Room to Grow

To provide rural pastors with an opportunity for personal and professional renewal, The Duke Endowment supported the Courage to Serve program at Duke Divinity School.

Insights

Facilitators of the Courage to Serve program noticed several key aspects that led to the program’s success:

• Take the indirect approach. Approaching deep questions of individuality “at a slant” through poetry, music, stories and art helped participants address personal issues more easily. The less direct approach took participants out of their “comfort zone” and provided new perspectives for personal explorations.
• “Neither invade nor evade the soul.” The Courage to Serve program did not force participation in discussion or activities (beyond simple attendance), but offered an “invitation” that allowed participants to engage at comfortable levels. Some participants chose to listen and contemplate during retreats, rather than engage in discussion.
• Find the perfect number. Facilitators for Courage to Serve found that 24 participants offered an optimal mix of group engagement and diverse perspectives. Both allowed for interesting and insightful questions among participants.

Impact

Since 2004, more than 100 rural church pastors participated in the Courage to Serve program. Within each cohort, several participants entered the program with thoughts of leaving the ministry, but decided to remain in ministry with a renewed sense of commitment.

Contact Us

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Director of Rural Church
704.927.2251