Pastors and churches engage in a whole bunch of ministries: preaching, worship, pastoral care, faith formation, public ministry/advocacy… to name a few. I think maybe my group of people have invented a new one: Exploratory Ministry. When I started my position in September, the senior pastor asked me, “What should your title be?” Huh. Good question. I asked to make one up, and without a whole lot of thought I said, “How about we call me Pastor of Exploratory Ministry.” A quick Google search seems to indicate I’m the only Pastor of Exploratory Ministry out there. I invite you to do some digging to see if I’m right or wrong about that. As a facilitator of a ministry like this, I’m finding it necessary to give space for people to explore their needs and the needs of the larger community. Some needs float to the surface. Here’s the big, underlying assumption: The process of exploration is what actually allows people to speak alou...
