Thriving in Ministry
Research has shown that our pastors of today are more diverse than ever before, and yet with that comes a more complex array of challenges facing those in ministry. The multi-faceted challenges facing today’s pastors often lead to feelings of isolation, stress, being overwhelmed, and being personally depleted.
Funded by a $1M grant from the Lilly Endowment, North Park Theological Seminary is developing programs to serve our students and ECC pastors to help address these challenges through three crucial aspects: Thriving Spiritually, Thriving Prophetically, and Thriving Vocationally.
Thriving Spiritually
We are strengthening our Spiritual Direction program through providing scholarships to individuals in need of assistance with the goal of making the program more diverse. We are also developing continuing education opportunities for trained Spiritual Directors.
Thriving Prophetically
We are seeking to connect individuals who are working in justice-related areas of ministry and equipping them through peer-led, group mentoring cohorts. Another initiative of Thriving Prophetically is to further develop the “Seminary in Prison” model by creating cohorts of free and incarcerated students to learn from each other and alongside each other.
Thriving Vocationally
We are developing peer-led, group mentoring cohorts around the country for women currently serving in ministry. Our goal is to bring women clergy together from different ministry settings to help them equip and resource each other in their ministry areas.
Meet Our Team
David Kersten
Grant Director,
Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of the Seminary
Ellen Kogstad
Oversees Thriving Spiritually Programs,
Director of the Center for Spiritual Direction
Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom
Oversees Thriving Prophetically Programs,
Professor of Theology and Ethics
Christy Bouris
Thriving Vocationally Grant Director
Oversees Thriving Vocationally Programs