4 Common Objections to Pastor Sabbatical
Objections to pastor sabbaticals are often rooted in jealousy, fear, worry, or anxiety rather than faith.
How to Pay for a Pastor’s Sabbatical
Finding funding to pay for a pastor’s sabbatical is a daunting task, especially for a small church. However, with some advance planning there are several ways to make it possible. The first step is to plan the sabbatical in detail for both pastor and congregation. Once a detailed plan is in place, it’s easier to […]
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How to Structure a Sabbatical for Your Pastor.
In my previous article, I explained Why You Should Make Your Pastor Take a Sabbatical. Dallas Willard called it the single greatest need of the church today: “I can state without wavering that the single greatest need of the church today is the restoration of ministers. What is required is a quite different approach to […]
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Why you should make your pastor take a sabbatical
6 reasons pastor sabbaticals are good for your church Several years ago I experienced deep spiritual fatigue. You can read about this burnout in The Year I Lost My Mind. During this time, I had an intuitive sense that I needed rest – the kind of Sabbath rest that deepens relationship with God and others. […]
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Don’t Check Your Soul at the Door
How to make leadership meetings spiritual again Many leadership meetings are purely secular – they have no reference to God at all. You just hang your soul at the door and put it on again on your way out. – Ruth Haley Barton Last month my wife and I drove through blizzard conditions to hear […]
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In Praise of the Pastor’s Wife
A tribute to those who serve behind the scenes My grandmother was a pastor’s wife for over 50 years as my grandfather pastored 3 churches and served as interim pastor in 13 churches. She was truly the first lady of the church. I remembering her greeting each person at church with grace and dignity. To […]
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Invest in Your Pastor’s Joy
How well you care for your pastor will determine how well your pastor can care for you and your church. It doesn’t account for everything, but your pastor cannot minister to his full potential if the church is not investing in his joy.
Trapped by Tradition
The Institutionalized Church Leader Are you an institutionalized leader? Brooks had been part of one particular institution for 50 years. It was all he knew, and over the years he grew to love the familiar walls, the fulfilling work, and the predictable patterns. So when Brooks was forced to leave, he couldn’t cope with the […]
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What to Expect on a Prayer Retreat
Prayer retreats are an essential part of my self-care strategy (or rule of life). A few years ago, I learned that I needed time away with God to refocus and recharge for ministry. Without these retreats, I will burn out or become depressed. I suspect that more people than just pastors would benefit from extended […]
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God, Are You There?
If God is present everywhere, why do we feel so all alone? Richard Rohr says, “We’re already in the presence of God. What’s absent is awareness.”
