By Glenna Marshall

Music has a powerful way of touching our emotions and articulating things we don’t quite know how to say. Just this morning, I was listening to some praise music while running through my neighborhood. The words of one particular song were simple and true and set to a catchy melody. I found myself singing along while huffing and puffing down the street–words about God’s faithfulness that I needed back when I wondered if we’d survive the church trauma and mass exodus. I appreciate the way simple truths of Scripture can be called to mind in song so that we can praise, pray, and cry out to the Lord.

By Kellye Carmack

There are so many practical ways to accomplish the great commission and I want to share a few suggestions directly from the mission field. I asked missionaries from various parts of the world to share the most encouraging ways their home church has supported them. While this list is by no means exhaustive, just a few ideas for how you can care for the missionaries from your church. Read them and be encouraged.

By Glenna Marshall

We don’t have to be strong for others. We don’t have to be unmoved by sorrows or stresses. We don’t have to pretend that life is easy for us. We only have to run to the One who is always strong, always good, and always full of steadfast love. As the Lord sustains us, we can point others to His faithfulness that will never disappoint.

By Kellye Carmack

At Practical Shepherding Women’s Ministry, we want to help as you navigate the challenges of leadership in the church.

By Glenna Marshall

When I realized that my hope must be in Christ and not other’s opinions of me, I stopped praying for my church to love me back and began praying that they would love Jesus the most. It is unfair to hang our contentment on the people with whom we worship and serve; they were never meant to be the anchor for our hope. Only Christ can shoulder the weight of our souls’ satisfaction.

By Kellye Carmack

as believers we have been adopted into one family. We are brothers and sisters who share the common bond of being raised to new life in Christ. A new life and a new family where grace and love can abound because we are the children of the God who is love. Through His church, God gives us the gifts of experiencing His rich love and mercies if we will just open our hands to receive.

By Cara Croft

Am I good pastor’s wife? It was a question I asked myself many times for as long as we have been in ministry. There was always this nagging doubt, this suspicion that I was not “doing my job” well.

By Glenna Marshall

Safe in-person friendships in ministry are gifts to celebrate, even if they only last for a season. These bursts of friendships are often gifts of God’s grace to us during times of extreme suffering and isolation. Regardless of the length of the season, safe friendships are expressions of the Lord’s care for us. When we view friendships as gifts from God rather than rights to be claimed, we can cherish them deeply while holding them loosely.

By Kellye Carmack

This pandemic has been like a never-ending tornado, disturbing or destroying everything it touches. We all know the church has been hit in different ways. Congregations have lost beloved members to COVID and have seen others become seriously ill. As services and meetings have decreased, church members feel disconnected and frustrated.

By Cara Croft

So, what are some of the limitations with friendships within the church? I think we need to start with the fact that there are some topics we cannot talk about with church members. We risk causing division in our churches if we are discussing other members or complaining about decisions being made (among other things that we need to talk about regarding the church). These conversations are best had with a safe friend who is outside the situation. The other part of this is that we often need people on the outside to help bring some prospective as to what it is we need to share.

By Glenna Marshall

If Sunday mornings are the hardest days of your week (be honest—they are), if you don’t know how to comfort your husband when he’s discouraged, if you feel your marriage is struggling because of ministry, if you can’t remember why your husband’s calling even matters—Help! I’m Married to my Pastor by Jani Ortlund is for you.

By Kellye Carmack

Jesus had conversations with women who were not too different from you (see John 4 and John 8). Read the stories of His encounters with these two women. Jesus wasn’t shocked or repulsed by women who sinned sexually. Instead of condemnation, He responded with grace, compassion, and truth.

By Cara Croft

My dear sister, not only can it be true—it is true. You are worth delighting in. You are being rescued. God sees you, He hears your cries, and He takes delight in caring for you.

Please stop and take a moment. Don’t scroll on to the next blog or the next blog post/podcast/book/sermon/etc. Stop, take a breath and let it sink in for one moment that God delights in you and he will rescue you from whatever it is that is threatening to drown you today.

By Kellye Carmack

For those who are in Christ, our foundation is more than our past experiences or our present realities. We are rooted in Him and that root runs deep and strong. He is the source of everything we need for each new season. Our identities find security in Him.

By Glenna Marshall

Prayer binds my heart to my church. It protects me from bitterness. It helps me to view my congregation as family, to step outside my own little world and serve others, to value their faithfulness to Jesus more than our “successful” ministry. Developing a habit of prayer takes time, and prayer itself takes time. But the investment is never wasted. While you might be praying for the Lord to change your church, you can be sure that He will use prayer to change you.

by Cara Croft

It is important in this season of busyness, this season of hurry and tension, to take a moment and “be still” before God. There may be no “big revelations” from God, there may be no deep conviction of sin. This is just a time to be quiet, listen, and rest in the presence of our loving God.

By Glenna Marshall

It’s rare that a new Christmas song finds it way on to my permanent rotation. I mean, you can’t beat the classic Advent hymns, right? Yet, a new song from Sovereign Grace has been playing on repeat in my ears the past few weeks, and I think it is particularly meaningful for those of us who are struggling in ministry.

By Kellye Carmack

This month on the blog we want to offer you a few practical ways to savor the birth of Jesus. We pray that each post in this Christmas series will lead you in a few moments of worship as you reflect on Christ this season.

By Cara Croft

Picture the farmer. He goes out and toils all day in the heat and humidity. He continues to tend his crops, trying to water them as much as possible since the sky seems to have dried up. He focuses on trying to save the crop so that he can harvest it in the cooler days. (I am no farmer, nor do I live near farms so some of these details I am taking my own liberty with interpreting) We work really hard hoping that someday soon those fall winds will blow through, cool off the heat and bring some relief. Yet the heat toils on.

By Glenna Marshall

The friend seemed reluctant to admit it, but he told my husband that every day of ministry for him thus far had been sweet. “It’s like every day is summer,” he said. I remember how that statement mystified my husband. His friend had exuded excitement and passion about his church, but we were completely worn down and burned out.