As a missionary to Europe I visited Switzerland many times, vacationing and ministering there. It remains my choice as the most beautiful place on earth. It is also among the most influential in my life as a Christian and pastoral coach. The story begins with a chalet in the western Swiss canton of Vaud near […]
One of the complaints often lodged against each new generation of ministers is its ignorance of church history: for many young ministers, church history begins the day of their credentialing or with their first ministry position. It was true in my own life. When I was a young minister, though I was a history buff […]
In a recent issue of a denominational bi-monthly publication for ministers, leaders cited two “killer” statistics within that denomination: Today, in 2018, the average age of an ordained minister is 60 years of age; In the year 2000, the average age of an ordained minister was 55 years of age. Clear evidence that the pulpit is […]
INTRODUCTION At Journey Pastoral Coaching our mission is helping young ministers build strong for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry. One of our tools in this mission is research, research that takes place in three primary ways: asking experienced ministers to give us the benefit of their experience in ministry; posing a monthly Insight […]
In a recent Journey blog post, we addressed the question, “Which young ministers get the most from walking with a pastoral coach?” Based on our years in coaching, as well as the expertise of other pastoral coaches, we were able to identify twelve qualities that mark the young minister who thrives as he or she […]
Recently, I heard someone say that Christian leaders often “appear out of nowhere.” Like a magician waving a wand, repeating the magic word, “abracadabra,” and pulling rabbits out of a hat, God pulls Christian leaders out of the air, magically equips them, and then places them. The speaker’s point of reference was Joshua and his […]
Over the past year, my email inbox has included far too many articles with headlines like these: Epidemic: Another Pastor Burned Out and Quit Last Sunday Pastoral Stress and Burnout Why Pastors Walk Away The Secret Pain of Pastors I could go on and on. We can debate the numbers, but it’s not the numbers […]
I was privileged to formally study for the ministry in two schools: a Bible College and a seminary. Both of these schools gave me a quality education for life in ministry, specifically, pastoral ministry. Given the opportunity to go back and attend or not attend each one, I most certainly would choose to do so […]
Over the past year, I’ve had far more, shall we say, “conversations” with health professionals than I would like. I’ve had more examinations, tests, blood work, etc than I ever thought possible. Doctors have worked hard for my health, not only endeavoring to find and fix my problems, but to help me build well and […]
THE FAILURE TO THRIVE In their book, “Among Friends,” James Hinkle and Tim Woodroof cite a 1945 study conducted by social scientist, René Spitz. The study tracked the development of 88 healthy children (1 to 2 ½ years of age) who had recently been separated from their families and institutionalized in a group home. When […]
© [2015] — Journey Pastoral Coaching