Sep 1, 2016 | Depression, discouragement, Leadership, Stress, Uncategorized
Pastors suffer a rate of depression 4x that of the general population. For most, it sneaks up and surprises them. Emotional crisis often bubbles unnoticed under the surface until it blows up in your face. So today I’m following up my last two blogs, 7 Reasons Pastors...
Aug 25, 2016 | Anger, Calling, Depression, discouragement, Leadership, Stress, Uncategorized
It was the night of June 13, 1974. I was in a coffeehouse on Hamilton St. in Saginaw Michigan, with my best friend Kirk. He had roped me into attending a Christian concert. He talked about Jesus many times prior, so when he invited me to the concert, I knew what he...
Aug 18, 2016 | Calling, Career, Depression, discouragement, Fear, Leadership, Stress, Uncategorized, Work
Two days ago I posted this on FB: “It should deeply trouble us that more than 50% of pastors leave the ministry within their first five years.” One of my pastor friends replied to the post: “What’s the top 5-8 reasons? What 1-2 insights (advice) would you give to...
Aug 12, 2016 | Calling, Career, discouragement, Leadership, Productivity, Uncategorized, Work
“The effective business focuses on opportunities rather than problems” ~ Peter Drucker. Great advice from a respected voice in the business world. Drucker’s words remind me of a guy I used to work with years ago. His previous employer would fly him around the globe to...
Aug 5, 2016 | Calling, Career, Depression, discouragement, Leadership, Rest, Stress, Uncategorized, Work
Credit cards operate on the following basic principle: Buy now—pay later. See a pair of shoes you like, but not enough cash on hand or in your debit account? No problem… charge it. A new set of golf clubs catches your eye, but not enough money in your wallet? No...
Jul 22, 2016 | Calling, Career, discouragement, Leadership, Productivity, Rest, Uncategorized, Work
I am fed up. According to John Palmer of Emerge Ministries, we’re now losing 2000 pastors every month in the U.S. The main drivers are burnout, contention in the church, or moral failure. The rate of depression among ministers and their spouses is 4.5x higher than...
