William Vanderbloemen: Conventional wisdom says that the average youth pastor stays only 18 months. While there may be data backing up this statistic, what’s interesting is how conversations like this color the youth pastor as a commitment-phobe, laying all of the blame at the youth pastor’s feet. What if part of the problem – and the solution – were in the church leadership? What if churches asked, “What can we do to hire – and keep – a great youth pastor?”
What Really Excites Pastors?
What Really Excites Pastors?
Ron Edmondson: There are many common factors pastors seem to get excited about in their work. Pastors get to see the best and worst of life, but there are so many positive things we get to experience.
What Pastors Don't Like About Their Job
Chuck Lawless: Here are the top 12 responses to a Facebook and Twitter survey. Surprises?
2015 Pastors' Survey Says Much About Why Journey Pastoral Coaching Exists
ExPastor.com: Pastors respond to questions about their call, depression, burnout, family expectations and more. While it’s not a scientific sampling, the results line up with other surveys on the same subject. THIS is why Paul David Tripp says that every pastor needs to be pastored. THIS is why Journey exists to pastor the pastor.
Following Rob Bell: The Edges of Faith & The Center of the Zeitgeist
Lauren Chandler: The prophetic voice of the American church has gone hoarse. The issue is the pulpit and those who fill it. Case in point: The Rob Bell Narcissistic Pastoral Model.
5 Misconceptions About the Pastor's Wife
Lauren Chandler: Some churches have their own set of unwritten qualifications for the pastor’s wife, many of which create unrealistic expectations and abundant misconceptions. These can place undue pressure on the wife of a pastor. This shouldn’t be the case, however, since Scripture knows no such formal category. Here are five popular misconceptions about the pastor’s wife . . .
The Biblical Role of Pastor
Dan Reiland: Whenever I hear someone say … “I’m helping my pastor get his ministry accomplished” … I cringe just a little. I know that comes from a good heart, but there is a better and biblical principle still to be discovered . . .
The Pastor as Theologian
Al Mohler of Southern Seminary: Every pastor is called to be a theologian. This may come as a surprise to some pastors, who see theology as an academic discipline taken during seminary rather than as an ongoing and central part of the pastoral calling. Nevertheless, the health of the church depends upon its pastors functioning as faithful theologians–teaching, preaching, defending, and applying the great doctrines of the faith . . .
VIDEO: Everything You Need to Know About Church Planting ... In 3 Minutes
Video: Have you thought about church planting? Here’s a concise but complete 3 minute course in how to do it. Plant your tongue firmly in your cheek and enjoy as we laugh at ourselves for 180 seconds . . .
5 Ways to Survive in Ministry
Greg Crawford: The last three years have been the hardest years I have ever experienced. I have seen the evil in people and felt the direction of that evil. Throughout those years I have “quit” a hundred times. I have entertained job offers outside the ministry and even thought of completely moving and restarting somehow. Those three years have seemed like an eternity. Here are the choices I made that determined my survival . . .
Adapt Or Die: 6 Steps to Becoming an Innovative Church
Karl Vaters: Adapt or die. The longer I spend in pastoral ministry, the more convinced I am of that truth. Especially in small churches. The good news is, because of our size, small churches have the ability to adapt more quickly than our larger counterparts. Like steering a speedboat instead of an ocean liner.
9 Things That Will Still Be True About Your Church in 10 Years
Rich Birch: Great church leaders are like sailors who are reading the breezes and adjusting the sails to catch the winds of change. While we worry about the latest social media trend or where music in the church is headed or if it’s possible to train robots to do pastoral care, we also need to invest in what we know will remain true and build our ministries, systems and approaches around that.
Pastoring Isn't For Wimps
Jared Moore: The blessings of ministry far outweigh the realities above; however, ministry is definitely not easy. . . Furthermore, always remember that God has called you to love His church, not merely His mature church, but His immature church, as well. Moreover, a call to ministry is a call to bleed . . .
How to Pastor An Evangelistic Church
Ed Stetzer: Most Christians have never shared their faith and called others to trust Christ.
Ever.
Not even once.
