By now you may have seen the ill-fated Apple ad that accompanied the release of their new iPad. Entitled “Crush,” it showed artistic tools – musical instruments, paint and canvas, and all manner of whimsical creativity – literally being crushed into the “thinnest iPad yet.” ...
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. ...
32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,...
In the last two weeks we have been exploring a conversation triangle – one way of visualizing where church board discussions get stuck and how they can be helped to move deeper. Every group conversation has at least at three points: content, individual experience, and...
Executive Director Mark Ramsey speaks with Elise Erikson Barrett (ECFPL, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity) about being equipped to talk about money faithfully, the mixed blessing of multi-vocational ministry, and the importance of healthy evaluation processes. ...
Last week, we shared a conversation triangle, a diagram that can help you analyze where your church board meetings get ‘stuck’ and improve the flow of discussion in future meetings. At their best, church board meetings move dynamically among the three points that form this triangle:...
This happens in church board meetings. A discussion is going well, with many contributions, and then one member speaks up, powerfully and at length, about how the issue has impacted them personally. It touches on their grief, fear, pain – something deep and very difficult. ...
Quick survey: what in your life is mostly the same as it was, say, 10 years ago? Hopefully, relationships have endured and grown, along with other values, convictions, and callings you deem essential. But what about other, less crucial things? Do you have the same...
The legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon grew up in the borough of Queens in New York City. Yet, when Simon & Garfunkel first went on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” and Mr. Simon was asked where he was from, he spontaneously lied and said “Macon, Georgia.” It...
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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