Scheduling Meetings with God

The task of pastoral ministry is, above all else, to arrange the contingencies for an encounter with the Divine.

Pastors Don't Pout

Pastor, at home, to his wife: "Spiritual leaders do not pout. They may become vexed in their spirits, but they do not pout!"

No One Here but Us Sinners

All the holy men seem to have gone off and died. There's no one left but us sinners to carry on the ministry.

The Always-Perfect Pastor?

A few years ago, I did a book on burnout among clergy. I was looking for those factors that often made pastors, having once begun in ministry, turn away. ...

The Danger of Raw Ambition

Raw ambition pours sand in the ministry gears and forces the machinery to produce an unholy product: human pride.

The Mark of Holy Ambition

A striking mark of holy ambition is that it elevates Christ and not the ambitious striver.

Ambition May Exceed Gifts

I must face the painful possibility that my ambition may exceed my gifts.

The Danger of Ambition

The Christian who is ambitious to be a star disqualifies himself as a leader.

Good News, Bad News

Pastors hear news all the time. Some of it's good, and some of it's, well, not so good...

GOOD NEWS:

Now that you have an associate, you don't ...

The Deepest Needs

Meeting "felt needs" is not enough, because people do not always feel their deepest needs.