Congregational and Pastoral Formation Curator Amy Valdez Barker speaks with the Revs. Esta Jarrett (Canton Presbyterian, NC) and Tom Owens (Central United Methodist, Canton, NC) about their ministry in the wake of Hurricane Helene, how the community came together to support one another, and the importance of the church as a safe haven in moments li…

Program Director Adam Borneman continues the conversation with Mark Nelson (Three Rivers Collaborative) and Dr. Heather Gorman (Johnson University) about curiosity as a Christian value, getting stuck at the point of just talking, respecting the image of God in each other, and their book Lunchroom Theology.…

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with Dr. Heather Gorman (Johnson University) and Mark Nelson (Three Rivers Collaborative) about their book Lunchroom Theology, rooting their work in Jesus' hope for Christian unity, and why it's import to take power and abuse into account when building bridges across our divides.…

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, Adam Borneman, and Jennifer Watley Maxell) discuss how God's voice comes from surprising places, what the Creation lesson teaches us, and the sermon they would like to preach to the American church at this moment.

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Beth Daniel, Amy Valdez Barker, Jennifer Watley Maxell, and Mark Ramsey) discuss strength and weakness in Christ, the price of discipleship, and what they would preach to the world today.

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Jennifer Watley Maxell, Adam Mixon, Adam Borneman, and Ryan Bonfiglio) discuss the importance of creating hope locally, speaking prophetically and compassionately, and being thoughtful about what we need to recover.

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Beth Daniel, Amy Valdez Barker, and Jennifer Watley Maxell) discuss the lovely surprise of optimism, the importance of looking out for community and support, and why we need to continue to root ourselves in Scripture.

Executive Director Mark Ramsey wraps up our “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith” series, speaking with the Rev. Carol Patterson (Setting the Captives Free) and the Rev. Rebecca Gurney (Reems Creek-Beech Presbyterian, Weaverville, NC) about Jesus' gift for bringing "news from another network, the challenge of educating without alienating, and taking…

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with Cody Balfour (Koinonia Church, Nashville) and the Rev. Morgan Burge (Roswell Presbyterian Church, GA) about the challenging, uplifting text of Titus 3; how younger generations give them hope; and what today's church can learn from the American Civil Rights movement. This conversation is part of our ongoing…

Program Staff Adam Borneman and Jennifer Watley Maxell continue our “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith” series, speaking with Cody Balfour (Koinonia Church, Nashville) about his book; the connection between sin, oppression, and anxiety; the importance of finding faithful community; and how to resist being shaped by fear.…

Pilgrimage Formation Curator Ryan Bonfiglio speaks with the Rev. Nicole Bates (NorthPark Presbyterian, Dallas) and the Rev. Dr. Terrence Autry (Christ Community, Richardson, TX) about seeking the flourishing of all, planning for prayer and worship in this highly political season, and how momentary dislocation can help us build compassion and resili…

Program Director Adam Borneman continues our “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith” series, speaking with Anna Stamborski (Crossroads) and the Rev. Dr. Joe Scrivner (Stillman College, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church) about the dangers of the "zero sum game", why local relationships matter, and the importance of thinking critically about who benefi…

Program Staff Amy Valdez Barker and Adam Mixon speak with Dr. Olusimbo Ige (Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health) about compassion as her "why", building trust across differences, and how she sees her public health work as ministry. This conversation is part of our ongoing series “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith”. You can listen to …

Executive Director Mark Ramsey continues our “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith” series, speaking with the Rev. Leon Stevenson (Mack Avenue Community Church, Detroit) and the Rev. Dr. Barry Jones (Irving Bible Church, TX) about their advice for younger pastors, what we can learn from ancient church history, and the importance of preaching with spe…

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with the Revs. Carla Jones Brown (Arch Street Presbyterian, Philadelphia) and Sherrad Hayes (Union Baptist Church, West Point, GA) about trusting God more than self, the concentric circles of mission, and how each of their communities is most often misunderstood. This conversation is part of our ongoing series …

Program Curator Jennifer Watley Maxell continues our “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith” series, speaking with the Revs. Megan Johnson (Clairmont Presbyterian, Atlanta) and Anthony Giboney (The AND Campaign) about the interplay between anxiety and empathy, the importance of both clarity and nuance, and why congregations can have outsized impacts i…

