In a troubling sign for many congregations, half of pastors say they are often or frequently lonely, according to a report of clergy health. By Aaron Earls Pastors may be healthy in many other areas, but most say they struggle with feeling lonely, according to a report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. The U.S. Surgeon … [Read more…]
More pastors are contemplating quitting ministry and leaving their church. Several factors increase the likelihood of those thoughts. By Aaron Earls After enduring the pandemic and reestablishing many of their congregational rhythms, more pastors say they are thinking about leaving their church and maybe even ministry. Lifeway Research studies on the subject found pastors haven’t … [Read more…]
For those who prefer in-person over online worship, the sense of connection to other people drives them, according to Pew Research. By Aaron Earls Sorry, pastor. You probably aren’t the main reason someone wants to physically attend a worship service. They’re showing up in person because of the other people in the room. But you … [Read more…]
Your ministry will never be stronger than your marriage, so ministry couples should avoid buying into these dangerous marriage myths. By Mark Dance Pastors are the only professionals on the planet who are required to win at home and work. Our biblical job description has been clear about this for more than two millennia (1 … [Read more…]
Cultivating friendships with those outside of the faith requires vulnerability, authenticity, and patience but can be rewarding in our lives. By Jacob Lewis Last year, I was struck by a particular set of statistics from Lifeway Research regarding pastors struggling with feelings of loneliness. According to Lifeway Research’s Greatest Needs of Pastors study, more than 1 … [Read more…]
In 2019, an interesting study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In this study, the authors investigated changes in the brain caused by social isolation. It has been well established in other research that animals experiencing social isolation experienced negative changes in their brains’ structure and function. These authors wanted to see … [Read more…]