What's different about the pastoral excellence approach?

Communities cultivate excellence.

The conviction that communities -- not just individuals -- nurture pastors to excellence distinguishes pastoral excellence from other approaches to supporting ministry.

Common approaches to nurturing pastors consider the needs of each individual and how to nurture each person separately. With such approaches, a pastor -- who is likely to feel isolated in work -- now feels isolated in nurture as well.

Pastoral excellence begins with the realization that pastors thrive in community within and beyond congregations. A strategy for developing and nurturing pastors should consider participation in a community of peers fundamental to sustaining excellence in pastoral ministry.