Content Curator Adam Mixon continues his conversation with the Revs. David Feltman and Jennifer Lusher (Family Promise, New Ministry Strategies) speaking about the importance of seeking "the common good", the difficulty of confronting false gospels, and why we need to read Scripture in diverse community. This is part of our ongoing series “When Pol…

Content Curator Adam Mixon continues our “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith” series, speaking with the Revs. Jennifer Lusher (Family Promise, New Ministry Strategies) and David Feltman about seeing COVID as a prophetic moment, the pain of the "great divide", and embracing the places we see faithfulness now.…

Program Staff Amy Valdez Barker and Adam Borneman speak with the Rev. Johannes George (St. Mark's Episcopal, Houston) about his harrowing escape from the civil war in Sierra Leone, what that experience taught him about betrayal and trust, and his wisdom for the American context in our particular moment. This conversation continues our series “When …

Program Curator Jennifer Watley Maxell continues our "When Politics Is Upstream of Faith" series, speaking with the Rev. Kate Flexer (St. Michael's Church, NYC) and the Rev. Dr. Albert Russell (Grace Community Church, Millbrook, AL; Tuskegee University) about keeping Christ and Christ's table at the center, the challenge of avoiding the political e…

TMC Staff Beth Daniel and Adam Mixon extend their conversation with the Rev. Dr. Allen Hilton (House United) about building robust discipleship; exegeting both text and congregation; and what leadership looks like, called for such a moment like this. This conversation continues our series "When Politics Is Upstream of Faith".…

TMC Staff Beth Daniel and Adam Mixon continue our series "When Politics Is Upstream of Faith" with the Rev. Dr. Allen Hilton (House United) about shaping a concern for a shared future, the risk that civility is linked to privilege, and being shaped by what God's Love wants us to do.

Congregational and Pastoral Formation Curator Amy Valdez Barker and producer Marthame Sanders speak with the Rev. Jennifer Butler (Faith in Democracy) and Dr. Napp Nazworth (⁠American Values Coalition⁠) about their partnership across the political aisle, pastoral strategies for broadening the conversation, and the enduring desire for belonging. Thi…

TMC Staff Adam Borneman and Amy Valdez Barker kick off our new podcast series, When Politics Is Upstream of Faith, speaking with Dr. Napp Nazworth (American Values Coalition) about differentiating our democratic context from Jesus' context, the vital importance of promoting pluralism, and what he wishes pastors knew about politics.…

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, and Mark Ramsey) and the Rev. Dr. Carol Lynn Patterson discuss the wisdom of Howard Thurman, the intersection of prophet and sage, and the slippery slope of litmus tests. Read the original blog post here.

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, Amy Valdez Barker, and Adam Borneman) discuss our outdated modes of measuring ministry, paying attention to multiplying opportunities for discipleship, and what it might mean if the stories become our interpretive lens. Read the original blog post here.…

Content Curator Adam Mixon shares a reflection originally written for Holy Week this year, but is as timely as ever. Click here for the original reflection.

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with the Rev. Dr. Joe Scrivner (Stillman College, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church) about the Biblical witness against economic oppression and exploitation, the importance of caution around generalizations, and the problem with middle class navel gazing.

Congregational and Pastoral Formation Curator Amy Valdez Barker speaks with the Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade (Lexington Theological Seminary) about her most recent book, the important - and difficult - ministry of addressing the social issues of our moment, and the intersection of faith and the public square.…

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Amy Valdez Barker, Adam Mixon, Adam Borneman, Beth Daniel) discuss the wisdom of Matthew 13, the pull of inside/outside in church and culture, and the humility in needing others to help us see.

Executive Director Mark Ramsey speaks with the Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger and the Rev. Brady Radford about the importance of practicing change, resisting loss vs. resisting change, and reimagining our vision of success in ministry; as well as Tod's forthcoming book series.

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Ryan Bonfiglio, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Beth Daniel) discuss O’Connor’s quote, “the only way to the truth is through blasphemy”; what the gospel says about speaking against the prevailing winds of cultural trends; and the problem with comfort.

TMC Staff Adam Borneman and Amy Valdez Barker speak with Dr. Napp Nazworth (American Values Coalition) about his evangelical faith, the dangers of conservative misinformation bubbles, and the upcoming conference in Atlanta on July 25.

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Adam Borneman, Amy Valdez Barker, Beth Daniel, Adam Mixon) discuss paying attention to God at work in ways we don't expect, overcoming the scarcity mindset, and why it's important to make spirituality a priority.