7 Frustrations of Every Pastor
Ron Edmondson: Here is my reply of some of my most frustrating things I see as a pastor. Please understand, I’m simply being honest
11 Signs of a Monster Pastor
Scott Attebery: Monster pastors have little regard for the sheep. Instead, their first priority is self, …. Such pastors may use pressure tactics, political maneuvering and/or persuasive speech in order to manipulate a congregation into acting on their behalf. Simply put, monster pastors are building their own kingdom rather than Christ’s kingdom.
Five Question Prospective Pastors Need to Ask Pulpit Committees
Thom Rainer: “This church is nothing like the search committee described. They said they were ready for change. They are, as long as it doesn’t affect them!” It is critical that prospective pastors ask questions about the church. There are five questions, however, which are rarely asked. These questions could be key toward avoiding some of the unpleasant surprises many pastors encounter.
Don't Waste Your Life Doing Youth Ministry
Greg Stier: You’ve seen the statistics and heard the horror stories. Many (if not most) teenagers abandon the church after they graduate from high school. The biblical literacy of Christian teenagers is spiraling downward and the passion for all things worldly skyrocketing upward. Families are more broken. Teenagers are more apathetic. Youth ministry is more difficult. So don’t waste your life doing youth ministry.
Why Pastors Think About Quitting
Josh Reich: I heard at a conference recently that two out of three pastors are thinking about quitting. While many statistics often feel made up, I can say that as a pastor, this stat rings true. Pastors know this. Many people in their churches do not. There are a few reasons why pastors think about quitting:
Youth Minister Salaries Survey
Rick Lawrence of Group Magazine: It’s the one thing we don’t talk about in “polite company”—our financial life. In our 2015 Youth Ministry Salary Survey, you’ll confirm what you already know, and ram into some surprises. For example, the typical youth pastor in our survey is …
The Pastor's Personal Holiness.
Jason Helopolous: Nothing is more essential to a pastor’s calling or the ministry he extends to others than his own personal holiness. As I reflect over the past decade of watching fellow brothers in the pastorate fail morally, the threats seem to come in four primary categories. Dear pastor, be on-guard against each . . .
Pastors' Survey Reveals Discouragement Among Many in Ministry
ExPastors.com: Getting an accurate account of what pastors have gone through or are currently going through isn’t easy and no one survey is a complete study. But in the interest of adding to the larger body of knowledge concerning the well-being of pastors, ExPastors.com conducted a survey of its followers. The results were all too similar to other such studies and only serve to emphasize the importance of pastoral coaching and peer mentorship for ministers.
5 Steps to Suck the Rock Star Out of Your Worship Leader
Carlos Whittaker of Church Plants: I actually connect and LOVE leading worship with fantastic production and bands to rock you. It is part of my life, what I regularly get paid to do, and I’m really good at it. But I think there are ways to do this worship leading thing while bouncing any glory you may feel back onto the face of Jesus. And to be honest, it’s not always easy . . .
Pastor, These Three Things Are On God's Shoulders, Not Yours. Peace.
Jonathan Pearson: When God called Moses, he didn’t seem like a good candidate to lead the nation God had called out and separated for Himself. However, God in all his wisdom chooses Moses. As he’s telling Moses about the call that He wants him to complete, Moses begins to make excuses. During this quick exchange between God and Moses, we can see 3 things that God says He’ll do for Moses. I think He’s still telling us leaders today, “I’ll take care of these, you just go.”
PODCAST: 5 Questions for Worship Pastors
Barnabas Piper: Worship leaders are among the most prominent and obvious leaders in the church. They are in front of congregations weekly helping people enter into corporate worship, primarily through music. So it seemed fitting on a leadership podcast to dig into the role of “worship leader.”
25 Weird Things People Have Said to Their Pastors. This is Fun!
Thom Rainier Few people are truly aware of the constant requests, complaints, and criticisms pastors and other church leaders receive. I must admit, however, I was surprised when I asked church leaders on Twitter to share some of the more unusual comments they have received. I was first surprised at how many responded. But I was most surprised at the really strange things people tell pastors and other church leaders . . .
The Pastor's Secrets
Mark Love: It’s difficult being a minister. In the hard times, I always felt like many of the people in the church didn’t really understand us. Where our hearts were, how we were feeling, what our intentions were, how best to help us help the church. Which often felt dysfunctional . . . .
