🎀 Don't Miss Your Very Best of 2025, !

Published: Mon, 12/29/25

Updated: Mon, 12/29/25

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young man 'Atticus the Amazing' juggling

Hello, !

This morning, on the fifth day of Christmas, we are looking back to what landed best and most often with our readers in 2025. And you can also read on to find out what to expect in 2026.

Last year we brought you interviews and conversations to inform and inspire your practice of ministry. This is just what my team and I have been doing for seven years. I can hardly believe it! Feels like the blink of an eye.

How do you juggle all that ministry, teaching, or writing holds for you? Perhaps the practice of ministry takes the form of congregational leadership, preaching, and pastoral care. Or maybe it takes the form of writing and publishing books, articles, and blogs. Or possibly it takes the form of teaching, presenting, and mentoring. Whatever practice(s) you are devoted to, we thank you for following along with us and prioritizing your own learning and growth as part of the Three Minute Ministry Mentor community. Each of these practices - ministry, teaching, writing, and mentoring - take serious powers of juggling the many challenges and opportunities that come your way.

To meet you in the midst of your work, we have been creating and sharing more than 265 weekly episodes of 3MMM across seven years. We work to accompany, inspire, encourage, and inform your vocation and practice of ministry. I want what we share to be part of cultivating your pastoral imagination.

3MMM | Best of 2025 and Anticipating 2026

Mini Writing Retreats

January 5 and February 6

Our beloved mini writing retreats for all writers are back for January 5 and February 6. Explore them now and save your place to write with us in 2026.

Members of the Writing Table receive a 50% discount.

Mini Writing Retreats | Register Here

Recapping 2025

Top 3MMM Videos, Blogs, & Store Purchases

As we near the end of 2025, we're looking back on some of our most visited resources. This week, we focus on our top blogs, videos, and store purchases. You enjoyed recent video interviews with Dr. Bonnie Miller-McLemore, Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, and Dr. Charisse Gillett as well as videos from the very first season of 3MMM!

Most Watched Videos in 2025

In our blog posts, the 2018 State of Clergywomen Report continues to be a highly visited and referenced resource. We're excited to update the report in 2026! Other top blogs from this year include remembrances of dear colleagues and friends, posts for special events and seasons, and a wide range of ministry support from grief to creativity.

Our Top Blog Posts of 2025

2025 featured wonderful work, support, and camaraderie at the Writing Table. This is reflected in our most popular store purchases from this year, which were Mini Writing Retreats and Writing Table Memberships.

Monday Morning Email

Monday morning emails are continuing to come your way. Every week we will offer inspiration and information aimed toward improving your spiritual practices of ministry, writing, teaching and mentoring. We will also give sustained weekly attention to what is happening with the emerging State of Clergy Report. Many other writing projects are also underway, and I will be sharing those with you as they come to life.

Each week on Mondays I look forward to supporting and nurturing your growth in your spiritual practice. And we will continue to offer live events, such as the upcoming Mini Retreats, January 5 and February 6. Being together, even in digital and hybrid spaces, where we prioritize community and real time shared practice (across many time zones), is one of the more nurturing forms of support we have identified through these seven years. I hope we will continue finding ways to connect with each other. When pastors, professors, writers, and poets, join each other to improve our practice, the results feel nearly miraculous.

I'm grateful for you, , and I'm wishing you all the very best in the coming New Year.

Blessings and peace,

Eileen

New State of Clergy Report

Hanging out with friends and colleagues at the American Academy of Religion in Boston in November reminded me how much I appreciate friends who prepare people for ministry by teaching in theological education, research and writing, and lots of mentoring. I'm incredibly grateful for scholars who stand at the intersection of ministry and higher education and who care deeply about people of faith and those called to lead them. I'm looking forward to updating the 2018 data with a newly revised and expanded State of Clergy Report.