Hartford International University’s five year clergy grant program, Thriving in Poor Soil: Creating a Pastoral Innovation Network of New England (PINNE), is an effort to foster and sustain clergy excellence by enhancing the creativity and leadership skills of innovative pastors. Younger clergy who are three to ten years into their ministry career and who are engaged in innovative congregation-based ministries will build and sustain relationships with peers and mentors where they can explore challenges of ministry in New England, share creative ideas, and receive support from each other.
Through regular gatherings, coaching, ongoing virtual communication, and the voluntary undertaking of a project of congregational change this program strives to increase the level of creativity and spiritual energy of participants while also disseminating the learnings to clergy and denominations across New England. In addition, PINNE hosts Summer Symposiums, and participates in judicatory events to allow PINNE fellows to share the most innovative ideas on thriving in ministry and vital approaches with other pastors throughout the region.