3 Minute Ministry Mentor

What is the role of prayer and meditation in #ministrylife? This week’s episode of #3MMM is about one pastor’s experience of connecting prayer and preaching. Rev. Bonita describes her journey through learning to preach in different styles. As a ribbon through the topical, expository and lectionary preaching, runs Rev. Bonita’s commitment to the prayerful following of the Spirit for guidance in her practice. 

Stories give contour and texture to our identities. Beyond the stories from only the past, ministers must consider how future stories help us narrate both our past experiences and the future hopes, plans, and dreams we live into every day. Eileen Campbell-Reed teaches about the value of using future stories. This week’s episode of Three Minute Ministry Mentor considers future stories in the context of ministry partnerships. Hear the story of Pastor Carly, a participant in the Learning Pastoral Imagination Project, learning to listen carefully to the future stories of Zambian pastors. 

#3MMM #futurestories

Examen is a form of spiritual exercise. It invites the exploration of  scriptures and any portion of one’s life through guided questions. In this way, examen is a tried and proven pathway for discernment. It allows us to look back to times and events of our everyday lives and ask questions that help us notice the presence and guidance of God’s spirit. Knowing what brings consolation or desolation helps us see a way forward that honors our learning and God’s wisdom...

Examen for the Practice of Ministry

There are a million questions that rise up in the course of learning the practice of ministry. Among them are the big questions of vocational discernment: What should I do? Where should I turn? How do I know which way to go at this point in pursuing my call?

There are also the questions of the daily minutia of ministry that also deserve careful and prayerful attention. Practicing the examen and considering what brings consolation and desolation can become a spiritual habit that informs your leadership in ministry and assists you in questions large and small.

Read more about Episode 25: Examen.

#3MMM

This week’s episode of 3MMM is about vocational discernment. Hearing stories from many people in many stages and seasons of life and how they discern the purpose, their calling, their work and their families, can be a great encouragement. It can also be incredibly clarifying.

You can learn more about vocational discernment on the website or by listening to this week's episode. #3MMM

This week’s episode of Three Minute Ministry Mentor shares with you a story told to us by Marcus, a white pastor who is part of the Learning Pastoral Imagination Project. Several years ago, Marcus spent a summer leading his congregation to think more deeply about leadership. For his own spiritual well-being he gave more attention to the practice of Sabbath that summer. Here is his story. #3MMM.

“What is liberty without liberation?”

How can we know genuine freedom in Christ, when injustice and bondage continue to constrain our wellbeing and divide us from each other? What does ministry look like when we face the injustices and seek God’s transformation of ourselves and our communities?

In today’s 3MMM episode, James, a participant in the Learning Pastoral Imagination study, tells us about growing up in an openly, racially divided city and school. He was among the first African-American youth to integrate both schools and several sports teams. The pain and anger from those experiences were real and lasting.

Episode 22 of #3MMM.