You enter the extraordinary by way of the ordinary. – Frederick Buechner Almost every church building has a room like this. It might differ in style and furnishing. It might be called a parlor, a lounge, a meeting space. It might be named for some long-forgotten saint of...
TMC Executive Director Mark Ramsey speak with the Rev. Drs. Cynthia Hale (Ray of Hope Church Christian Church) and Tom Long about the challenge of preaching in our current communicational environment, the importance of allowing God's word to speak through you, and how their own...
About once a year we find ourselves turning to the world of sports for an apt insight into the work of church boards. Our sports offering this year comes from Rick Pitino, storied basketball coach with over 900 wins to his career, now coaching the...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Adam Borneman, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Mark Ramsey, and Beth Daniel) discuss the struggle over narratives; principalities and powers; and why memory is critical for hope. Listen to Jennifer's conversation with Avril Speaks and Julie Tiemann here. Read Adam Mixon's blog post here. Episode Transcript....
At a recent gathering for faith leaders, the host greeted participants with a familiar opening. “We know we are living in challenging times.” The room nodded. Of course we are. Which prompts a thought: On what day, from today forward, will we ever say that these...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Beth Daniel, Mark Ramsey, Jennifer Watley Maxell, and Adam Borneman) discuss confrontation and comfort, the importance of context, and how the gospel helps us get under our assumptions. Read the original blog post and poem here. Episode Transcript....
There is a moment early in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire when Blanche DuBois, fragile and frightened, asks that a bare lightbulb be covered with a paper lantern. It is one of the theater's most economical images: a person so worn down by the...
There seems to be a burgeoning cottage industry of posters that feature Albert Einstein saying something inspirational. Alas, life can rarely be reduced to a poster, no matter what it says or who supposedly said it. And, in the matter of Einstein, it turns out...
“Have you dined with us before?” This has become the pro forma opener for most servers in American restaurants. Anything less than a firm “yes” will unfurl a litany of explanations, anecdotes, and carefully rehearsed stories about everything from the chef’s family history to, literally,...
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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