Reflections & Research
Discover what we are learning about what helps pastors thrive
November 12, 2019
How do I make my program sustainable?
Planning for the future is not primarily about trimming costs or adding a bit of revenue. A strategic sustainability plan involves regularly revisiting foundational questions about your program’s purpose and impact. Sustaining a program is a heavy burden. The program may bring in less money than it spends. Some constituents may question its worth. Additional […]
read moreabout How do I make my program sustainable?November 12, 2019
Don’t be afraid of a future with more bivocational ministers
With collaboration and clear communication, bivocational ministry can be an opportunity to innovate and thrive, says a professor and counselor for ministers. A pastor confides his frustrations to me in my office — not about church drama or a capital campaign, but about the stress of being a bivocational minister. He works a full-time job […]
read moreabout Don’t be afraid of a future with more bivocational ministersOctober 29, 2019
Listen to the voices of women in ministry
Women in ministry benefit from seeing other women pastoring, says the lead researcher of the Flourishing in Ministry project. That’s why it’s important to witness and learn from the real experiences of women clergy. One might expect that after decades of being ordained, female clergy would have achieved parity with their male peers. But Manuela […]
read moreabout Listen to the voices of women in ministryOctober 29, 2019
In pursuit of a life-giving side hustle
The future of ministry is multivocational. How can we imagine a model of multivocational ministry that is less about simply making ends meet and more about pursuing passions and engaging creativity? When I graduated from seminary in 2003, I was sent by the United Methodist Church to serve two small congregations in rural western North […]
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