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 11, 2021 | Difficult people, Disappointment, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Relationships
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 to be my worst days. When people...
Oct 7, 2021 | Disappointment, Doubt, Leadership, Loss, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Uncategorized
Today, Jaime Hlavin writes a post on a subject nearly every church in America is dealing with: How do we move forward in light of the huge organizational (and personal) losses we’ve experienced during the past 18 months? Enjoy ~ John During those early weeks and...
Oct 8, 2020 | Anger, Depression, Disappointment, discouragement, Grief, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Uncategorized
“We’re grieving the loss of what was, Pre-COVID.” “We had so much momentum in March, and then . . .” “People have disappeared and we don’t know where they are.” These statements from pastors reveal a common thread: Leaders are grieving the loss of what was before the...
Feb 1, 2018 | Burnout, Calling, discouragement, Fatigue, Leadership, Pastor, People Leaving, Quitting, Stress, Uncategorized
What should you do if you’re a pastor and have lost the passion for your calling? What can you do when your assignment seems fuzzy, difficult, perplexing, and you find yourself wondering: “God, why did You lead me to this church?” Most pastors wrestle with these...
Jan 18, 2018 | Calling, Leadership, Pastor, People Leaving, Uncategorized
A healthier way to say “goodbye” to people who leave your church starts with a healthier way of saying “hello” when they arrive. Today I’d like to share a brief excerpt from a new book I coauthored with Jim Wiegand, Putting the Good in Goodbye Jim: Few things are more...
