Welcome to the Pastoral Imagination book page. You can observe and imagine doing ministry. Yet until you enter it with your whole self, alongside people in everyday situations, you cannot know fully how a calling comes to life. ~Eileen Campbell-ReedPastoral…
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What is the Writing Table? In the early pandemic days, students, pastors, professors, and authors were feeling a lot of stress on our writing (here is how one of my favorite writers has navigated it). So to help combat the…
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This week as Ordinary Time is winding down, and we are honoring All the Saints, living and dead, we also want to make space for honoring vocational grief. If you missed our All Saints’ gathering last week, we invite you…
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Thanks for stopping by to learn more about the #MeTooReckoning Workshop. We believe there is a reckoning underway, and we want this new self-paced workshop to help you navigate it. Access for the #MeTooReckoning Workshop NOW Available The course is…
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So you’ve been hearing the phrase pastoral imagination? And you’re thinking hmmmm, that’s interesting. Sounds kind of fun. Maybe a little mysterious. I’d like to know more…. But what is it exactly? You have come to the right place. I…
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We will gather for an ALL SAINTS’ DAY Event November 1 for 45 minutes 1p ET // 12p CT // 11a MT // 10a PT A Zoom link will be sent to your email when you sign up below. Mark…
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During this clergy appreciation month, I want to take time for appreciating ministry volunteers. Let’s also give thanks for the volunteer clergy who serve without pay. And offer gratitude for the variety of Christian vocations to which God calls people.…
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Gratitude is rightly our focus during clergy appreciation month, yet as part of our acknowledgement of clergy today, let’s also attend to the reality of vocational grief. While it can be hard to name and process, and typically remains out…
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It’s clergy appreciation month and we have some ideas for you to express gratitude to the ministers, pastors, chaplains, and ministry professors in your life. Maybe you In this week’s episode, you will find: 5 questions to ask 4 studies…
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Facing Brick Walls “Nobody ever liked Eileen anyway.” Ouch. “Eileen, I’m really hoping that you will be our next pastor.” Oooof. These words, and many variations on them, polarized the congregation when I left it over 20 years ago. What…
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This weekend I spent time renewing and making new connections with Baptist friends. As an extrovert I found this mostly energizing. I know it’s not everyone’s idea of fun. And maybe you would rather make connections with one person over…
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For women in ministry and lgbtiqa+ ministers*, everyday ministry puzzles are an unavoidable part of living into one’s calling and work. When I listen to the ministers I study, seminary students, friends, and colleagues in ministry, I hear stories about…
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Blessed are you who are called by God to serve the church… Then along comes someone saying surely you misheard. Or that you don’t know what you are doing. They practically shout, wrong number! They are the ones who are…
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Editor’s Note: This week we welcome Elizabeth-Anne’s SBC Story about calling and ministry. Elizabeth-Anne Lovell is part of the 3MMM Team, teaches Jesus in the Gospel and Film at Belmont University, and is a brand new mom. It’s Not You,…
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This week I am focusing on rural ministry gifts and challenges related to time, place, and power. The reason for this focus is that I will meet with a group of pastors and congregational leaders later this week. In anticipation…
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Hello Friends, I have a few more favorite things to share! I’m on vacation this week and so my post this morning is brief. Here are three recent images I hope you will enjoy. We’ve been running a fun series…
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a poem for lost things (behind the desk edition) prescription eyeglasses photo book of grandchildren heart stickers rolodex original watercolor painting (unframed, 4 x 6) paper clips bugs (dead and alive) receipts cosmetics, lots of cosmetics (two entire boxes) bic…
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Last week I began answering the question of how women thrive in ministry. My inspiration for responding to this question came from Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Meredith Stone. She asked recently: If we imagine…
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How do women thrive in ministry? Last week on Thursday, 700+ Baptists gathered in Atlanta for dinner to kick off a celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Baptist Women in Ministry. BWIM Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Meredith Stone asked us…
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We are all trying to find our way, yes? Thank you for finding your way over to this page! We think everyone is seeking ways right now… to live, to be together, to be church, and to make a vibrant…
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Writing by the numbers is just a fun way to share some new and old things related to writing. Some of the numbers are pieces you might enjoy reading. Other things are strategies and methods for writing that might help…
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