The Ministry Collaborative Podcast

Program Staff Amy Valdez Barker and Jennifer Watley Maxell speak with the Rev. Matthew Watley ( Kingdom Global, Calverton, MD ; TKN Leadership Summit ) about doing ministry at a high level, the challenge and barrier of pleasing stakeholders, and the gift of rising to meet the crisis. Listen here.

Program Staff Jennifer Watley Maxell and Amy Valdez Barker speak with Rev. Dustin Mailman ( Deep Time, Asheville ) about the power of ministry through social enterprise, his own call to working alongside folks impacted by incarceration, and Deep Time's approach to ministry - including their coffee subscription service . Listen here.

Program Staff Jennifer Watley Maxell and Amy Valdez Barker speak with Dr. Thema Bryant about the importance of intergenerational coalitions for wisdom and innovative courage; the need for people of faith to offer continuity of care; and her upcoming book on healing, Matters of the Heart . Listen here.

Program Staff Adam Mixon and Amy Valdez Barker speak with Kathi Vodenicker and Adrienne Mixon ( Better Days Counseling ) about what the church gets right - and wrong - about mental health, the difference between healing and wholeness, and what Jesus offers us by sharing his wounds. Listen here.

Program Staff Amy Valdez Barker and Adam Mixon  speak with Adrienne Mixon ( Better Days Counseling ) about caring for the caregivers, destigmatizing mental health support, and the wisdom of Fred Sanford. Listen here.

Program Staff Adam Borneman and Mark Ramsey speak the Rev. Dr. Joe Scrivner ( Stillman College , Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church ) about the dangers of communal and individual self-righteousness, the universality of human longing, and how the church can be a source of hope in this moment. Listen here. Read the original blog post here.

Program Staff Jennifer Watley Maxell and Amy Valdez Barker speak with the Rev. Carla Jones Brown about the importance of language, finding hope in the every day, and what kind of preaching is needed.

Program Staff Adam Mixon and Jennifer Watley Maxell speak with the Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers (Church Planting, The Episcopal Church ) about this post-election moment, the distinctive Christian character of the table, and how we choose to show up as the Church.

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with the Revs. Susan Rogers ( The Well, Jacksonville, FL ) and Kathy Escobar  ( The Refuge, Broomfield, CO ) about the downward mobility of Jesus, how we form leadership and wield power, and Kathy's upcoming book (to be released in January, 2025).

Program Director Adam Borneman speaks with Dr. Dustin Benac ( Truett Theological Seminary ) about his research into ministry innovation, how crises can truncate our theological imaginations, and the critical importance of testimony.

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 like these.

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 seriously the idea that every proclamation mo...

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 series “When Politics Is Upstream of Fait...

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 resilience. This conversation is part of our ongoing...

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 benefits from our polarization.

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 the Healthy Chicago Podcast in English...

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 specific people in mind.

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 “When Politics Is Upstream of Faith”.