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…
When people leave the church you pastor, God often mourns—and so should you—at least for a while. As a young pastor, the worst days in my life were when people I cared about decided to leave. But now I understand those didn’t have…
Relationships can be messy, can’t they? In Acts 13:13 we read the following: “From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John (Mark) left them to return to Jerusalem.” We learn later on in Acts this…
By now, I think most of us thought we would be on the other side of the pandemic. Back to growing, visioning, releasing, discipling, etc. Over the past few weeks, I’ve observed fresh weariness among leaders. A recurring sentiment has…
During the month of February, we’ve been writing a series of posts on getting/staying healthy mentally and emotionally. Today’s post is part three. Enjoy ~ John According to an article in Psychology Today, the average narcissism score among college students…
It was the 2nd evening of 2020, I was sitting with a bowl of popcorn on my lap, watching a football game, and enjoying life. A pretty uneventful night. Woke up on Day 3 of 2020 with tooth pain. I…
Nothing good ever comes from a ministry devoted to pleasing people ~ Chuck Swindoll The fear of man is a snare ~ Book of Proverbs When I think about my first fifteen years of pastoral ministry, so much of it…
We live in an increasingly angry world. If you don’t believe me, drive during rush hour in any major city in the U.S. Or watch cable news for thirty minutes. You’ll be convinced. Anger is a human emotion common to…
If you want to lead well for a long time—you have to figure out how to handle difficult conversations. In last week’s post, Leadership & Difficult People we stated that longevity in ministry requires pastors to occasionally make tough people-decisions, and from…
Difficult people go to church. I wish it wasn’t true . . . but sadly, it is. Not all people who go to church are difficult. The vast majority are not. But the few who are can make life miserable…
