Pastors are called to serve and slave and save and sacrifice. But we must do so with laughter in our bones and joy in our hearts. We must keep watch “with joy and not groaning” to bless our people.
Church Leadership
Healthy short-term missions trips can produce long-term impact on the field and transform participants. Consider the following 10 benefits.
If you are a pastor, never forget the blessing and privilege of serving the Lord. There will be days, no doubt, when you want to throw in the towel, but don’t give up! As Paul writes, “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in …
What does success look like for a minister of the gospel? Is it a steady growth in church membership? Exceeding your budget? It can be a helpful exercise from time to time for pastors to think about what the numbers are saying. But as we do so, we must always remember this biblical reality: success …
Pastors must expose spiritual errors—even heresies—whether in the Church or in the world, especially when so much false teaching is prevalent in today’s culture.
We preachers love praise—the love of adulation runs deep in our hearts. Man-pleasing is a complicated sin because it is a heart-level struggle. While the sinful pursuit of praise is not limited to pastors, our vocation provides extra temptation in this area of pride. Rather than keep this struggle in the dark, let’s throw some …
This is the sixth in a series of articles on pastors and the spiritual disciplines. One of the disciplines we can practice either alone or with others is fasting. As with prayer, we fast in the hope that by His grace, God will bless us.
Pastoral ministry is hard work with many hardships, disappointments, and reasons to quit. It is easy to get caught up with all the negativity in ministry. However, pastors experience certain joys that others in different vocations may not experience. Here are some to encourage your hearts as you shepherd God’s flock.
People leave churches for many reasons, and your response to their leaving will depend, in part, on why they are going. Remembering that Scripture will help you keep even the most difficult exits in perspective.
Being a mom of young children and a pastor’s wife are both wonderful callings, but they also bring responsibility and can sometimes be unpredictable. Is there a way to balance it all?
In order to meet the challenges of today’s church, there are three key factors for church leadership to consider: the complexity of these challenges, the need for new leadership skills, and the importance of adapting to a changing context.
If you are a pastor, I assume you know the importance of Gospel-like marriages. But what you may not know is that missionary marriages face unique challenges.
While no process can perfectly solve the vetting process of potential pastors, churches need to ensure that they are aiming their hiring efforts at the right elements. The real thing every church needs to be healthy is a healthy pastor as defined by his character in how they treat their family and neighbors.
God has blessed us with many resources to endure adversity in ministry. One unique and under-appreciated source of encouragement is pastoral friendships. Such friendships are not easy to cultivate, but worth the investment. Here are six ways they foster longevity in ministry and a few practical first steps to build relationships between fellow pastors.
This is an article about frustration. To be specific, it is about how husbands frustrate their wives. If you want to know how to treat your wife, look at Christ’s love for the church. We will see the frustration factors that can arise when contrasted with the elements of Christ’s love for us.
George Müller, one of the most prayerful and faith-filled men in Christian history, prayed the Psalms. The Lord Jesus Christ himself and the apostles of the early church prayed the Psalms. Why not you and your church?
You and I know Pastors who are awarded tons of stickers. They deserve them. I think the Apostle Paul’s helmet would have been about full. But at the end, he only talked about the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, would award to him at that Day—and also to you, and to …
What can be done to help a pastor and his wife in their marriage? How can they move into a healthier situation so their marriage can do more than survive but maybe even thrive?
Our relationship with God through prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian life, of following Jesus as Lord. Church leaders should pray publicly and privately and be quick to speak of the need for prayer, ready to relate answers to prayer, and lament the lack of prayer. It is also no sin for ministers to …
Here are five principles the Lord has led Pastor Ernie Baker to develop to cope with criticism in ministry in God-honoring ways.
