Apr 4, 2019 | Calling, Difficult people, Emotional Health, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, People-pleasing, Relationships, Uncategorized
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...
Jan 31, 2019 | Anger, Difficult people, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People-pleasing, Uncategorized
Have you ever been in a meeting where people were talking (and maybe even shouting), but no one was communicating? I recently sat through one of those . . . it was ninety minutes of sheer torture. Multiple people talking over each other, not listening to each other,...
Aug 9, 2018 | Calling, Career, Emotional Health, Fear, Leadership, Mentors, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, People-pleasing, Relationships, Uncategorized, Work
I want everyone to like me. But I don’t need everyone to like me. I’ve been wrestling with the above thought for weeks. I want everyone to like me. But I don’t need everyone to like me. Wanting everyone to like me, when issuing from a healthy place, speaks to...
Apr 12, 2018 | Calling, Career, Change, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, People-pleasing, Quitting, Work
“John, I can’t take the pressure anymore . . . I’m thinking about resigning.” You’d be surprised how often those words or some variation of them travel across the cellular airwaves to me each month. Lead pastors who feel desperate, tired, emotionally beat up, out of...
Jan 11, 2018 | Burnout, Calling, Career, Emotional Health, Fatigue, friendship, Leadership, Loneliness, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Pastor's Spouse, People Leaving, People-pleasing, Relationships, Rest, Stress, Uncategorized
In last week’s blog we looked at 5 Common Stressors Pastors Face: Difficulty separating from work Wear and tear of spiritual warfare Societal dysfunction Raising/maintaining church budget Sensitivity Today I’d like to offer some practical ways pastors can address...
Dec 7, 2017 | Calling, Fear, Leadership, Likeability, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Pastor's Spouse, People-pleasing, Relationships, Uncategorized
Hi my name is John. I’m a recovering people-pleasing-aholic. My first twelve years of ministry had a significant undercurrent of people-pleasing attached to it. The subconscious desire for everyone to like me led to bad scheduling decisions, inner conflicts over how...
