Archive for the 'Pastoral Ministry' Category

Sources of Burnout

by Phil Gons on September 17th, 2007

sources-of-burnout.jpgDavid Yearick, pastor emeritus at Hampton Park Baptist Church in Greenville, SC and former senior pastor of 39 years, shares the most common ways that pastors burn out.

Physical Burnout

  • Lack of proper sleep and rest
  • Little or no exercise
  • Obesity
  • Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
  • Illness

Continue reading ‘Sources of Burnout’

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How to Spend Your Day Off

by Phil Gons on September 5th, 2007

how-to-spend-your-day-off.jpgColin Adams, Associate Pastor with Charlotte Baptist Chapel in Edinburgh, shares ten guidelines that he tries to follow in spending his days off.

  1. Thou shalt not under any circumstances ‘work the job’ on this day.
  2. Thou shalt not neglect small and satisfying tasks.
  3. Thou shalt not neglect biography and other soul assuaging books.
  4. Thou shalt not ignore friends and family but enjoy the company of one’s nearest and dearest.
  5. Thou shalt not fail to have unhurried conversation opportunities with one’s wife.
  6. Thou shalt not neglect ‘getting away’ from the city for a change of scene and a breath of fresh air.
  7. Thou shalt not neglect prayerfully watching over one’s soul and in hearing the Word of God.
  8. Thou shalt not fail to give quality attention to one’s children.
  9. Thou shalt trust God, who works even while we rest.
  10. Thou shalt not blog.

What would you add to or subtract from this list? What do you typically do on your day off?

Read Colin’s whole post at Unashamed Workman.

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Bullet Points 08/27/07

by Phil Gons on August 27th, 2007

bullet-points-082707.jpgHere are today’s bullet points:

• SBC President Frank Page on Blogs: Page has withdrawn his endorsement of the SBCOutpost blog and offers some reservations about blogs in general.

The bigger issue, Page said, is that members of local churches have taken to using blogs to carry on bitter debates about problems within their own congregations.

“It just presents a very poor and very public airing of the dirty laundry in church business,” he said. “I’m trying to tell churches, please, let’s deal with our problems in a more civil and, yes, more private fashion.”

Continue reading ‘Bullet Points 08/27/07′

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Derek Prime on Expository Preaching

by Phil Gons on August 22nd, 2007

derek-prime-on-expository-preaching.jpgColin Adams of the Unashamed Workman blog interviews Derek Prime, former senior pastor of Charlotte Baptist Chapel in Edinburgh from 1969–1986, on matters relating to expository preaching.

He asks him 10 questions. Here are a few selections from that interview:

Continue reading ‘Derek Prime on Expository Preaching’

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20 Tips for Reducing Stress

by Phil Gons on July 16th, 2007

20-tips-for-reducing-stress.jpgMark Driscoll (Wikipedia) continues his series Death by Ministry. In part 9 he shares 20 tips for reducing your level of stress.

  1. Accept the size of your plate and fill it.
  2. Exercise.
  3. Do not allow technology to be your Lord.
    1. Have two cell phones.
    2. Have two email accounts.
    3. Have someone schedule appointments and screen all email.
    4. Consider getting rid of your voicemail.
    5. Delete emails quickly.
    6. Have an assistant send you a daily items email.
    7. Use an out-of-office autoreply as needed.
  4. Sabbath hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually.
  5. Schedule your vacations first and block them out on your calendar.
  6. Pick an acceptable release valve.
  7. Appoint someone other than your wife as your lightning rod.
  8. Spend most of your time training leaders.
  9. Pay attention to what God is saying through your body and emotions.
  10. Feel your emotions but do not allow them to drive you in a bad direction.
  11. Do not worry yourself into a frenzy.
  12. Work from conviction, not guilt.
  13. Get a coach or a counselor.
  14. Have a study and an office.
  15. Schedule meetings rarely.
  16. Say no, and keep saying no.
  17. Get a wedding coordinator.
  18. Carry a notebook at all times to jot thoughts and notes.
  19. See your days as buckets to fill.
  20. Consider regular medical massage.

Many good suggestions and reminders. Do you agree? Disagree? Have any others that you’ve found helpful?

Here are all the contributions to the series so far.

See our previous post: The Burden of Pastoral Ministry.

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The Burden of Pastoral Ministry

by Phil Gons on July 4th, 2007

Pastoral MinistryMark Driscoll (Wikipedia) shares some stunning statistics about pastors. I’m generally skeptical of statistics, but even allowing for a sizable margin of error, these statistics are stunning. Pastor Darrin Patrick from The Journey in Saint Louis compiled these statistics from Barna, Maranatha Life, and Focus on the Family and shared them in a message on the burden of pastoral ministry.

Pastors

  • Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
  • Fifty percent of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce.
  • Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
  • Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
  • Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
  • Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
  • Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
  • Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

Pastors’ Wives

  • Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
  • Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
  • The majority of pastors’ wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.

Read the whole post.

See also Driscoll’s series entitled Death by Ministry.

HT: Justin Buzzard

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5 Questions for Pastors

by Phil Gons on May 30th, 2007

Perry Noble, Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC, shares 5 evaluative questions that he asks himself as a pastor.

  1. How’s my walk with God?
  2. How’s my family?
  3. Am I taking risks?
  4. Am I letting anyone (or anything) rob me of my joy?
  5. Am I faithful?

There are some helpful thoughts here.

Read the whole post at Perry’s blog.

HT: MMI

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The Gospel Coalition Conference

by Phil Gons on May 24th, 2007

The Gospel CoalitionThe Gospel Coalition Conference (schedule) is underway at TEDS in Deerfield, IL. You’ll probably want to read the Foundational Documents (RTF | PDF). Several people are blogging the event. Here’s what I’ve come across so far—basically in chronological order.

◊ DAY 1 ◊

Introduction:

» Session 1: D. A. Carson: “What Is the Gospel?” (1 Cor. 15:1–19)

» Session 2: Tim Keller: “Gospel-Centered Ministry” (1 Pet 1:1–12, 1:22–2:12)

» Session 3: Crawford Loritts: “Passing the Torch” (Psalm 78:5–7)

Day 1 Recap and Overview:

◊ DAY 2 ◊

Introduction:

» Workship 5: Mark Driscoll and Michael Lawrence: “Mentoring Younger Pastors”

» Workshop 9: Sandy Willson: “Christ and Culture Revisited”

» Session 4: John Piper: “The Triumph of the Gospel in the New Heavens and the New Earth”: Manuscript | MP3

Day 2 Recap and Overview:

Conference Recap, Overview, and Responses:

Here are some pictures from the conference.
See also our previous post: The Gospel Coalition.

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Pastoral Accountability

by Phil Gons on May 23rd, 2007

Abraham Piper at the Desiring God Blog has posted a questionnaire that the pastoral staff at Bethlehem Baptist Church use to keep each other accountable. This seems like a great idea—as long as everyone is committed to being brutally honest and not giving himself the benefit of the doubt.

Do you know of other churches that are doing something similar? Does your church have some sort of accountability in place? Do you agree that something like this is a good idea?

Read the post. Download the questionnaire.

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Blogging and Pastoral Ministry

by Phil Gons on May 7th, 2007

Steve Weaver, pastor of West Broadway Baptist Church, has a helpful series on blogging and pastoral minstry.

HT: Pulpit Magazine

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