Guiding Principles:
· Collegial -- peer group connections
· Systematic and sustained engagement
· Diversity
· Interweaving of academy and parish
· Practical and theoretical
The Center for Ministry Pastoral Excellence Project seeks to sustain and nourish the spiritual life and intellectual growth of pastors through five components:
The first component involves a series of listening/focus groups composed of clergy and laity drawn from an ecumenical constituency. Participants in these conversations will reflect the gender and ethnic diversity among Mississippi churches and will encompass large and small membership congregations in rural, small town, urban, and suburban settings. We will recruit ordained, non-ordained, full-time, and bi-vocational pastors to participate. The use of listening/focus groups avoids a top down approach to the issues. Results from these sessions will provide a realistic assessment of the environment in which Mississippi ministers are working and can help identify best practices in pastoral ministry.
Questions to engage in these conversation groups could be: What is effective ministry? How do you sustain your self in ministry? What do you need from your congregation and/or judicatory officials (conference, district, presbytery, convention, diocese, etc.) to support and nurture effective ministry? What are the unique challenges that face you in your ministry area currently? What resources would be helpful as you lead your congregation or institution?
Home | Components | Center for Ministry
1701 North State Street, P. O. Box 150041, Jackson, MS 39210. (601) 974-1488,
email: PEP@centerforministry.com
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