You may have noticed: we stay far away from sports metaphors in these pieces. Quotes about winning and training and teamwork have a limited shelf life, as well as being narrow in their appeal. So today we are making up for it by piling four...
Executive Director Mark Ramsey speaks with the Rev. Dr. Thad Austin (Ormond Center) about his new book, the importance of understanding the disconnected network of providers, and what pastors can learn from the example of Simone Biles....
Church boards have returned from a summer hiatus only to find that the more things change, the more things are the same. Plans are uncertain. Stewardship committees are uncertain. Pastors’ energy and resilience is uncertain. Everyone’s ability to navigate the divisions of our polarized society...
Executive Director Mark Ramsey speaks with the author and practical theologian Dorothy C. Bass about her latest book Stepmother, the 25th anniversary of her seminal Practicing Our Faith, and how reflecting on her calling as a stepmother helped her understand God's grace....
I’ve had recent conversations with several dozen pastors serving congregations in diverse settings. Their descriptions of their ministry challenges were what most of us could expect these days. One by one, they all raised the same daunting concern: broken connections. Broken connections within the congregation...
The Ministry Collaborative program staff (Jennifer Watley Maxell, Mark Ramsey, and Adam Borneman) talk about how trust is being targeted, the problematic way our society views faith as a hobby, and the unique position of the church for building trust across differences....
The Ministry Collaborative program staff (Adam Borneman, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Mark Ramsey, and Ryan Bonfiglio) talk about the countercultural nature of forgiveness, the power of grudges, and the particular practice of confession and apology....
The Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Mark Ramsey, and Adam Borneman) talk about standing in the face of discord, the messiness of change, and how theology happens everywhere....
hind·er verb create difficulties for (someone or something), resulting in delay or obstruction Peter’s education as a follower of Jesus didn’t end with Jesus’ ascension. The Book of Acts highlights God’s relentless work on opening Peter up to hard challenges. These surprises for Peter largely focused...
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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