3 Reasons Pastors Don't Equip
Eric Geiger: The role of pastor is divinely designed to prepare others for ministry, not to perform all the duties in ministry. Pastors are not called to “do ministry” but to “equip believers” to minister to one another (Ephesians 4:11-13). And yet . . .
11 Bible Verses for the Anxious Leader
Art Rainer: From performance to personnel issues, the reasons for a leader’s anxiety are innumerable. Like many leaders today, you may find yourself feeling immersed in anxiety. And you desperately desire to come up for air. God knew that anxiety would find its way into our lives. So He talks to us about it in the Bible. Here are 11 Bible verses for the anxious leader:
7 Ways to Care for Your Pastor
Shawn Wilhite: I know addressing pastoral care can be awkward. But it doesn’t always have to be. Here are seven simple ways church members can care for their pastor.
Shepherding Your Church AND Your Family
Herschel York of Southern Seminary: Too many pastors spend time preparing sermons and lessons for church members while neglecting to impart a heart for God to their own children.
The Surrendered Pastor and Church
Ronnie Floyd of Pastors.com: There continues to be a deep need for a spiritual revival in our churches today. I am often asked how we experience such a revival. My answer continues to be that until we make a decision to deal honestly with God’s questions about full allegiance to Him, there will be little or no prospect of a revival in our hearts, no stirring of the Spirit in our churches, and no awakening in our land. A surrendered pastor and a surrendered church will experience spiritual revival.
How to Pray for Your Pastor or How Your People Can Pray for YOU, Pastor
Dave Jenkins, Servants of Grace Ministries: The Schaeffer Institute’s research paints a disturbing picture:
50 percent of newly appointed ministers will not last 5 years;
Over 1,700 pastors leave the ministry every month;
70 percent of pastors constantly fight depression;
Prayer is a mighty weapon and a means of grace God has given His people—and your pastor needs your prayers. Here are four ways you can be in prayer for your pastor . . .
REPORT: The Stats on Pastoral Health and Satisfaction. Uh oh.
Bo Lane of ExPastors: People in the church don’t have a real sense of all that a pastor does. They think he works a few hours on Sunday morning and that’s about it. They also have unrealistic expectations of his own humanity. Although these unrealistic and unwritten demands come from within the local body, or perhaps from those in greater authority of the local pastor, it’s still the responsibility (a battle, some might argue) of the pastor to achieve this balanced life for themselves and their families . . .
Questions to Ask in Answering THE Question: Am I Called to Pastor?
Shane Edelman: We believe in the call of God to the pastorate: it’s not a career choice, but God’s hand at work in us for the sake of His glory, the good of His people, and the salvation of those separated from Him. It’s NOT about you or me. But how do we know if we are called by God to pastor His church? Here are nine questions that might help you get THE answer to THE question. . .
Reasons Why Pastors Leave the Ministry
Jim Fuller: It’s a war out there. And in there. Few pastors will talk about it, but here are some of the reasons why your pastors may be thinking of quitting . . .
10 Keys to Long Term Pastorates
Thom Rainer: Imagine what might take place if pastors consistently stayed at churches for 10 or more years. Imagine that their tenure was largely healthy. Imagine what would happen in our congregations through increased stability . . .
My Single Biggest Regret
Joe McKeever: I invite you to read this opening to my journal dated October 1980. I was 40 years old and Margaret was 38. We were in our 19th year of marriage, and pastoring the First Baptist Church of Columbus, Miss. Our children were 17, 14 and 11 . . .
Three Occupational Hazards of Pastoring
Dan Dorlani: Pride seems to be our greatest danger. My work causes me to travel widely, and my years as a senior pastor and seminary professor make me an unofficial consultant after I speak. The stories I hear suggest that three temptations—all related to pride—commonly beset Christian leaders, especially if they have growing, prominent ministries
Statistics on Pastors
The Schaeffer Institute The Schaeffer Institute brought several studies together to present these statistics on the health and vitality of those who lead the church. They are 2007 numbers, but does anyone really think these numbers have improved since then . . .
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