By Stephen Cavness

I knew that if they were not convinced in their hearts that this was biblical and the right move for our church, then it would not last, and as soon as I was no longer the pastor, a day that will come for all of us, regardless of the why, they would simply revert to the way things used to be. It would be like the hymnal situation, but worse. It would almost certainly make it much more difficult for any subsequent pastor to lead the church to make that change, one that they had already tried but did not stick. 

By Dave Cook

Preacher, guard the parts of your workflow that God has assigned only to you and pray fervently for the Spirit’s work, a far better Helper than any technology that has aided us. 

By Mike Craig

As pastors, we have mastered the concept of abiding, but not the art of it. And yet, there may be no group of people who need to master this more than pastors. Our ministry demands a constant labor of love. It demands a constant pouring out. But if we think for one moment we are sufficient for these things then we won’t abide as we ought. 

By Dave Cook

The Lord commissioned people to proclaim his Gospel to the ends of the earth. When the unknown God made himself known to us, he did so as a man we could see, hear, and interact with (John 1:18). And when he commissioned his news to be spread, he commissioned humans to do it (Mt 28:16–20). 

Here, then, is a core conviction that guides our technology use in preaching: Of all the creatures in the universe, God called only Spirit-filled men to preach Gospel sermons. 

By Dan Steel

Sometimes, despite our best hopes, our most prayerful plans, our track-record and our wholehearted efforts, the church we came to love and to serve doesn’t grow. The vision doesn’t take root. The resistance is stronger than we ever expected. The momentum never builds. Or the cost – financial, relational, emotional, spiritual - proves greater than we anticipated. And we quietly step back, or are asked to step down, often without much of a chance to process what just happened. And we leave feeling bruised and broken.

By Matt Walker

Transitioning from elders-in-principle to elders-in-practice will be a long, slow, and unexpected process for a new pastor. However, qualified elders functioning as genuine shepherds is a joy-filled, God-honoring, Christ-exalting, church-strengthening endeavor, making the transition process worth the perseverance.

By Sean W. Corser

When you prepare and entrust young men to preach you allow them a jumpstart at finding their voice, you provide benefit to your congregation as you prepare another preacher to boldly proclaim the glories of Christ, and you personally benefit from sitting under the preaching of another faithful man.

By C.J. Pearce

This list is seven principles that proved to be helpful in my revitalization context. While not all revitalization contexts are identical I think these principles could prove helpful in your context. What did I miss and would you add? What practical ways have you pursued a healthy culture in your church?

Over time, the Lord did a great work in my heart and brought me out of my shell. He helped me acquire those ever-important interpersonal skills that it takes to be a pastor that a congregation genuinely likes and trusts. I cannot overstate how important these skills are for a long-term ministry. There’s no getting around it… if your people feel like you don’t enjoy talking to them, they won’t enjoy having you as their pastor.

By Hector Candelaria

Carrying the load as the lead guy was beginning to take a toll on me but for the wrong reasons. Thank God I did not have any external pressures to try to make the church grow. No one was forcing me to produce something only God could do in the salvation of sinners. Although, I began to place undue pressure on myself, and this began to create a sensation of dissatisfaction in my life.  

Needless to say, October wasn’t Pastor Appreciation month that year. Looking back, I know many of our faithful church members were simply trying to hold on, to understand what was true, to keep believing in the idea of the church when it was the messiest place they could imagine. My husband and I kept our heads down and just committed to showing up for the next ten years. And that’s what we did. Because that’s what our church needed from us.

By Jon Hawkins

I would have been willing to just jump in a car with the family and leave all our possessions behind. That’s how done I was. Don’t quit.

In 2022 resources on practical shepherding.com received over 100,000 views. The following 5 articles received the most views. Hope they help you thrive in your ministry in 2023 and beyond.

By Garett Wall

Pastors and church leaders must first understand the need for intentional ministry for individuals and families impacted by disability so that we can share the hope we have in Jesus Christ. If we don’t believe there’s a need, then we won’t see a reason to take action. In this article Garrett gives 4 practical and biblical ways pastors and churches can better serve individuals and families with disabilities.

By Garett Wall

There are many factors contributing to this failure by our churches today. It likely begins with the lack of biblical theology on the topic of disability, which minimizes the level of appreciation for God’s plan and purpose for our friends with disabilities. There may also be an absence of understanding and empathy for the challenges, demands, and limits encountered in day to day life for individuals and families impacted by disabilities.

By Glenna Marshall

The church is never a building or a property or a set of traditions and memories. The church is a body, a family, a people knit together through Christ. We can move, relocate, shift our vision, share the gospel, work together, sing together, pray together, and grow together because Christ has made us His own. He has united us to Himself and to one another. No matter where we meet, we are His.

By Kyle McClellan

That is the spirit in which I hope to offer the following observations: I’m the fun uncle trying to help you not make a total hash of this wonderful and maddening vocation of ministry. If I sound like “get off my lawn guy” it’s unintentional, and probably due to a certain amount of fatigue that sets in when you’ve seen the same thing over and over for 4 decades of ministry (90’s-00’s-10’s-20’s).

By Brandon Scroggins

He reminded me that I am not God, but I do need to look to the One who is and simply take responsibility for what I could do. I felt like ten planets had been lifted from my shoulders with that sobering statement. I was challenged with this: “What if God truly is sovereign … and what if God is planning to use all of these unknowns with covid to do something in your life and church that He wouldn’t accomplish otherwise?” I was struck. And I was reminded that the Lord truly is my Shepherd and that He really does have the whole world in His hands. However, I still wrestled with many doubts.

By William Marshall

While praying, the Lord gave me a crazy idea: what if we merged our churches together? I knew that Kenny and I were very like-minded in our beliefs (in fact, I hadn’t found anything that we disagreed on), so I thought that could work. But being like-minded and joining our congregations together were two different things. Even so, I felt like I should at least bring it up and see what he thought.