Dec 2, 2021 | Burnout, Calling, Difficult people, discouragement, Leadership, Longevity, Ministry Leader, Pastor, Quitting
Pastors are on the move. In its most recent study, Barna discovered 38% of pastors have seriously considered quitting full-time ministry this year. This percentage is up 9 full points (from 29%) since Barna asked church leaders this same question at the beginning of...
Nov 29, 2021 | Calling, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, Podcast, Team Building
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” 1 Timothy 3:1. Pastoring has become increasingly complex. Churchgoers expect their pastor to juggle an average of 16 major tasks! If we lead without a clear set of...
Nov 23, 2021 | Calling, discouragement, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Podcast
Some of the worst days in a pastor’s life is when people they care about decide to leave—but those don’t have to be their worst days. When people leave the church we lead, it can feel like it’s our fault. And usually, it really hurts. In today’s episode, Jim &...
Nov 18, 2021 | Confusion, Disappointment, discouragement, Doubt, Grief, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, Resilience
God is good . . . but we’re not exempt. This thought has been running through my mind all week. Our interim pastor taught on Psalm 73 this past Sunday. The psalm tells the story of Asaph; a psalm writer, worship leader, and lover of God. In Psalm 73, Asaph revealed a...
Nov 16, 2021 | Anxiety, Depression, Emotional Health, Mental Health, Pastor, Podcast, Suicide
Historically, the Church has not known what to do with depression, anxiety, or suicide. Our silence in the past was deafening. And while we’re grateful that increasingly, churches are talking about these three enemies more openly, we’re concerned the conversation...