Launched Fall 2025
This past fall (2025) we launched a series specifically for United Methodist ministry leaders in North Carolina. The series theme was, “Near Bethsaida,” where we reflected on 12 different texts highlighting individuals in the Bible who found themselves in a place away and how they were engaged/renewed/reminded/revived in that place. The theme stemmed from a text in Luke 9 where we hear that Jesus took the disciples away to an uncultivated patch of land on the outskirts of Bethsaida to rest and renew for their work ahead. 13 people participated in this series that ran from September-December. The group met on Wednesday mornings virtually for 1-hour.
How fitting given what Bishop Carter wrote in his January 2026 Pastoral Letter to the WNCC:
“First, I invite you to cultivate an intentional personal spiritual life. This can include daily prayer, scripture reading and weekly worship. There are many helpful resources for this intentional work; here I mention only a few: Moravian Daily Texts, Give Us This Day (Benedictine and Ecumenical), Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, The Bible Year, Pray as You Go (British Jesuit), We Make the Road by Walking (Brian McLaren), and A Beautiful Year (Diana Butler Bass). It will be most helpful if you do this spiritual work with a person or small group that provides accountability and support.”
What good news that Peterson House is already offering this for ministry leaders in the Western North Carolina Conference! We would love to help more of you honor this important space not just for your personal spiritual growth (though, it does provide that), but also a way of cultivating your spiritual formation in Christian community alongside other colleagues in ministry.
What participants are saying:
"My hope for participating in this group was to be better connected with others. This has been so important and a scheduled time for scriptural reflection and prayer (if it’s on the calendar I am more likely to do it) has certainly aided in my spiritual growth."
-Suzanne Dornsmith (Cokesbury UMC Charlotte)
"Being in my first solo pastor role, I have been craving the connection, camaraderie, and support that comes from working on staff. I was worried about being isolated and not having any accountability partners reminding me to take a deep breath so I was looking for a group to plug into. Also, I have been shocked by the visio every week because I have not done that practice before. I thought it would be distracting for me, but instead I have found it helps stir up new and deeper dimensions of reflection."
-Patrick Neitzey (First Rutherfordton UMC)
"I look forward to more insight from my colleagues in ministry- Ah-hah moments and refreshing points of view. I was hoping to get a sense of community and accountability by taking time to be with God and with my colleagues. I am glad to have been invited to participate."
-Ed McKinney (Stokesdale UMC)
"What I hoped for was some development of my spiritual discipline muscle in the area of Scriptural study and meditation. I find myself so driven by what’s in front of me, emails, upcoming events, phone calls, that I let other important things fall to the wayside and get lost sometimes. This weekly routine is something I value as a reminder to feed myself spiritually. And of course, connecting to God while connecting with others in ministry is part of that nourishment. What surprises me about this practice is the fullness of what arises in the group and in myself, without preparation and study beforehand. It's a lovely window into what the Holy Spirit is capable of without us trying to make a big deal of it."
-Lisa Rettew (Central UMC Asheville)
"Back in September I was hoping for a weekly experience that would get me back in the groove, spiritually. My Mom died in August, and after three years of caring for her while working full time, I had let my spiritual practices go by the wayside. Even though it took me until the third session to actually participate, I can’t imagine missing it now. Just having the space to pause, with nothing asked of me but to be present, has been a tremendous gift. It has re-awoken the desire to connect with God, and with others as well. Thank you!"
-Cheryl Skinner (First Lexington UMC)
Theme for Winter/Spring 2026
We are excited to offer a new series we are calling, “An Earthy King, Reflecting on the Life of David.” We promise we had no idea about the David film coming out over the holidays. Where our inspiration came from is on a recent trip to Holland, MI John (Peterson House Director) took a copy of Peterson’s, “A Leap Over A Wall” with him. Reading through again Peterson’s reflections on the earthiness of David stirred something. What can we learn about God’s work in our lives from how God is at work in David’s? We are given a disproportionate amount of information on David in Scripture so there is a lot to pay attention to. So many situations in his life from innocence to failure, to dancing to hiding- David is a “man after God’s own heart.” And what in the world does that mean? We want to reflect on this person who is certainly no perfect king and quite honestly a sinner in need of God’s redeeming. Is that not true of us as well? This series will draw both from the historic books in the Hebrew canon about David’s life as well as pairing that text with a Psalm attributed to David in the Wisdom Literature.
We would love to have you participate in this series. Our hope is it will strengthen UMC clergy in North Carolina to better serve the church. Advancing Christ’s kingdom is no small task, but if you let it, it will come through the work of your hands. And it helps if those hands and spirits are strong. We find that the strength that comes from regular formational time in Scripture with others is just the way and place to accomplish this.
There is no preparation for any of these sessions no homework of any kind. All we ask is that you are able to participate in as many sessions as possible. Each session is one hour. The group is virtual and meets on Zoom. And despite what many of our experiences have been like on a virtual platform since the pandemic, what we are finding and hearing about our virtual space is it is deep, reflective, and meaningful.
A big thank you to the UMC Conferences in North Carolina who have helped shape how we offer these groups as well as their financial support to make it happen!
Meet Your Facilitators
John Rogers and Janise Matyas Smith
When will this group meet?
We will meet from 9-10AM on Wednesdays over 10-12 sessions. All sessions are facilitated virtually on Zoom. Here are the current 10 dates we have confirmed for the winter/spring 2026 series:
January 14
January 28
February 11
February 25
March 11
March 25
April 8
April 22
May 6
May 20
What is shaping how you do ministry?
Eugene Peterson in, “Working the Angles, The Shape of Pastoral Integrity,” wants to offer “an antidote to the powerful pressures that reduce pastoral vocation to a managerial religious job of running a church or ministry by defining the distinctive work of the pastor as listening and helping others to listen to God as God speaks in Scripture, prayer, and the neighbor.” We want to help you listen to that voice better.
No doubt there are plenty of things that demand some of your time that are not as life giving as a slow and purposeful time in Scripture, but by protecting some of your time to let your spirit be formed by God’s word we have seen how this will help you do that work better. Your reservoir of spiritual health is not so deep not to need ongoing investment in it. You are better for it and there is no doubt your congregation is as well. The kingdom grows with greater strength when your spirit is cared for. And how good it is to be able to do this with others where you are able to not just be attentive to what the Spirit is saying to you when you hear a text read over you, but also how the Spirit is moving in others’ lives as well. Join us for a taste of unhurried delight with Scripture where you can experience this for yourself.