CULTIVATED MINISTRY

Cultivated Ministry gives us a way to undertake ministry with a clear and purposeful understanding of how our activities contribute to God’s mission in the world. Traditional metrics – such as membership counts, financial totals, and worship attendance – have proved inadequate for measuring the effectiveness of traditional communities of faith, much less emergent ones, but other metrics have not risen in their place. Thus, we revert to what we know, perpetuating a status quo.

Cultivated Ministry is a culture and process of ministry that does not rest on traditional metrics nor does it abdicate accountability altogether. It is a commitment to four interlocking means of assessment, evaluation, and (re)design aimed at nurturing thoughtful expressions of God’s mission in the world.

We are excited to share these resources with you and pray they will be of use to you in your work.

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MEET THE TEAM

 
DESIGNERS & WRITERS
  • Shawna Bowman

    pastor & artist, Friendship Presbyterian Church

  • Chineta Goodjoin

    pastor, New Hope Presbyterian Church

  • Becca Messman

    pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church

  • Frank Spencer

    president, Board of Pensions, PC(USA)

  • Casey Thompson

    pastor, Wayne Presbyterian Church

  • John Vest

    professor of evangelism, Union Presbyterian Seminary

  • Jen James

    Cultivated Ministry project facilitator

  • Jessica Tate

    director, NEXT Church

CONSULTANTS
  • Andrew Foster Connors

    pastor, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church

  • Christopher Edmonston

    pastor, White Memorial Presbyterian Church

  • Casey Wait

    pastor, John Calvin Presbyterian Church

  • Billy Honor

    pastor, The Pulse Church

  • Charlie Lee

    pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, NC

  • Carla Pratt Keyes

    pastor, Ginter Park Presbyterian Church

  • Landon Whitsitt

    executive and stated clerk, Synod of Mid-America

  • Rick Young

    president, Texas Presbyterian Foundation

DESIGNERS & WRITERS
  • Shawna Bowman

    pastor & artist, Friendship Presbyterian Church

  • Chineta Goodjoin

    pastor, New Hope Presbyterian Church

  • Becca Messman

    pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church

  • Frank Spencer

    president, Board of Pensions, PC(USA)

  • Casey Thompson

    pastor, Wayne Presbyterian Church

  • John Vest

    professor of evangelism, Union Presbyterian Seminary

  • Jen James

    Cultivated Ministry project facilitator

  • Jessica Tate

    director, NEXT Church

CONSULTANTS
  • Andrew Foster Connors

    pastor, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church

  • Christopher Edmonston

    pastor, White Memorial Presbyterian Church

  • Casey Wait

    pastor, John Calvin Presbyterian Church

  • Billy Honor

    pastor, The Pulse Church

  • Charlie Lee

    pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, NC

  • Carla Pratt Keyes

    pastor, Ginter Park Presbyterian Church

  • Landon Whitsitt

    executive and stated clerk, Synod of Mid-America

  • Rick Young

    president, Texas Presbyterian Foundation

* contextual information for writers, designers, and consultants is as of fall 2017, the original publication date for Cultivated Ministry

Here are additional resources to support the implementation of Cultivated Ministry in your ministry context. As we develop or discover resources to accompany this guide, we will add them here.

Jessica Tate and Shavon Starling-Louis hosted a conversation on Facebook on why we should assess ministry, even in a time when things are crazy.

Join our Cultivated Ministry in Practice Facebook group to connect with other people who are using Cultivated Ministry in their context. Feel free to ask questions or crowdsource ideas about implementation or anything else related to Cultivated Ministry!

As we’ve incorporated the principles of Cultivated Ministry into our work as NEXT Church, we developed worksheets to assess our initiatives. Carla Pratt Keyes of Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond, VA, has done the same. Here are examples from the ministry of her church for your use and information.

PRINTED BOOKLETS

Booklets are available for purchase.

Individuals and congregations interested in purchasing printed field guide booklets may now do so! Booklets may be purchased for $5 apiece. To request an order, please email us.

READ MORE

Learn more about Cultivated Ministry from these blog posts from the designers and writers, plus those who piloted the project in their contexts.

Cultivated Ministry: A New Approach

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A few years ago, NEXT Church convened some creative, talented leaders to talk together about the ways in which the church is collaboratively starting and supporting new ministries. In the room were leaders from large, established congregations, leaders from small upstart ministry ventures, and everything in between.

2017 National Gathering Ignite: Cultivated Ministry

Becca Messman and Chineta Goodjoin give an Ignite presentation about NEXT Church's work around mindful ministry.

PROJECT SPONSORS

We give thanks to the sponsors of this project. Their sponsorship has allowed Cultivated Ministry be a free resource to all church leaders.

Texas Presbyterian Foundation

Leadership Education at Duke Divinity

Presbyterian Foundation

First Presbyterian Church

Shreveport, LA

Wayne Presbyterian Church

Wayne, PA