Navigating gender identity and sexuality in your ministry
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.
Purposeful waiting for a prodigal
“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.
20 things I’d tell my younger self in 2020
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.
Expectancy in the Christmas story
“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.
Book review: Didn’t See It Coming
“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.
Stories of Clergy Appreciation
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.
Book review: The Emotionally Destructive Relationship
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.
When is it time to leave?
Goodbyes are difficult. Typically we prefer the joyous times of greeting, rather than experiencing the challenging emotions associated with leaving, even if the parting is graced with love and meaningful relationship. Leaving, it seems, is an occupational hazard for all clergy, ministers and missionaries, and seldom do we feel equipped to safely navigate the emotional whitewater rapids that accompany it. Read more
Is it really finished?
The last words that Jesus cried out before he took his last breath were, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Is a Kerith Retreat for me?
In 2017, ExPastors.com published the results of a pastoral survey they had done. They asked pastors two questions:
Do you feel overworked? Sixty-four per cent of pastors replied yes.
Do you feel you are unable to meet the demands of ministry? Eighty-six per cent of respondents answered yes.