As we approach the conclusion of the first quarter of the Three Minute Ministry Mentor, I am taking a moment to pause and say THANK YOU to our first-quarter sponsors, Glendale Baptist Church and Second Presbyterian Church, both located in Nashville, Tennessee. And I also want to take time to celebrate and thank our first annual sponsor, Central Seminary.
Both Glendale and Second Pres embody the presence of Christ in Nashville. They are creating compassionate communities of faith and partnering with others to engage in prophetic and justice-oriented work with and for people who need advocacy in Middle Tennessee.
The congregation at Second Presbyterian says about their mission: We are a joyful community of faith called to:
* Proclaim the Christian gospel in worship and education
* Love one another, and
* Witness to Jesus Christ through prayer, compassion and justice in our broken and fearful world.
As Children of God, we live not on our own but by God’s saving grace.
The church has a long-standing relationship with the local divinity school at Vanderbilt University and regularly nurtures undergraduate, MDiv, and doctoral students. They make space for students learning ministry as a practice while completing field education. And some of those folks have continued in ministry roles beyond their seminary training. Our video producer Ben Saunders is one such minister who began working with the church as a divinity school student and continued on in his ministry with youth.
Glendale Baptist Church describes its purpose this way.
We strive . . .
* to partner with God and follow Jesus on the Way of Love
* to create sanctuary for one another with special concern for those who are marginalized
* to work intentionally for mercy and justice
* to sustain a creative and compassionate theological voice
* to gather resources joyfully and share them generously
* to love our neighbors and care for all of creation.
In 18 years of membership at Glendale, first as a doctoral student myself at Vanderbilt, rarely has there been a moment when there was not at least one (or more) pastoral interns among us. In fact we learn a great deal from our “Glenterns” as they bring questions, insights, and curiosity into our congregation. Some of the church’s great joy recently has been ordaining new ministers for the work of pastoring, preaching and chaplaincy.
Both Glendale and Second Presbyterian are the kind of teaching congregations that budding ministers need for learning the practice of pastoring. They are communities of faith that build up the ecology that supports congregational leadership. The church and the world need leaders who have been well nurtured! I’m so pleased that each of these churches are the inaugural partners in the 3MMM venture. My thanks!
Joining with us in January, Central Seminary through the Formed for Flourishing Grant is now an annual partner with the Three Minute Ministry Mentor. The legacy of the seminary has been “to form the heart, train the mind, and inspire the spirit of students and graduates.” Central’s ongoing mission is to “prepare women and men for seeking God, shaping church and serving humanity.” You can see why the partnership is such a good fit for 3MMM!
The aim of the Formed for Flourishing grant is to see pastors thrive in and through mentoring relationships. Central recognizes that theological education in the classroom is not the end of learning, but rather it is a beginning, which continues to be shaped by the local ministry context. And Central recognizes that ministry happens in a great variety of settings.
Grant Director, Rev. Dr. Angie Jackson says the new initiative “is a significant opportunity for Central to increase our nurture of ministry leaders, to strengthen our ecumenical connections, and thereby to serve the local church.” Thus a partnership between Central’s new mentoring program and the 3MMM holds tremendous promise for all who are involved.
Many, many thanks to all of our current sponsors and partners! If your church, school, or ministry organization finds the mission of 3MMM one that you share, please contact us to learn about sponsorship opportunities. We welcome a conversation!
This week, due to the holiday, episode 12 will be published on Tuesday.
Watch past episodes of 3MMM HERE!
