Healthy Pastors Archives - Helping Churches Thrive

Negativity Bias And YOUR Organization

“I plan to live an unhealthy lifestyle and pass away in my cubicle, preferably on a Monday.” Dilbert “There was a wicked messenger, from Eli he did come, With a mind that multiplied the smallest matter. When questioned who had sent for him, he answered with his thumb, For his tongue it could not speak…

In Leadership, SPEED KILLS

If you’re old enough, you may remember the anti-drug abuse campaign: SPEED KILLS. If you’re even older, you may remember the highway safety campaign: SPEED KILLS. In leadership, speed can be deadly as well. Before I explain how, I need to say this first (just in case you don’t know me): I do believe in…

The All-Important Partiality Clause

“…an overseer must be above reproach…” From I Timothy 3:2 (ESV) “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of…

Seven Reasons Why Pastors Are Dropping Out

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus…” F/I Timothy 1:3 “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.” I Timothy 4:14 You may have heard about the young man who told his mother that…

How To Keep A Good Pastor, Part Two

Recently, I wrote about why good pastors are leaving their ministries (Seven Reasons Why Pastors Are Dropping Out): The pastoral “call” isn’t what it used to be. The home church isn’t what it used to be. Pastors are rethinking the current pastor paradigm [the full-time superhero trying to excel at every task that God assigned…

How To Keep A Good Pastor, Part Three

I keep hearing these disturbing stories: good pastors who have been greatly used in their churches to bring about significant, God-honoring change, burning out and ending up in other occupations. I’ve seen more of this disturbing trend since writing Seven Reasons Why Pastors Are Dropping Out, just a few weeks ago. Why is this happening?…

The Introverted Pastor’s Survival Guide, Part One

Many people are surprised to hear that a lot of pastors are introverts. More specifically, they are – in my opinion – introverts in an extrovert’s job. For the record, the basic differences are as follows: Introverts are less outgoing, talkative, enthusiastic and energetic, than their extroverted cousins. Introverts are more oriented to the world…

The Introverted Pastor’s Survival Guide, Part Two

A few years ago I came upon a delightfully different title in a bookstore’s psychology section: Quiet: The Power of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking. I wonder if anybody heard me saying “Amen!” as I paged through the book. Author Susan Cain argued that modern western culture is biased against introverts, noting…

The Introverted Pastor’s Survival Guide, Part Three

I’ve mentioned, in two previous posts on this subject, that many pastors are “introverts in an extrovert’s job.” By an “extrovert’s job,” I mean that the general population, widely believed to be more extroverted than introverted, carves the pastoral model in its own image. Here’s what I mean: While I’ve had people compliment me for…

An Apostle’s Counsel To An Introverted Pastor

Introverted pastors have been around at least as long as the Apostle Paul’s young protégé, Timothy. It didn’t help that his father was an unbeliever (Acts 16:1). While his mother and grandmother were Christ-followers (II Timothy 1:5), there are encouraging words which introverted sons need to hear from their fathers, and Timothy probably didn’t hear…

The Only Cure For Pastoral Insecurity

“Insecure pastors! They drive me crazy!” Such was the rant of a mentor of mine who served for a number of years as the leader of a state-wide church association. He didn’t say it contemptuously, but he was often frustrated with the many pastoral and congregational dysfunctions which find their source in pastoral insecurity. As…

Why We Must Get Disciple-Making Back Into The Christian Life

Here’s what I’m concerned about… In the New Testament, sharing one’s faith, personal efforts to make disciples by individual disciples, is the norm: Jesus wasted no time in sending the twelve, and then the seventy, into Judea and Galilee. As busy as he was, Jesus regularly modeled personal disciple-making for his 12 men-in- training (John…

Christian Hedonism: Three Timeless Truths

“In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.” Afro-American Spiritual “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25,26 “For me, to life is Christ, and to die…

Senior-itis And Senior Pastor-itis

I think we all know what senior-itis is: the arrogance/impatience/excitement of the high school senior who feels like she’s: (a) an adult, trapped in a child’s existence (b) so much smarter than her parents (c) a college student on the inside who is suffering terribly by having to attend high school and live with her…

Seven Positive Things Pastors Can Do Right Now

These are difficult days for my pastor friends! I keep hearing about anger and division over: COVID prevention strategies, President Biden’s election, charges of voter fraud, threats to civil liberties, local church political involvement, etc. Pastors are taking it on the chin like never before. While there’s little a pastor can do about any of…

Worn-Out Shoes And Fair-Haired Boys

“Why don’t you love me like you used to do? How come you treat me like a worn-out shoe?” Hank Williams Here’s a phenomenon I’ve seen a number of times. If you’re an experienced leader, I’m sure that you’ve seen it too. An older, generally respected, long-time leader of an organization recruits or hires a…

Becoming Effective Leaders (BEL) Groups For Pastors

Those of us who serve Jesus as pastors deeply long to lead churches which are powerfully used by God to make real disciples – devoted followers – of our Savior. We want to lead disciple-making, transformational churches and we don’t want to just “spin our wheels” until it’s time to retire. But how do we…

QUICK GUIDE – Pastoral Resignations (13 Ways To Leave With Grace)

Don’t go away mad. Seek a trusted advisor and work through your anger issues. Resign because God is leading you to resign, not because your emotions are leading you to resign (Ephesians 4:25-31). If God is leading you to resign, don’t equivocate or expect to be talked into staying. Make it clear and firm…

QUICK GUIDE – Getting To Sticky (Effective Pastor/Board Relationships)

The term and the concept of “Sticky” pastor/board relationships has been borrowed from Pastor Larry Osborne’s iconic book, Sticky Teams. Describing Sticky – Here’s what we mean by a Sticky church leadership team: 1.The senior (or solo) pastor is a godly and loving man who truly cares about each member of the church board and…

QUICK GUIDE – Senior Pastor Performance Review

Based on the paper, “The Pastoral Performance Review: An Opportunity to Empower” Contact Rev. Scott Roen for the complete document – scottdavidroen@gmail.com PERSONAL MATTERS: (As far as the board is able to determine the following…) How did the pastor take care of himself physically? How did the pastor take care of himself emotionally? How did…

QUICK GUIDE – An Alternative To Pastor Performance Reviews

The relationships between church boards and senior or solo pastors are challenging. In most congregations, the board and pastor have a complex, not-easily-negotiated relationship: All board members, including the pastor, are brothers in Christ, and equals before God. The board, in most cases, was involved in the hiring of the pastor and the writing or…