Pastors often experience intense personal and professional isolation and find it difficult to build relationships with ministry colleagues. To persevere and flourish in ministry, however, pastoral leaders need one another.
Beeson's Thriving Pastors Initiative, funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc., aims to help pastors establish vibrant relationships with other pastors and to empower them to address challenges they confront in various seasons of life and ministry. This work begins with those preparing for pastoral ministry, commending the value of collegial relationships to future pastors. It extends to Beeson alumni, leading congregations in many different ministry contexts and needing our continued support to serve faithfully and effectively. And it finds its way to pastors and churches with whom we have no previous connections but with whom we share a common mission: to build up the church of Jesus Christ for the advance of His Gospel around the world.
Peer groups of five to seven congregational leaders meet every six weeks for fellowship, mutual support, learning and professional development. Beeson provides support for each group to develop and carry out a plan for thriving in ministry. We are especially eager to include pastors in their first full-time position after seminary, those transitioning from associate pastoral roles to lead pastoral roles, and pastors facing acute personal and/or family crises.
The initiative includes various events designed to bring pastors and ministry leaders together in lifegiving community to worship, learn and grow together. The goal of all such events is to strengthen the ties that bind us together in Christ and in the shared work of Gospel ministry leadership.
Christine Baker will address practical steps for strengthening marriage and family relationships for those in ministry. This event is free, but registration is required.
