When God Feels Unsafe
“As a long time believer and as a lay counselor, I have seen myself and others go through seasons where God feels more like a severe taskmaster than the compassionate Father he actually is. We default to either meeting with him to appease him or avoiding him—either because we are afraid of failure or because he seems dissociated from our reality. I want to share with you 3 practices that God can use to comfort you with his safety in those seasons.” When God Feels Unsafe by Aylin Merck
Where Can We Find Rest for Our Souls?
“Over the years I have earned the self-given title “Queen of late-night problem solving.”This is not a title I’ve loved, because it often comes at the expense of several hours of sleep. No trouble is too small to merit spending a good chunk of my resting hours turning a problem over and over in my mind until the perfect solution (or the proper amount of self loathing) appears. Have you been there?” Where Can We Find Rest for Our Souls? by Elizabeth Santelmann
Church Member, How Can You Protect Your Pastor from Burnout?
“I've been an ordained minister for nearly 15 years, which means I have now officially beat the odds of longevity for pastors. I've joyfully served my current church for the past 2.5 years, and I honestly hope to retire here. But that's not the case for everyone. Not even close. So, I want to encourage you. As a congregation member, you have a vital (and remarkably simple) role to play in pastoral burnout. How does this look, and how can you help your pastor?” Church Member, How Can You Protect Your Pastor from Burnout? by Chris Ammen
Placed for a Purpose: Ministering in your Everyday Context
“There’s a non-urgent—still very important—desire in each of us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. At times it feels more awkward than intuitive, but it’s coded into us all the same: our calling to engage in God’s mission and love our neighbors (even our next-door neighbors!). Jesus woos us to participate in his kingdom work, to see his renewal, restoration, hope and healing come to our communities. Even if we try to ignore this missional invitation for fear of what it might cost us, we can’t help but see needs around us for neighborhood peacemaking and mercy-extending. Deep down we want to make a difference in our corners of the world because Jesus has made a difference in ours.” Placed for a Purpose: Ministering in your Everyday Context by Elizabeth McKinney
In the Wake of Church Hurt…You Need the Church
“I hope our church will be a place where you guys can heal.” The gentle words of our new pastor fell upon my heart like a soft blanket, adding a little comfort to a time of suffering. For the first time in months, I began to hope for a future with a new church. An inkling of belief that we might find community again lit up in my heart. But my fear of getting hurt—no, more than that, trampled—by those called to shepherd me remained a close companion. Spiritual abuse is destructive, its scars long-lasting.” In the Wake of Church Hurt…You Need the Church by Brittany Allen
How to Bear Burdens Without Being Crushed
“Galatians 6:2 commands believers to “bear one another’s burdens.” But how, practically, can we bear the burdens of others without being crushed by them? Over the years, I’ve had to learn to distinguish between what is my responsibility and what is the responsibility of another person. While I am responsible to others as a sister in Christ, I am not responsible for them. I am not someone’s Savior, Holy Spirit, or parent, and I do not need to function as though these are my roles. As you consider how to bear burdens without being buried by them, here are three lessons I’ve learned the hard way.” How to Bear Burdens Without Being Crushed by Ashley Chesnut
How Can You Comfort Others Amidst Your Own Pain?
“Comfort is meant to be transactional. Just like the gospel isn’t meant to stop with us, the comfort of Christ is meant to be poured into us and then through us. The problem, however, is that it’s awfully tempting to sit and wait until we feel better before we’re willing to step into the mess of other people’s lives. And when we do, we miss out on the beautiful reality that the comfort of Christ often comes as we speak the truth of God’s comfort out loud to others and spur one another on.” How Can You Comfort Others Amidst Your Own Pain? by Sarah Walton
Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength
““Shame on you!” I heard this phrase many times growing up in the 80s. It became a common way for adults to address children’s misbehavior. But what weight do these words actually carry? Shame. On you. Despite hearing the word “shame” frequently, I lived many years without understanding what it really was and how it impacted me. Now as a mom and a pastor’s wife, I want to be able to spot shame and its harmful effects in and around me. I want to link arms with other women as we “put off” shame as part of the old self and instead “put on” the freedom, joy, and security that Jesus has for us (Eph. 4:22–24)! ” Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength by Myra Dempsey
How to Minister From a Place of Loneliness
“For me, ministering in a season of acute isolation feels like the cabin pressure dropped, the oxygen masks came down, and I’m fumbling to help others while I’m struggling to stay conscious. Maybe you’re a mom, experiencing deep loneliness with children to care for. Or maybe you’re wrestling with grief and loss but trying to love your church well. Perhaps you’re starting over in a new place or stepping out in faith to do something the Lord has led you to do and you’re feeling lonely. Sisters, the Lord sees you and desires to meet you in your loneliness.” How to Minister From a Place of Loneliness by Bev Chao Burrus
How Our Theology Fuels Our Ministry
“Ministry can be really hard; from serving in the nursery to groundskeeping to singing and preaching, you might experience a lack of gratitude and/or criticism. The music is too loud, the nursery is too small, the sermon is too long. Complaints, lack of gratitude, and difficult conditions all make serving less than desirable at times. Why continue to serve in exhaustion or annoyance from the demands and criticisms of ministry if we don’t know the God we serve?” How Our Theology Fuels Our Ministry by Kelly Ottoway
What is Success?
“In our modern society where everything is measured, the way we who are in ministry calculate success is often with numbers. Attendees. Members. Converts. Readers. Listeners. How many lives have we touched and changed? For better or worse, in the 21st century, it’s all about numbers. The ever-present and unspoken question behind our numbers fixation is, “Am I making a difference?” We wonder if we’re having an impact, if we’re serving the Lord the right way, if our efforts really matter. Ministry is tough. It’s not unreasonable for us to want to know if our sacrifices are leading to any kind of measurable success.” What is Success? by Jen Oshman
God's Sufficient Grace in Our Weakness
“The Apostle Paul’s life provides a captivating example of how to serve through weakness in ministry. Throughout his service to the Lord, Paul was imprisoned, stoned, beaten with rods three times, given 39 lashes five times, shipwrecked three times, adrift at sea, in danger from rivers, robbers, the city, the wilderness, his own people, the Gentiles, and false brothers, suffered through physical hunger and thirst, was left exposed in cold weather, experienced insomnia, and dealt with regular anxiety about his ministry (2 Cor. 11:23-28). This man knew suffering. He knew pain. He knew injustice. And still, by the grace of God, he endured ‘till the end. How did he do it?” God's Sufficient Grace in Our Weakness by Ashley Setterlind