Apostate Apostles
The recent news of young Christian leaders who are renouncing their faith in the Crucified and Risen Savior is troubling, to say the very least. It is troubling for at least three reasons: 1. The damage these denials do to those who are young in the faith; 2. As leaders in the church, their faith lacked the foundation of Jesus Christ. Their ministries were instead built on one of two false floors: at best, an immature faith in...
MEMORIAL OR FUNERAL SERVICE?
Editor’s Note: Journey is pleased to announce that our new resource for pastors, “When the Call Comes: A Pastor’s Guide to Funerals” has just been released. This book (paper and ebook formats) helps ministers prepare themselves to walk with families in grief – from the moment the call comes informing the pastor that a death has occurred all the way through to the final “Amen” of the graveside service. Two weeks ago, the Journey blog...
When The Call Comes
Sharing the Journey With Those Who Mourn Editor's Note: Journey is pleased to announce that our new resource for pastors, "When the Call Comes: A Pastor's Guide to Funerals" has just been released. This 232-page book (paper and ebook formats) helps ministers prepare themselves to walk with families in grief - from the moment the call comes informing the pastor that a death has occurred all the way through to the final "Amen" of the...
Why Young Ministers Isolate
BEFORE WE REVEAL THE WHYS . . . The number one killer of ministers is isolation. Isolated ministers - ministers who walk alone - don’t survive, much less thrive. They may remain in the ministry, but they end up as one of two types: the Hard and Bitter or The Cruiser (See Journey’s March 15 blog post to read more about it.) “He could have eased his pain if he had had someone to talk to. ....
Staff Pastor Horror Stories
I received the following two horror story phone calls in one week. Call #1: A Young Staff Pastor in Shock. Without warning, he had been fired by his senior pastor the day before. No notice or signs. None. No indications that anything was wrong. From the day he was hired, no one, not his pastor or anyone in church leadership, ever let him know anything was wrong. From day one of his service at the...
U40 Ministers: The Internal Changes We’ve Made Since Entering the Ministry
In our most recent article, we reported the results of a question we recently posed to the members of Journey Pastoral Coaching. The question was straightforward: “What is the greatest MINISTRY lesson you’ve learned since leaving your theological / ministry training school?” We invite you to read the results of that survey by clicking here. In this article we continue the theme, asking a very natural follow-up question: “Since entering your vocational service what is THE...
U40 Ministers Tell Us What They’ve Learned Since Seminary
We recently asked the members of Journey this question: “What is the greatest MINISTRY lesson you’ve learned since leaving your theological / ministry training school?” Their answers are not only enlightening but in some cases surprising. In side comments, several wrote that while they had intellectually "learned" a particular lesson in Bible College or seminary, they have since "experienced" this lesson and grown wiser for it since being in the ministry. They said this question does...
Why You Need a Peer Coaching Relationship
Editor’s Note: The author of this article, Josh Havens, is co-founder and co-director of the online discipleship ministry, Daily Growth Discipleship, a ministry whose mission is perfectly described in its name. He serves at Global University, a worldwide distance learning pioneer, integrates education and service in 150 countries. He is also a member of Journey Pastoral Coaching and represents Journey to ministers and ministries across the country. I never thought I needed a deep and intimate relationship...
The Ever Green Deal
Politicians are currently arguing something called "The New Green Deal." We don't want to get into the politics and economics of anything, but we do want to make a point: if there is a "new" green deal, there must also be an "old" green deal. Or better stated, an "ever" green deal. So, what is "The Ever Green Deal?" Who came up with it? And what's it all about? The New Green Deal harkens back to and...© [2015] — Journey Pastoral Coaching