Articles to Help pastors thrive in the trenches of pastoral ministry.
What are some practical tips when considering a fast?
By Brian Croft
How does a fast work? The simplest way to explain it is to say that the moments we inevitably feel unfulfilled hunger pains of food should instead move us to pray. We translate our natural hunger for food, which is necessary for life, into prayer. Our physical yearnings are transferred into spiritual hunger for God, for the life we have in him, and for him to do what only he can do.
Should a pastor take a day off every week?
A simple and straightforward answer to this question…yes. There are no caveats and no disclaimers. Just, yes. Take a day off each week. Here are a few reasons I feel so strongly about this.
What are the 2 painful anniversaries a widow faces each year?
A widow is a unique lady who, now that her husband is gone, not only has this once very special day (wedding day)transformed into a very painful day, but has also added another anniversary to her annual calendar—the anniversary of her husband’s death. Both become very painful days, days which pastors and the church need to be aware are coming in the lives of the widows in their care
How do you help a 5-year-old grieve over the sudden loss of her daddy?
Grief is a good thing and all who have experienced this kind of loss needs to grieve. However, how do you help a 5-year-old girl experience grief that is good and helpful?
The Visitor: Dealing with Depression as a Pastor's Wife
It has come to call upon me yet again. The old, familiar visitor who decides to drop in for a visit. It would be nice if she would call to see if she is welcome before she shows up at the door, but she doesn’t. Then again, depression has never been a kind visitor, never thoughtful, never asking if this may be a good time for me to have her visit. How long will she stay this time? Just today? A week, a whole month? What if she never leaves? That is always the fear. That she is going to permanently move in, and yet history tells me that she will eventually leave.
Why did I take the whole month of July off from all ministry?
The rigors of tri-vocational ministry had left me deeply weary with a fatigue that I realized would not be remedied by a few days off. I needed to step away completely for the purpose of rest and a needed “gut check” in several areas of my life. I took the entire month of July off. Unplugged from all ministry, including all social media.