Church History’s Wish List for Pastors – Part I
When we were children, we thoughtfully prepared our Christmas wish lists, some of us even forming them throughout the year. We would ready them to our parents, telling them, "If I could just have these, I wouldn't ever ask for anything again." We thought the things that had meaning for us at eight years of age would still be satisfying at eighteen, thirty-eight, etc., years of age. In like manner, when we are immature ministers...
Eight Years – Eight Lessons
I remember the moment the call came. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but looking back, I see it now. Just a couple years before, I was spending a day with a great friend, one of the two men who led me to Jesus when we were teens. As we talked, he said, “Alan, there's something new coming for you. I can hear it; I can feel it. God is leading you into something;...
Young Ministers on the Joys & Struggles of Ministry
Late this summer, we asked young ministers to answer two questions: Question 1: What is the greatest joy, in general, you have in vocational ministry? Question 2: From your experience, what is the most difficult part of vocational ministry? Here’s how they responded. QUESTION #1: What is the greatest joy, in general, you have in ministry? Seeing people take their next-step in following Jesus: First-time commitments to Christ, water baptism, Spirit-baptism, starting new small groups,...
A Pastor’s Heart & What Makes It Beat
Recently, someone asked me, “You’re a pastor, and you work with pastors, so tell me, where have all the pastors gone?” This person was not referring to pastors who have walked away from ministry but those who serve in pastoral positions but are not pastors in heart – they do not have a pastoral heartbeat. The church world is filled with leaders in pastoral positions: their being is that of a leader; their doing is...
High Steel Mindset: Ministry Lessons Learned 25 Stories Up
Over two hundred fifty feet in the air, standing at the intersection of four 12-inch steel beams, I froze. The sky above me and open space below me, I was completely unable to move. BEAM WALKER What was I doing standing on a 12-inch beam, more than two hundred fifty feet in the air? It was my first day on the job, working on one of the construction crews (iron workers, boiler makers, pipe fitters,...
This One Thing I Would Tell You: Journey Members Offer Advice to Those Entering the Ministry
Every month at Journey Pastoral Coaching, we ask our members to answer our monthly Insight Question. It’s an invaluable resource for me as the Lead Coach at Journey as members, in effect, coach me, helping me understand their world and their insights on the church and world. It’s also one way our members pay to receive pastoral coaching. Finances are tight for young ministers, so rather than add to their burden, Journey lifts the burden...
This One Thing I Would Tell You: Journey Members Offer Advice to Those Entering the Ministry (Part Two)
Thank you for clicking to read the Part Two of our “This One Thing You Must Do” article: an unpacking of the counsel Journey members would give to those just entering vocational ministry. Once again. . . The Scenario: There is a young man or woman in your circle of influence who is about to enter vocational ministry. This individual invites you to coffee and says to you, “You’ve been in the ministry for several...
20 Must-Reads on Pastoral Ministry: Part 2
INTRODUCTION In our previous article, we posted the first half of our 20 must-reads on pastoral ministry. You can read that article here. In this follow-up we look at the second half of our list, again focusing not on the “-ing” of pastoring, but the person, the pastor. These authors write with their attention fixed on the essential element of pastoring, the pastor’s soul. Doing is essential in pastoring; what could be more obvious? But...
20 Must-Reads on Pastoral Ministry
Editor’s Note: In this article, we share with you the first ten books in our look at 20 Must Reads on Pastoring. We invite you to join us in discovering the second half of our list in two weeks. “You’ve got to read this book!” How many times has someone said this to you? My library is testimony to the fact that I have heard it often over the years. You took their advice, you read the...© [2015] — Journey Pastoral Coaching