How to Experience a Good Coaching Call
Pastoral coaching-mentorship is a biblical leader development approach, not a leadership development approach: our focus is not on the doing of leadership, but the being of the leader. It is modeled by Jesus as He walks with The Twelve, continued by The Twelve as they walked with John Mark, Barnabas, and others. It is the approach Barnabas used with Paul, and then Paul with Timothy, Titus, and others. Lost to much of the church during its dalliance with...
Code Blue In The Church Part Two
In “Code Blue In the Church Part One,” I addressed five Code Blue facts about the health of the American Church today (CLICK TO READ PART ONE) 1. Americans are not only skipping church services; they are skipping out of the church. A 2023 study by George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University (CRC) found just 33% of Americans say they attend church once a week, down from 42% in 2000. 2. Americans...
Code Blue In The Church Part One
A church leader, a great friend, told me today of churches closing in his city. Sadness and lament poured from his heart. He is grieving for the church in his area, aching for his fellow believers and church leaders. Key phrases he shared with me: “The apostasy grows day by day.” “What we see around us these days is so disheartening and almost surreal.” He is hurting for the Church in America - even as...
Pastoring in the 21st Century
I am a collector of quotes. As I read a book, I note significant passages and add them to my collection. At present, I have approximately 20,000 quotes on my computer (yes, backed up!), the fruit of more than forty years of reading, all filed by subject. One of the largest sets of quotes in my collection is on the subject of pastoring, words of wisdom and encouragement that I share daily with the members...
Minister Health Part Two
In my previous article, I addressed the essential elements needed for living a healthy life in vocational ministry today. As a pastoral coach who focuses exclusively on young ministers, the ten essentials I share—five in this article and the five presented in my previous article—require the careful attention of young ministers in America right now, immediately. Click to read Part One of this two-part series on Minister Heath This list of ten essential elements is...
Minister Health – Part One
In my previous article, I presented the results of Journey's conversations with small groups of young ministers across America on the good and the bad of life in vocational ministry. I also shared what they deem to be the essential elements needed for living a healthy life in vocational ministry. Their responses reveal great insights and wisdom. You can read that article here. In this and my next article, I discuss minister health. As a pastoral...
The Good, the Bad, & The Healthy
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE HEALTHY OF LIFE IN VOCATIONAL MINISTRY "The life of the minister is the life of his ministry." Albert Martin We recently sat down with small groups of young ministers from across America and talked life in vocational ministry. Our discussion focused on three subjects: 1. What are the best parts of life in vocational ministry? 2. What are the hardest parts of life in vocational ministry? 3. What are...
Will You Not Revive Us Again, O Lord?
Are you hearing what I’m hearing? America is on the verge of a great revival! All the signs indicate we are on the precipice of a history-making revival of never-before-seen proportions! “Revive your church, oh Lord, beginning with me.” Augustine A REVIVAL STORY. OR IS IT? When God called our family to serve as missionaries to Europe, we left a church we loved dearly. This church was not a “thing” to us but a people....
My Home Church Closed. A True Story.
I read the news today; oh boy About another church that failed the grade. And yes, the news was rather sad I found no reason there to laugh. My home church closed. Even as I type these words, I can’t believe it. And yet, I know it's true. After 48 years of ministry, the church where I was formed in Christ forever closed its doors. The interim pastor placed the keys in the hands of...© [2015] — Journey Pastoral Coaching