As a related corporate means of striving for and sharing excellence in pastoral
ministry, Ministry Mentors has established a Ministry Mentors Award of
Excellence program to recognize innovative congregational programs. Area pastors
of all denominations will be asked to submit successful programs that may be adapted for
use by other congregations. This may include sharing
ideas, expertise, resources discovered, or even personnel. A jury of area peers composed
of pastors and laypersons with a particular interest and experience in the area being judged
will select the top program in each category as well as honorable
mentions.
The purpose of the Ministry Mentors Award of Excellence underscores the basic concept of our ministry: excellence is a gift from God—intended to be shared. Publicity from such award presentations will be sent to local newspapers and area denominational leaders. The impact of Christian congregations seeing each other as complementary institutions providing a local resource of potential mentoring will be a much appreciated paradigm shift, from competitive to cooperative. Such congregational mentoring could include: creative worship, educational and social action programs, fund-raising efforts, remodeling or building programs, youth ministry innovations and the like.
Enthusiasm for our mission seems to be so contagious amongst both pastors and lay Christians that it reinforces our conviction that Ministry Mentors is a part of God's plan for this time and place. Strengthening pastoral ministry by using pastors who have shown excellence and are open to helping their peers is a win-win situation. Mentor and pastor are both blessed in a relationship that is practical and enjoyable.
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus...
Philippians 2:1-5 (NRSV)