Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, and Mark Ramsey) and the Rev. Dr. Carol Lynn Patterson discuss the wisdom of Howard Thurman, the intersection of prophet and sage, and the slippery slope of litmus tests. Read the original blog post here. ...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, Amy Valdez Barker, and Adam Borneman) discuss our outdated modes of measuring ministry, paying attention to multiplying opportunities for discipleship, and what it might mean if the stories become our interpretive lens. Read the original blog post here. ...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Ryan Bonfiglio, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Beth Daniel) discuss O’Connor’s quote, “the only way to the truth is through blasphemy”; what the gospel says about speaking against the prevailing winds of cultural trends; and the problem with comfort. ...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Ryan Bonfiglio, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Beth Daniel) discuss reclaiming and refreshing traditions, the pitfalls of overexplaining, and the importance of what we are planting right now. ...
How do you measure the vitality of a congregation? Ask almost any denominational body over the past several decades, and they’re bound to say something about the three B’s – bodies, budgets, buildings. The assumption seems to be that the fuller the pews on Sunday mornings, the...
Pilgrimage Formation Curator Ryan Bonfiglio talks with Michelle Navarrete (Emory University, World Outspoken) about the connecting the Eucharist with embodiment, appreciating the communal power of belonging, and the importance of reading Scripture with others. This conversation is part of our ongoing series “Faith Overflowing with...
Blog Series: Your Perspective, Insights, and Witness Make a Difference Dear friends, TMC thrives on listening to and learning from you – ministry leaders, TMC cohort facilitators, and other conversation partners across the country – who continually provide deep insights, alternative perspectives, and imagination that helps us...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Amy Valdez Barker, Ryan Bonfiglio, and Jennifer Watley Maxell) discuss the ample reasons for despair, people's yearning for depth, and the disruptive purpose of Advent....
Blog Series: God is Near. God is Now. Recovering the radical hope of the Advent and Christmas seasons has vast implications for how our congregations or alternative ministry contexts see themselves, the world, God’s presence, and how to move forward in turbulent times. As Advent approaches, I find...
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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