Emmanuel Christian Seminary is pleased to offer the Ministry Fellows Program. This program pairs students with local churches, where they can serve in a variety of ministerial capacities during the time they are enrolled in seminary.

All full-time, residential, second-year or higher seminary students are welcome to apply. Returning students are also welcome to apply. Each awarded fellow will have the opportunity to receive up to $10,000 for a 9- month fellowship that runs the 2025-2026 academic year.

Ministry Fellows take part in a cohort model that includes a fall orientation lunch, mid-year review, and a final celebration gathering. In addition to a fellows ministry placement, they have the opportunity to share their joys and struggles with others in the Emmanuel Christian Seminary’s Internship class. We’ve listed the five ministry placement opportunities and descriptions below. A student can list their top two placement choices in their application. We will announce the Ministry Fellows church pairings by the end of the spring 2025 semester.

Applications are open now until February 28, 2025!

The Ministry Resource Center is pleased to announce the opportunity for ministry renewal mini-grants of up to $2500. The purpose of a mini-grant is to support the flourishing of ministers who are in their first five years of ministry and provide another way for them to connect with each other and find renewal.

Any minister in the MRC network can apply. Priority will be given to those in the mentoring community or those in their first five years of ministry. Funds cannot be spent on just one individual (or couple) but must include at least one other minister and can go up to six ministers. We prefer these ministers to be from different churches or ministries. The proposal should not be easily funded through other means. These are rolling grants, meaning you can apply today. The funds must be spent in the 2024 calendar year.

Mini Grant Examples
We understand that ministers will have different approaches to how they find renewal and sustainability in ministry. Below are three areas, along with examples one can choose or develop further.

Retreat:

Create a personal retreat as a way to step back, reflect, participate in prayer, and worship. Use this time for active rest together. This can involve play but should also include some intentional prayer practices that you create for each other. This could involve a retreat you do together, care packages, or personal day retreats, done synchronously or asynchronously.

Examples: Book a retreat for two to four other ministers at Valle Crucis Retreat Center and Hermitages, Valle Crucis, North Carolina or take a prayer retreat at St. Meinrad Monastery, St. Meinrad, Indiana.

Learning:

Is there a question about ministry, scripture, or the church that you would love to learn more about? Is there a conference that you and several others would like to attend together or visit another ministry together? Is there a new skill or a topic that you would like to learn from an expert about? Learning grants involve answering one of these questions and then sharing that information with your church and the larger MRC network in some way. This could involve site visits of another ministry that you want to learn about or a podcast you create with another minister or a webinar with an author for you and other ministers.

Conference examples: Attend the April 11-13, Festival of Faith and Writing in Grand Rapids, MI or attend the May 13-16, Festival of Homiletics in Pittsburgh, PA.

Service:

Is there a small project that your church or ministry could collaborate with another ministry on? These funds are reserved for Emmanuel alumni or ministers in the MRC network who want to collaborate together on an event that would benefit both of their communities.

Examples: A lectureship, worship event or revival, a community meal.