Ministering to Felt Needs
There was this nice, new family who was visiting your church for the past month or so. But you haven’t seen them now for a couple weeks, and so you ask someone who was more connected with them: “What happened…
Tag Pastoral Ministry
When Discontent Sheep Show Up
Most pastors have heard the complaints of visitors coming from other local churches. It is not uncommon for believers to grow discontent with their circumstances and begin looking elsewhere for a new church family at some point in their Christian…
Doing Doctrine Pastorally?
As Reformed churches face an array of social challenges and pastoral concerns, I have found the idea spreading that we must “do” doctrine pastorally. That is, we must decide the Bible’s teaching based on how we think it will impact…
When Preaching is Not Your Thing…
Pastoral ministry is exceedingly difficult; and, anyone would be hard pressed to find a pastor who hasn’t entertained the thought of what life would be like if he were to do something else. Loving God, His church, and His people…
How to Discourage Your Minister in the New Year
I recently had someone come to see me who was struggling in their church. In all honesty it would have been hard to be more depressed by what they had to say. I had very little sympathy with their complaints…
In Defense of the Sabbatical
Pastoral ministry often feels like a 24/7 calling. A pastor can’t leave the care of the people of God at the door of the office when the clock strikes 5 PM. While pastoring in the First World requires considerably less…
Being Pence-ive about Dinner with the Ladies
Adultery among any people group is a serious and dreadful act in this fallen world. In fact, in an increasingly fatherless culture where divorce is becoming more and more the rule rather than the exception, one would argue that this is…
A Pastoral Letter to Myself (In the Case that I Fall)
Dear Self, You’re much weaker than you think. Remember that Scripture says, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). It’s easy to look at men who have fallen in ministry with a…
Shepherds and Self-Awareness
When ministers and elders gather together, it is usual for them share their ministry burdens with each other. The calling of a minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is high and hard; the weightiness of the calling…
The Guilt of Pastoral Ministry
As I was re-reading a section of Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and Thriving, these words made a Facebook debut: “We asked our summit pastors, ‘What obstacles stand in the way of your fruitful, growing walk with…