holladays
Ministry Development
Journeying together in ministry and mission
The question just keeps coming. What IS ministry development?
One assumption is that ministry development is all about producing locally trained priests and deacons. Another is that ministry development is only for small struggling congregations. Like so many aspects of our faith itself, neither is true by itself, but each holds a grain of truth.
Both assumptions [...]
Ministry Development
Taking our nourishment into the world
And how was your Pentecost Sunday? Pentecost is that day when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit into the midst of Jesus’ followers. On this day, the Holy Spirit became truly alive to us as God’s breath, working in us to accomplish God’s mission in the world. Through the gifts bestowed upon us [...]
Ministry Development
Discerning and developing congregational ministries
Last month, I wrote of ministry development and what it might look like. But I left out one part of that picture – the ministry developer. Ministry developers are hard at work in many dioceses across this country and Canada.
In February, the Diocese of Spokane hosted the annual meeting of Living Stones. Living Stones is [...]
Ministry Development
Help for carving out time during Lent
As I write this article, Epiphany is ending. As you read this reflection, March is here and we have journeyed one third of the way through Lent. My hope is that, at this point in time, we have been able to throw off some of the busyness of our schedules and set aside some time [...]
Ministry Development
Lenten exploration is just the beginning
Lent begins towards the end of February. We are called into a discernment of sorts during this season. To discern means to sort or sift through matters that concern us. We discern in the church when we are trying to hear what God may be calling us to do or become or to listen to [...]
Ministry Development
Ministry much more than the “stuff we do in church”
I’ve just finished reading an edited version of an article called “Lay Ministry is at a Dead End.” The title alone got my attention! The article was written in 2004 by Loren Mead, the founder of the Alban Institute, an amazing organization back in the “other” Washington.
Mead’s point is that lay ministry has no chance [...]
