Project Directory

Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), a rapidly growing multiethnic denomination, seeks a five-year grant to support its Shaping, Strengthening and Sustaining Resiliency program, an effort to strengthen the leadership practices of pastors at different stages of their careers.  The program will begin by identifying outstanding pastors with 15 or more years of experience in ministry to form a “sustaining resiliency” cohort and become mentors for pastors who are in earlier stages of their careers.  The mentor-pastors will work with two cohorts of pastors; the first cohort will comprise midcareer pastors with six to 15 years of experience, and the second cohort will include pastors with five or fewer years of ministry.  The pastoral cohorts and their mentors will gather regularly for face-to-face retreats and maintain ongoing connections using online communication.  To sustain the program, ECC will share costs with its regional conferences and launch fundraising efforts to solicit contributions from donors.

Grace Theological Seminary (GTS) is building the Charis Collective for Thriving Leaders (CC), an organic network of leaders from Charis Fellowship partner organizations formed to collaborate in the flourishing of church planters and small church revitalization pastors. The Charis Collective's primary initiative is the establishment of the Center for Thriving Leaders at GTS. The Center will facilitate mentor-based cohorts, annual events, ongoing training events, digital resources, and academic programs geared toward equipping pastors and encouraging their spouses.

Leaders from the Charis Collective will participate on an advisory board for the Center and lend their expertise as cohort mentors, speakers, and contributors. As a result of participating, church planters, small church revitalizers, and pastors-in-training will develop the skills, competencies, and relationships needed for thriving in ministry. Grace Theological Seminary believes this program will contribute to the flourishing of local churches within the Charis Fellowship, expand the reach of the gospel in North America, and develop a new generation of seasoned pastors who, in turn, mentor fellow pastors.

George Fox University seeks a five-year grant for its Portland Seminary to launch the Institute for Pastoral Thriving.  This effort will build one-year peer cohorts of eight to twelve pastors each to foster authentic relationships, offer safe spaces for exploring pastoral leadership challenges, nurture spiritual disciplines, and provide a network of allies to support their own thriving in ministry.  The Institute will directly address challenges to pastoral thriving, particularly professional transitions and the rapidly changing demographics of the Pacific Northwest.  It also will offer an annual symposium for all cohorts to gather as a larger body alongside the seminary community with the intent to foster fruitful conversations regarding pastoral spiritual renewal.  To sustain this project, George Fox University will seek funding from denominations and congregations and provide advanced standing credit in the seminary degree programs for project participants.

Caminando Juntos is a Global Impact and Urban Strategies partnership initiative to improve the holistic wellbeing and interconnectivity among diverse Latino(a) Pastors in the USA. We accomplish this through Latino(a) pastor cohorts centered on 10 holistic wellbeing learning and practice sessions and a financed virtual renewal retreat. These pastor cohorts also experience grants for personal counseling and spiritual direction, as well as general wellbeing implementation. These opportunities are provided in bilingual, Spanish and English settings with materials developed by subject matter experts from or with extensive experience in Latino(a) contexts. 

The Caminando Juntos initiative also offers a virtual platform with contextualized, holistic wellbeing materials and supporting resources for Latino(a) pastors. During 2022, the program also plans to offer development, training and certification of pastoral holistic wellbeing mentors, and consultancy services to improve on organizational practices to increase the holistic wellbeing of Latino(a) pastors within their denominational context(s).

Macedonian Ministry Foundation (MMF), an ecumenical organization, seeks a five-year grant to establish the Pastors in Community for Renewal and Leadership Development program.  This effort will build on and expand a successful program in which groups of 10 to 15 pastoral leaders are formed into cohorts and commit to meet monthly for three years.  Each cohort is guided by a trained facilitator who functions as both a mentor and a “pastor to the pastors” and who leads the pastors through a leadership development curriculum focused on pastoral health and leadership, congregational development and community engagement.  In addition, the pastors will attend a series of retreats focused on deepening their sense of pastoral identity and vocation and travel together to the Holy Land and other locations for leadership immersion experiences.  MMF anticipates that it will launch 21 new pastoral cohorts during the next five years, 7 of which are supported directly by Thriving in Ministry funds. To sustain this program, MMF will incorporate key elements into its operating budget and raise funds as part of its ongoing fundraising.

For over thirty years, Leighton Ford Ministries (LFM) has supported healthy leaders who sustain thriving ministries through mentoring communities. Several hundred pastors and ministry leaders participate globally, with sustainability demonstrated by the multiple second- and third-generation mentoring communities that have formed. Through the Thriving in Ministry Initiative, LFM is building upon that foundation to provide mentoring opportunities for 400 additional pastors of smaller churches, congregations of color, and church plants. LFM selects and equips experienced senior pastors to serve as mentors, helps connect them with younger pastors in the three primary contexts, and then supports them in launching a mentoring community. The typical LFM mentoring community is comprised of eight to 10 pastors who meet regularly as a cohort with an experienced mentor, including an annual retreat to allow time for rest, listening, and prayer. LFM mentors focus on being a “friend on the journey” rather than “master and pupil,” with the primary focus on listening and helping the mentees listen to God. Ongoing support includes regular coaching opportunities for both mentors and mentees as well as resources curated by a team of senior advisors.