How can we finish strong? How can the final chapters of our life narratives end well? Here are four things to keep in mind. By Chris Maxwell Life is a collection of seasons. We can title them stages. Or phases. But whatever our age, our ministry, our title, or our story, we move toward a … [Read more…]
Are pastors leaving the pulpit in droves because of ministry burnout? Maybe not. Recent research can help us tell fact from fiction. By Marissa Postell Sullivan Each week, headlines tell us pastors are burnt out. They’re leaving the ministry. They’re throwing in the towel. Pastoral ministry is too hard on the family. The demands are … [Read more…]
Only around 1 in 100 pastors leave the ministry each year, according to a Lifeway Research study of evangelical and Black Protestant pastors. By Aaron Earls Pastors face unique challenges in their role and often feel overwhelmed, but few decide to step away from the pulpit and pursue another career. Only around 1 in 100 … [Read more…]
Many pastors carry some hidden struggles below the surface that they don’t feel they can share with others. Here are four. By Dan Hyun Most pastors experience genuine joy in serving the Lord and His church. Even so, many pastors also carry some struggles hidden below the surface that they don’t feel can be shared with others. … [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: This article from Lifeway Research helps us all understand the uphill battle we face in our current culture. Let us take in the information as a clarification of our understanding and further heed the clarion call to speak the truth in love to a dying world that desperately needs to hear it. Trust … [Read more…]
At one point in my ministry, I ran across an interesting church situation: A quaint country church who couldn’t seem to keep a pastor. This church, like many of our SBC churches, was a smaller church outside a small population center. The 30ish congregants were farmers and blue collar families with an average age around … [Read more…]
One story that always intrigues me in Scripture is the story of Elijah. No, not that story. We all love to look at the story of Elijah (1 Kgs. 18), standing resolute before the prophets of Baal and Asherah, calling them out for not being able to get Baal’s attention to consume the sacrifice only … [Read more…]
One of the privileges of working at a Christian university is that I get the chance to work with outstanding colleagues who love the Lord and demonstrate it in their work. One of those fellow professors, Matt Kimbrough, just published a book titled, “Reclaiming the Church Family: A Solution to the Corporate-Church Crisis.” In his … [Read more…]