The Ministry Collaborative Podcast: Highlights from Our First Year
“God is actively dis-establishing the church in America.” That line in last week’s article garnered some significant reaction, ranging from relief to gratitude to annoyance to rejection. “Numbers still matter – Jesus grew the church.” “Saying God is doing this takes away our need to do anything –...
Four “Church Questions” That Have Reached Their Sell-By Date… Over the last several weeks, in addition to taking a closer look at John 21, we have examined three questions that may have lost traction in our rapidly changing culture: Where do you go to church? The “attractional...
Four “Church Questions” That Have Reached Their Sell-By Date… The questions examined in the last three weeks that may have lost traction in our rapidly changing culture: Where do you go to church? The “attractional model” of bringing people into church risks depriving congregations of learning to...
Four “Church Questions” That Have Reached Their Sell-By Date… Where do you go to church? and Will this…bright, shiny new thing…get us new members? are two questions those of us in church keep asking even though they have waning relevance in our fast-changing culture. This week,...
Four “Church Questions” That Have Reached Their Sell-By Date… There are ways we talk in church that exist largely unchallenged. They are part of the “background wallpaper” of churches. However, as our context for ministry changes so rapidly, it’s time to examine these more closely. Last week...
There are ways we talk in and around church that have existed for years largely unchallenged. They are so common—among congregants and church leaders—that they are part of the “background wallpaper” of churches. However, as our context for ministry changes so rapidly, it’s time to...
Leadership is a choice. This is apparently controversial, but more than any other element I can track, leadership occurs when someone decides it's important that they lead. The challenge, then, is in making the choice to lead...
Theologian N.T. Wright has reminded us that the gospel “is news, not advice.” That news, coming in the days of celebration of the incarnation is straight-forward: God has come to us in Jesus Christ. Grace abounds. Love wins. And everything the church is called to...
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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