The Ministry Collaborative always seeks the perspectives, insights, and collective wisdom of ministry leaders in our network. And we always want to share our findings with others so that we can all learn and grow as we seek to carry out our ministries fully and faithfully. It should be no surprise that we take collaboration seriously! Today, we offer Part 2 of our current series where we share leaders’ responses to key prompts. The week we ask once again,
What are you noticing across the landscape of ministry that you would like more ministry leaders to pay attention to? (Part 2)
A simple but consequential observation is that oftentimes the words and phrases we use in ministry can be lost in translation. It is vital to have a shared understanding of vocabulary and vision when teaching, encouraging, and leading people.
Adam Mixon, Pastor, Zion Spring Baptist Church, Content Curator, The Ministry Collaborative, Birmingham, AL, offers an example, suggesting we pay attention to, “[t]he different ways people define connection and what it means to be a part of a community. There’s a huge difference between what most clergy consider being a member of a congregation and how others perceive it.”
The place of ministers and ministry within the wider community is also a recurring theme in conversations with ministry leaders. There is an encouragement to explore the nature of call within a particular faith community, as well as alongside other leaders and endeavors in the larger context. There is both comfort and strength when we see ourselves as part of a broader network.
Scott Hagley, Professor, Pittsburg Theological Seminary, Pittsburg, PA – “I think the narrative we tell ourselves about the unique challenges of pastoral ministry needs to be reassessed. The post-pandemic reality for just about any human-facing field – service industry, education, mental health, social work – is one marked by long hours and diminishing support made worse by a tangle of social, political, and economic challenges. In light of this, I suspect we need to pay more attention to the public-facing, neighborhood-building, community-oriented role of the minister as a way of affirming our solidarity with others in our cities that face similar challenges and share in our concern to cultivate a more just and trustworthy world.”
Of course, many leaders and congregations are recognizing the emerging opportunities to serve in and through their particular contexts – and alongside others who also seek the flourishing of their places. They are responding faithfully to (new) needs and challenges as they arise.
Jamie Butcher, Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA – “I am noticing incredibly creative approaches designed to address specific needs of a church and her community. I see a profound need for connection, guidance and support.”
There is an acute awareness of the need for connection and relationship. Such a need is nothing new, but the current culture – with marks of isolation and anxiety – is shining a light on its importance for both leaders and the communities they serve. The need to focus on health and wellness is not limited to personal self-care, but always with a vision to allow everyone to be the people God created them to be.
Joe Clifford, Pastor, Myers Park Presbyterian, Charlotte, NC – “I am noticing a growing sense of isolation and a longing for connection/relationship.”
Jonier Orozco, Pastor, Austell Presbyterian, Austell GA – “[I] would like for the ones who are in ministry to pay more attention to own mental and emotional health, it’s so easy because of ministry to spend all of our time taking care of the church that we do not have time to take care of ourselves, a healthy church starts with a healthy leader.”
Erica St. Bernard, LCMFT, Kingdom Fellowship AME, Bowie MD elaborates on the growing desire for wellness among ministry leaders, and suggests progress can start with addressing the issue openly and honestly for the benefit of all. “I am noticing that ministry leaders are searching for ways to prioritize their wellness and that of their families, with minimal impact to the ministry, which is sometimes not possible in sustainable ways. There is opportunity for framed conversations around wellness and care from the ministry leader to the last pew/ministry area and vice versa.”
We would love to hear from you. What are you noticing?
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