One of the toughest ministry lessons I’ve had to learn
I wonder what most pastors would answer if you asked them this question: “What’s the toughest ministry lesson you’ve had to learn?”
I wonder what most pastors would answer if you asked them this question: “What’s the toughest ministry lesson you’ve had to learn?”
As leaders we know there are many areas where we need to grow in our walk with Christ. Sometimes, as we multiply similar needs across a congregation, it can be hard to know where to start. What area of discipleship should we emphasize? Where can teaching, exhortation, and a congregational focus make the most difference?
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Recently, I had the privilege of speaking at a women’s conference where the diversity of attendees spanned generations. Across the table, I found myself in conversation with two women at different life stages: one fresh out of college and single, the other recently widowed. Despite their disparate circumstances, they shared a common struggle—navigating the challenges of finding an apartment, living alone, and facing the uncertainties of the future.
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In honor of mothers, or other women who serve as guardians, plan a special time to say “Thank You” the second Sunday in May. Help children in your church Sunday school class make preparation for this important event. The following ideas can be used for children: • Schedule on your church calendar a special class […]
We may not have much control over when we leave this planet, but we do have a say in how we leave and the impact it will have on our families. When King Hezekiah became terminally ill, the prophet Isaiah said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your affairs in order, for you are about to die’” (2 Kings 20:1).
I have tried really hard to like golf, but I prefer hobbies that do not tempt me to say or do things I will regret later. One thing I do like about golf is the mulligan—a do-over stroke that doesn’t count. They make those terrible shots disappear into thin air.
After pastoring in a fog of clinical depression for several months, I came very close to walking away from the church I was pastoring and the ministry altogether. I had been pastoring for 22 years at the time and was burned out and fed up—mostly with myself.
Dear pastor, You might have an anger problem that, very often, can lead you to becoming a problem. Finishing the following sentence will help you know whether this post addresses you:
The pressure of sermon planning never lets up for pastors. Some weeks have more margin than others, and some texts are more fun to preach than others, yet Sunday is coming regardless. According to a 2012 Lifeway Research study, close to 7 in 10 Southern Baptist pastors spend at least eight hours a week on sermon preparation, with 21% saying they spend more than 15 hours.
One Christmas, my wife, Janet, had a necklace made from a broken piece of my grandmother’s china. These necklaces were made by broken women in a local women’s shelter that our church supported financially. Their jewelry is a wonderful reminder of how God can bring beauty into brokenness. These necklaces remind us of history’s first Christmas gift.
Pastors and social media are sometimes a dangerous duo. I am obviously not opposed to social media, as many of you would not even see this article without it. It can be a great way to stay connected with friends and family, as well as to inspire, inform, and equip your people.
The privilege of knowing Leonard Ravenhill when I was a teenager was nothing less than a sovereign surprise. Ravenhill was a British evangelist and writer whose statements on prayer and revival frequently pop up in sermons and on social media. God crossed our paths during the most impressionable years of my life.
“As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit” (Luke 8:14).
Everyone in ministry will eventually be on both sides of a pastor or ministry leader search process and will need to know best (and worst) practices. Many search team mistakes are inevitable, yet most are avoidable. I’ve learned these lessons the hard way.