I recently came across an article titled “The Top 10 Problems Facing Pastors Today.” I was not surprised by #1, which was “job-related stress,” or #2, which was “feelings of loneliness and isolation.” I was dismayed, however, at #3.
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The other day I came across this quote from humorist Mark Twain: “If you have to eat a live frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.”
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In my last post, I shared some information regarding the struggles pastors are facing today. What can we do to help hurting pastors?
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I recently came across an article by Jill Foley Turner from the National Christian Foundation that offered some powerful and, sadly, troubling insights on the current state of pastors.
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In my previous post, I introduced a key aspect of discipleship that comes from Paul’s N.T. letter to the Ephesians.
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I recently read a great book on discipleship titled Hero Maker. It’s by a pastor named Dave Ferguson. The book's premise is that the pastor's role is not to be the “hero” in his church – it’s to be a “hero maker.”
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A piece I read from pastor and author Mark Batterson grabbed my attention last week and it has yet to let me go. It has to do with vision.
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Tucked away in the book of Proverbs is a verse that is unfamiliar to most of us, but oh so important to grasp. It’s Proverbs 17:9 – “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven but dwelling on it separates close friends.”
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One of the best books on leadership I have read in recent years goes by the provocative title: Canoeing the Mountains with the subtitle, Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.
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If you’re a mariner lost at sea, triangulation is a very good thing. It’s a navigational technique that allows you to figure out where you are by measuring the triangle formed by two known points and your unknown point. But in the arena of relationships, triangulation is another thing altogether
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Back in 2021, as we were emerging from the long, dark season of COVID, I attended a gathering of leaders from my denomination, the first of its kind since the CDC had issued its new facemask guidelines.
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I enjoyed meeting with my coaching groups. It’s so gratifying to see these young pastors eagerly leaning into their professional development. Yet it was in a follow-up phone call that I witnessed another need.
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As I write this, it’s the day after Easter…and I am remembering what this day was like for me during my 34 years as a lead pastor. I’m also wondering if some of my fellow pastors may be feeling the same way today.
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As well as having been a preacher for over four decades, I also have been privileged to be a teacher of preachers, having served as an adjunct professor in two universities.
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When Gwen and I were seeking to discern what it was that God was calling us to in this season of our lives, these concepts were really helpful to us and eventually led us to launch Dave DeSelm Ministries. I think these truths are transferrable to all of us
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Vision is a key component of leadership. However, as author Ray Pritchard once said, “Good leaders have a vision; better leaders share a vision; the best leaders invite others to join them in spreading this vision.”
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Recently I came across the following from a website called Pastoral Care Inc. It reflected the completed research for 2022, and what I saw was troubling.
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For many years one of my December practices was to consider a theme verse for the upcoming year. More times than not it proved to be my “north star,” guiding me through the uncharted months ahead.
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I’ve been struck by a consistent theme in the lives of several pastors I’ve spoken to recently. That theme is disappointment.
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One of the great challenges for pastors is deciding how much of their personal lives to reveal – whether in private conversations or in sermon illustrations. It’s known as “appropriate self-disclosure” and it’s a big deal.
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