At 18, Jillian Brookshire already knows she wants to pursue a career in law, maybe even politics. What the Raleigh, N.C., resident didn’t know until more recently is that her professional interests may also represent a calling on her life….
Woman minister #NotGoingHome after being called by God
“Your calling is so personal. Your calling is between you and God. It becomes who you are. For those of us in ministry a long time it’s completely intertwined with our being.”
Religion Notes: Baptist church empties disaster fund to help furloughed workers
-Baylor lands major Lilly grant for music
-Housing for caravan families
Central Seminary receives $1 million for new mentoring initiative
It is one of nearly $70 million in grants to 78 organizations across the United States recently announced as part of Lilly’s Thriving in Ministry initiative to help clergy thrive as pastoral leaders so they can lead the congregations they serve more effectively.
Youth studying theology? Lilly Endowment-funded programs hope to pull it off
Getting high school students interested in theology sounds like a pretty tall order. In the age of “nones” and “dones” and continuing declines in religious adherence, younger generations have been identified with a less-is-more attitude toward faith. But that assumption…
Providing ‘a hand up’ to ministers struggling with credit card, student loan debt
Mental health, congregational politics and the decline of the American church get much of the blame for minister burnout. But consultant Bo Prosser says all of those factors take a back seat to the financial struggles of pastoral leaders.
Thinking of church membership in new ways, thanks to ‘cyber hospitality’
The way Susan Sparks sees it, congregations are missing a huge opportunity to share the gospel by not livestreaming their worship services. “We represent a messiah who used every available opportunity he had to reach out,” said Sparks, pastor at…
Thinking outside the seminary
Seminary on $3 per day? I had a great seminary experience in the 1970s. I matriculated for nine years, and earned three degrees. The total cost I paid for my seminary education was under $10,000, which was just less than…
Attracting a new generation of leaders in ministry
When I was growing up, Christian ministers were widely held in high esteem. Although a few Elmer Gantrys may have been in the mix, churches and communities generally received their ministers with respect and honor. As a result, many Christian…