Ministry Collaborative program staff (Mark Ramsey, Ryan Bonfiglio, Jennifer Watley Maxell, Beth Daniel) discuss reclaiming and refreshing traditions, the pitfalls of overexplaining, and the importance of what we are planting right now.

TMC Staff Adam Borneman and Adam Mixon speak with the Rev. Tim Soerens (The Parish Collective) about God's work of renewal and restoration, the importance of embedded ministry, and why location matters.

Executive Director Mark Ramsey speaks with Elise Erikson Barrett (ECFPL, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity) about being equipped to talk about money faithfully, the mixed blessing of multi-vocational ministry, and the importance of healthy evaluation processes.

Program Staff Jennifer Maxell and Adam Mixon continue their conversation with Gigi "Dr. G" Khanyezi about community practices that create healing, the transformative power of incarnation, and what it means to create a culture that doesn't trample emotions.

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with the Rev. Karen Rohrer (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) about ridding ourselves of pretension, the importance of letting go of an idealized past, and what Jonah teaches her about the ambivalence in ministry.

Program Staff Adam Mixon and Jennifer Maxell speak with Gigi "Dr. G" Khanyezi about God has created us with the apparatus to heal, the importance of decolonizing our faith, and why community is critical in our pathway toward health.

We continue our series “Faith Overflowing with Hope” as Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with the Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers (Church Planting, The Episcopal Church) and David Zahl (Mockingbird Ministries; Christ Episcopal Church, Charlottesville) about paying attention to the stories people tell, the troubling trend of isolation, and the dang…

Pilgrimage Formation Curator Ryan Bonfiglio talks with Michelle Navarrete (Emory University, World Outspoken) about the connecting the Eucharist with embodiment, appreciating the communal power of belonging, and the importance of reading Scripture with others. This conversation is part of our ongoing series “Faith Overflowing with Hope”.…

As part of our ongoing series "Faith Overflowing with Hope", Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with the Rev. Ayana Teter (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Eastminster Presbyterian Church) about rooting our hope in the story of Jesus, rethinking our shared vocation, and navigating the giant labyrinth of faith.…

Our series “Faith Overflowing with Hope” continues as TMC Program Staff Mark Ramsey and Jennifer Maxell speak with Dr. Luther E. Smith (Candler School of Theology) about spiritual practices for pursuing justice, becoming the beloved community, and the wisdom of Howard Thurman.

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with the Rev. Bianca Howard (Orange), and the Rev. Ashley Diaz Mejias (Voices of Jubilee, Richmond) about their work with youth and families, seeing faith as a landscape of resistance, and the freedom that comes in seeing yourself through God's lens. This conversation is part of our ongoing series “Faith Overfl…

Ministry Collaborative program staff Adam Borneman and Beth Daniel continue our series “Faith Overflowing with Hope” with the Rev. Dr. Joe Scrivner (Stillman College, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church) and Dr. Andrew Root (Luther Seminary) about secularism's influence on worship, having our being in Christ, and the importance of clearing the way t…

We continue our series "Faith Overflowing with Hope" as TMC Program Staff Beth Daniel and Amy Valdez Barker speak with Dr. Andrew Root (Luther Seminary) about resonance and alienation, the ordinary, and the utter arrogance of the idea that we should "save the church".

Content Curator Adam Mixon continues his conversation with the Revs. Charles Maxell (Breakthrough Fellowship, Smyrna, GA) and Laura Murray (Fuller Center for Spiritual Formation) about the encouragement of the small things, how closeness needs community, and the temptation of the "pastoral pivot". This conversation is part of our ongoing series “Fa…

As we continue our series "Faith Overflowing with Hope", Content Curator Adam Mixon speaks with the Revs. Laura Murray (Fuller Center for Spiritual Formation) and Charles Maxell (Breakthrough Fellowship, Smyrna, GA) about the challenge of church programming for formation, the importance of nearness - both to God and to one another, and the counter-…

Executive Director Mark Ramsey speaks with the Rev. Esta Jarrett (Canton Presbyterian Church, North Carolina) and the Rev. Barrett Payne (Cape Fear and Lillington Presbyterian Churches, North Carolina) about the unique gifts and challenges of rural and small churches, the personal nature of ministry in their contexts, and their joyful experience co…