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Pastor Joe’s no good, so sad, very bad day

Pastor Joe sat listlessly in his office all morning, grateful for his administrative assistant who had agreed to hold all of his calls and give him privacy for the sermon preparation. As he glanced at the clock, he realized that he had done little but stare off into space for the past three hours. He felt drained, discouraged, numb and exhausted, even though he had not spent any energy at all. The thought of having to preach on Sunday made him feel almost panicky and he wanted nothing more than to run away and hide. Read more

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Lessons that help sustain ministry

We often work with ministry people who, over time, have lost the excitement of ministry. Often, unresolved hurts or exhaustion drove them to the point of losing hope that the Lord is actually interested in their lives. We’ve experienced some of those hurtful things, too. Here are some of the lessons we have learned from almost 30 years of marriage and ministry. Read more

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When the pastor has a prodigal

I heard someone jokingly say that there’s a great likelihood that the child of a teacher will become a dropout, the child of a police officer will become a delinquent, and the child of a pastor will become an atheist. But is that really true? Read more

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Ministry blues?

As a pastor, do you experience weekly periods of “down” moods following Sunday’s high energy tasks or after a season of intense ministry?

It has been suggested that depression is high among pastors. I don’t have reliable statistics that prove that one way or the other, but I do know that pastors are subject to many factors that can make them very vulnerable to mood disorders. Read more

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Stress can make your marriage vulnerable

You’ve probably heard similar stories on the news or on the grapevine: A seasoned pastor has an affair; a ministry leader leaves her husband for another man. How do some men and women in ministry end up in adulterous relationships? Read more

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The pastor’s need to rest and retreat

When you get asked how you are, do you find yourself proudly (but with some frustration) answering that you are “busy”? There is a world to win, programs to organize, people to train and a church to maintain. No wonder ministry is so busy. We are short on finances, people and time. It seems the only way to make it is to work a little bit harder.

Focus on the Family Canada operates Kerith Retreats, two retreat and renewal centres for people in vocational ministry. Here we see all kinds of busyness and the trail of frustration and confusion it leaves in its wake. While I am not advocating laziness, we’ve somehow convinced ourselves that being busy is equal to being faithful. Busyness in ministry is not faithfulness. Read more

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Pastors parenting preacher’s kids

Like many of you, I have parented differently than my parents did, both as a parent, and as a pastor. Today, family relationships require so much more than the previous generation. The conforming pressure has been cranked up to the red zone, as the lure of temptation is huge, and the evil one continues like a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour. Our children need us more than ever . . . especially “PKs” (Preacher’s Kids). Read more