Pastors Initiative
Compañerismos, Pastores, y Convención.
Equipar, Activar, e Impactar…Juntos!
Jesse Rincones
Jesse Rincones, Executive Director of Convención, said, “We appreciate the interest that the Lilly Endowment has in our pastors and the confidence in Convención to award this grant. Hispanic Baptist pastors will have the opportunity to engage their unique ministry challenges and develop healthy peer groups that will bless their lives, families and ministries.”
Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas is one of 78 organizations located in 29 states that is taking part in the initiative. The organizations reflect diverse Christian traditions: mainline and evangelical Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox.
Thriving in Ministry is part of Lilly Endowment’s grantmaking to strengthen pastoral leadership in Christian congregations in the United States. This has been a grantmaking priority at Lilly Endowment for nearly 25 years.
“Leading a congregation today is multi-faceted and exceptionally demanding,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “When pastors have opportunities to build meaningful relationships with experienced colleagues, they are able to negotiate the challenges of ministry and their leadership thrives. These promising programs, including Convención’s “Conexión Pastors Initiative,” will help pastors develop these kinds of relationships, especially when they are in the midst of significant professional transitions.”
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family - J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. - through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and its home state Indiana. Its grantmaking in religion focuses on supporting efforts to strengthen the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations throughout the country and to increase the public’s understanding of the role of religion in public life.
Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas has received a grant of $506,965 to help establish the “Conexión Pastors Initiative.” It is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry.
The Endowment is making nearly $70 million in grants through the Thriving in Ministry initiative.
The Conexión Pastors Initiative will provide an opportunity for Hispanic Baptist pastors to engage each other and the challenges that they face. Over a period of five years, up to 400 pastors will have the opportunity to participate through the local Hispanic fellowships known as Compañerismos.
At the Conexión Retreat, participants will explore the challenges, solutions, resources, and practices that will help them address the unique demands of their ministry setting, all the while fostering healthy relationships with their peers. Pastors will create Conexión Peer Groups in each of the 40 Compañerismos and can receive a $1,000 Conexión Stipend to resource and execute their peer group plan for the first year.
Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas has received a grant of $506,965 to help establish the “Conexión Pastors Initiative.” It is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry.
The Endowment is making nearly $70 million in grants through the Thriving in Ministry initiative.
The Conexión Pastors Initiative will provide an opportunity for Hispanic Baptist pastors to engage each other and the challenges that they face. Over a period of five years, up to 400 pastors will have the opportunity to participate through the local Hispanic fellowships known as Compañerismos.
At the Conexión Retreat, participants will explore the challenges, solutions, resources, and practices that will help them address the unique demands of their ministry setting, all the while fostering healthy relationships with their peers. Pastors will create Conexión Peer Groups in each of the 40 Compañerismos and can receive a $1,000 Conexión Stipend to resource and execute their peer group plan for the first year.
Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas has received a grant of $506,965 to help establish the “Conexión Pastors Initiative.” It is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry.
The Endowment is making nearly $70 million in grants through the Thriving in Ministry initiative.
The Conexión Pastors Initiative will provide an opportunity for Hispanic Baptist pastors to engage each other and the challenges that they face. Over a period of five years, up to 400 pastors will have the opportunity to participate through the local Hispanic fellowships known as Compañerismos.
At the Conexión Retreat, participants will explore the challenges, solutions, resources, and practices that will help them address the unique demands of their ministry setting, all the while fostering healthy relationships with their peers. Pastors will create Conexión Peer Groups in each of the 40 Compañerismos and can receive a $1,000 Conexión Stipend to resource and execute their peer group plan for the first year.
The Initiative
The goal of the Pastors Connection Initiative is to strengthen and support Hispanic Baptist pastors in Texas by: advancing their ministry, forming a contextualized peer group for each network of fellowships, and fostering ongoing relationships that lead to healthy personal and ministerial development.
The Commitment
As a pastor in the Connection Initiative, you commit to:
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Attending the Connection Retreat (Friday - Saturday)
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Participating in your Pastor Connection Group within your fellowship (once a month)
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Attending the Reconnection Retreat (Friday - Saturday)
COST
We cover lodging, meals, books, training, and resources for this initiative. In other words, the only cost is your commitment and hard work to grow as a leader.
The Conexión
Experience
Conexión Retreat: Spring
At the Conexión Retreat, participants will explore the challenges, solutions, resources, and practices that will help them navigate the unique demands of their ministry. This retreat also fosters healthy relationships among fellow pastors.
Conexión Groups: Monthly
During this retreat, pastors will form their own Conexión Groups within their Compañerismos. Each Conexión Group will develop a one-year plan, designed by the pastors themselves, to address their specific needs, opportunities, and ministry context.
Conexión Grant: $1,000
Each Conexión Group may receive a $1,000 "grant" to access resources and implement their plan during the first year.
Reconexión Retreat: Fall
Six to nine months after launching the Conexión Groups, pastors will reunite for the Retiro de Reconexión. This retreat offers a time to reconnect, rest, evaluate, and prepare for their next season together with the purpose of:
"Equipping, Activating, and Impacting... Together."
