churches might engage in more effective ministry by doing less and going deeper....
“Joy is resistance to disorder, cynicism, entropy and despair. It is not simply resistance but courageous resistance that, I suspect, transcends reason. Most miraculous experiences baffle reason…” ~ Toi Derricote, African American Poet As Christians, our joy is rooted in the living hope we have in Christ...
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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