If I were to ask you for the most common reason pastors are exited from their churches, what would be your guess? Lousy theology? Bad work habits? Lack of concern for the members? Drawing from numerous studies conducted over the last 4 decades, the experts agree that conflict – “the ugly pastor/pew rift over how … Continue reading Finding Hope in the Midst of Conflict – Part 1
What a beautiful thing it is when the Church - perceived by many to be a place where we shoot our wounded - becomes the means of healing and restoration for its own! This last weekend I had the privilege of observing, firsthand, how a small suburban church has welcomed a burned-out pastor and his … Continue reading Healing Our Own!
“From life’s first cry, to final breath Jesus commands my destiny… Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.” – from,” In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend It is good to be back after taking a bit of a break for the holidays. Spending time with family and a few friends, enjoying … Continue reading The Illusion of Control
We are once again coming into the final days of Advent – a time when cards are filled with wishes for hope and good cheer - a time when our anticipation of celebrating goodwill should be at its peak. Yet the events of the past few weeks seem to have cast a pall over these … Continue reading Christ, Our Hope!
My thanks to “Shoe”, “Dilbert” and David Hayward-the Naked Pastor. DILBERT SHOE The Naked Pastor by David Hayward
I am a product of the first generation to be immersed in television and television advertising. I cannot even imagine trying to count the number of ads that have passed before my eyes – from the sublime to the ridiculous to the downright annoying. Some are disturbing only after you think about the messages they … Continue reading The Slow Track – a pattern of restoration for exited pastors
“In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” – Titus 2:7-8 A while ago, when I was fresh into PIR’s … Continue reading Pastoral Ponderings – A Sound Heart
While the task of ministering to pastors can be daunting for those of us involved, it is encouraging to know that we are not alone. When I began the process of coming on board with PIR Ministries, I shared what God was doing in my life with a friend, Charles Shepson. Dr. Shepson entered my … Continue reading CareGivers Forum 2012 – Gathering Together Those Who Serve God’s Shepherds
The pastoral world today is different in many ways from when I was serving in that capacity. As a result, I thought it would be good to invite some of the younger guys to jump in and talk about some of the unique challenges they face in trying to live out the call of God … Continue reading Doing Church in a Facebook world – Guest Blog
Welcome to Bob Groves, pastor (of GENISiS in Chesapeake, Va.) and friend. This is a re-post (with permission) from his blog "Journey". http://bobgroves.com I found this to be a helpful reminder about setting a good pace. "Slow Down and Increase Your Significance!" by Bob Groves Life is busy…we all know that. However, if we don’t create space … Continue reading Setting a Good Pace – Guest Blog
AN ENCOURAGING WORD 