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Category: Healthy Pastors

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…

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Filed Under: Church Health/Revitalization, Healthy Pastors, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Church Boards And Staffs, Healthy Pastors, Leadership, Seriously Troubled Churches

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors

How To Keep A Good Pastor, Part One

Last week I wrote about seven reasons why pastors are leaving their ministries: The pastoral “call” isn’t what it used to be. The home church isn’t what it used to be. Pastors are rethinking the pastor paradigm [the full-time superhero trying to excel at every task that God assigned to elders]. A hard-to-live-with performance value…

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Filed Under: Church Boards And Staffs, Church Health/Revitalization, Healthy Pastors, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Church Boards And Staffs, Church Health/Revitalization, Healthy Pastors, Leadership

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?…

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Filed Under: Church Health/Revitalization, Healthy Pastors

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Interim Pastoring, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Interim Pastoring, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Interim Pastoring, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors

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…

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Filed Under: Disciple Making, Healthy Pastors, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Theology

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…

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Filed Under: Church Health/Revitalization, Healthy Pastors, Leadership, Pastoral Transitions

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Leadership, Theology

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…

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Filed Under: Church Boards And Staffs, Healthy Pastors, Leadership

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…

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Filed Under: Church Health/Revitalization, Consulting Help, Healthy Pastors

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…

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Filed Under: Healthy Pastors, Pastoral Transitions, Quick Guides

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…

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Filed Under: Church Boards And Staffs, Church Health/Revitalization, Church Structure, Healthy Pastors, Leadership, Quick Guides

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…

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Filed Under: Church Boards And Staffs, Healthy Pastors, Leadership, Quick Guides

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Testimonials

Elder Jim I wanted to let you know that we have really made some huge changes in the last few months.  We are seeing new people every week and we had a leadership meeting with 23 in attendance. Pastor ______ is doing well and God is doing amazing things.  Thanks for your support, prayers and love for the church!
Elder Jim
A New Church-Goer ...thank you for your messages at [our church] over the past weeks.  I just started going to _____________ while you were there and hadn't been to church in decades.  Your messages kept me coming back...  Thank you for helping me find my way back to God.
A New Church-Goer
Pastor Trey Turner "Brian is an experienced and insightful investigator of church systems.  He has real skill in looking at and diagnosing some areas needing attention.  I benefited greatly from his insight.  As a result, our church is benefiting greatly.  The process Brian took us through gave it the encouragement it needed to begin coming out of the 2020 difficulties.  We will work on the insights Brian provided as a roadmap back to better health."
Pastor Trey Turner
Pastor Greg Lund I've appreciated so much Brian's very practical coaching as he's guided me and the leadership of our church as we've sought to become more effective for God's kingdom. His extensive experience in assisting churches navigate a variety of issues makes him highly qualified to help lead churches through congregational change.
Pastor Greg Lund
Pastor Bruce Jahnke
"Our church is extremely grateful for the insight, adaptability and wisdom Brian so graciously contributed to our needs as we transitioned.  Our pastor transition was from Father to Son, which is by definition, difficult.  Yet Brian was able to foresee issues, feelings and responses with high accuracy.  Brian is personable, yet can direct when he needs to help us be reasonable and vision-oriented."

Pastor Bruce Jahnke
Andy Shanholtz I had the privilege of co leading a pastor’s training group with Brian. Brian’s wealth of knowledge and practical experience was an asset to all of us. The interaction with the group and the relationships built was a great value. I highly recommend having Brian facilitate a group to provide invaluable resources and practical knowledge.
Andy Shanholtz
Pastor Jed Manders
Leadership development within cohorts and peer groups has become increasingly popular, and rightfully so. Being involved in Brian’s leadership training group allowed me the opportunity to work through challenges, develop strengths and learn from both reading and peer development.


Pastor Jed Manders
Pastor Mark Pitroff "I have been so privileged and encouraged to be ministered to by Brian Thorstad as I have served as an Interim Pastor here in central Wisconsin.  He has been such a help and encouragement to me and especially, to this church I have served - Faith Community Church of Waupaca.  His leadership in helping us develop the “Journey Wall” enabled us to look back on the church’s history, the high points as well as the difficulties faced, especially in recent years.   Brian has helped FCC recover from a very difficult time…  Brian was such an encouragement to us, especially in the early months of recovery and preparation."
Pastor Mark Pitroff
Pastor Dan Norman “I enjoyed getting to know the guys in the group [and] I appreciated the thought, mind and spiritual challenges presented… I found many things that I was able to immediately apply, and I am still developing next steps that much of the discussion and training of this class helped to build a foundation for. [The handouts on strategic planning] will continue to be helpful in trying to guide our church to being more intentional. This [was] exactly what I was looking for at exactly the time I needed it.”
Pastor Dan Norman
Pastor Steven Boyd  "This course showed me that I, as a solo pastor, have to do things that don’t come naturally to me and has given me some tools to do the hard things.”
Pastor Steven Boyd 
Pastor Brian Schley “I found value in our meetings and am grateful you invited me to be part of it as a ‘future senior pastor.’ I enjoyed being able to be part of the conversations and glean from those beyond me. Thanks for your leadership with the group and your heart for pastors!”
Pastor Brian Schley
Pastor Todd Sauve "It was a privilege to have been a part of a pastors group led by Brian Thorstad. It's always great to learn from other pastors, and someone needs to provide leadership to make that happen. I'm thankful that Brian was willing to do that, and to share from both his successes and failures in ministry. He's honest, humble, and cares about people."
Pastor Todd Sauve

Brian A. Thorstad

Call: 651-319-1953

Email: churchwhisperer@gmail.com

1931 Cook Avenue
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

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