Labouring to coax a stiff church to lean outward, seek renewal and step up in faith
Woman, pastor, wife and mom
Younger than all the board members and reminded of it, frequently
Life anxiety that just won’t end, even after prayer and a Bible verse
Taking up a pastorate in a congregation that “has history”
Serving, and suffering, under a bullying board or senior leader
It is quite likely that at least one, and perhaps several, of these situations sound familiar to you. Perhaps it was a time of life or ministry that was particularly challenging, stirring up an inner distress that you couldn’t shake. Perhaps it is that unwelcome, uninvited, but constant companion of anxiety that has long been part of your life.
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Karin Gregoryhttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngKarin Gregory2020-06-30 17:08:472020-06-30 17:08:47Anxiety and the pastor
Who would have known that words like “self-isolate” and “social distancing” would become part of our vocabulary in the way that they have? It has not only become part of our vocabulary; we are living it out. I couldn’t have imagined that it would have felt wrong to shake a person’s hand while standing close enough to touch them. Even more so, that it would be a global experience!
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Sam Doerksenhttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngSam Doerksen2020-06-02 22:50:512020-10-02 17:50:24Ministry leadership during a pandemic
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Steve Witmerhttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngSteve Witmer2020-04-09 15:50:492020-04-09 17:59:52“In a little while”: Waiting with anticipation
One of the very complex and difficult topics that we are increasingly hearing about on our call-in line concerns the subject of homosexuality, same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria.
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Wendy Kittlitzhttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngWendy Kittlitz2020-03-05 17:54:072020-03-05 19:04:14Navigating gender identity and sexuality in your ministry
“Purposeful waiting.” It sounds like a nice title for a fictional story. A little bit like a Hallmark movie. We can most likely dictate what will happen at the end when we’re only ten minutes into the movie.
There is a child that runs away, physically, mentally or spiritually – or perhaps all the above. They may not just run away but also run into a life of sin, self-pleasing and rebellion against God.
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Sam Doerksenhttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngSam Doerksen2020-02-05 18:56:072020-02-05 19:47:51Purposeful waiting for a prodigal
Well January is upon us, and it’s not just a new year but an entirely new decade! I’m not sure how that happened so fast. I woke up one morning and discovered, to my shock, that I was approaching my mid-60s with almost 40 years of pastoring behind me.
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Marshall Eizengahttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngMarshall Eizenga2020-01-07 18:26:182020-01-07 20:00:0620 things I’d tell my younger self in 2020
“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” (John 1:14, as paraphrased in The Message)
Christmas, for me, carries a wonderfully heightened sense of expectation. Childhood Christmases were marked by family memories, traditions, great food and quality time spent together.
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Steve Witmerhttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngSteve Witmer2019-12-03 21:06:502020-02-05 18:54:58Expectancy in the Christmas story
“Who knows really what corrodes the soul to the point where it disintegrates?”
This quote is taken from Carey Nieuwhof’s latest book Didn’t See It Coming. In it, Nieuwhof describes the “seven greatest challenges that no one expects and everyone experiences.” The seven challenges are: cynicism, compromise, disconnection, irrelevance, pride, burnout and emptiness.
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Marshall Eizengahttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngMarshall Eizenga2019-11-07 22:07:102019-11-07 22:07:10Book review: Didn’t See It Coming
Our dear friend, H.B. London, who has now gone home to be with the Lord, initiated Clergy Appreciation Month through Focus on the Family many years ago.
http://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.png00Focus on the Family Canadahttp://clergycare.ca/app/uploads/2019/04/ClergyCare-2018-300x100.pngFocus on the Family Canada2019-10-09 16:44:042019-11-07 22:06:29Stories of Clergy Appreciation
Over the last while, Focus on the Family Canada’s Clergy Care counselling ministry has had more frequent calls on the topic of destructive or abusive relationships.
