This is a public forum to share ideas, ask questions, and reflect on being a pastor in the CRC.
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For a landscaper, growing grass is proof of a job well done. But how does one define success in ministry? To sustain pastoral excellence, we need a definition of pastoral ministry success that is viable.
The format of this training tool has been intentionally designed for you, the reader. Our intent is that this training tool may help lead you into rich conversation as you seek and acknowledge the guiding presence of God.
This training tool is intended to help church leaders have a fruitful conversation about evaluation in their local setting and to strengthen the local church by blessing its staff with timely, effective feedback.
I have observed a profound reluctance from pastors to routinely visit members of their church. I would welcome some responses from pastors.
This is the story of a pastor with a secret. His story plays out very differently depending on whether or not he has a person to call and how the church supports him.
Peer Learning Grants enable CRC pastors to gather for support, learning, encouragement and prayer over a period of about a year. If you're looking to foster health in your ministry, life and relationships and nurture your wellbeing, check out the application form and overview document.
This post explores the challenge of navigating a life where the rhythm of family, spouse, and congregation are out of sync with the rhythm of a pastor's life.
If you're looking to nurture your life with God, check out the Pastors' Spiritual Vitality Toolkit.
Survey evidence suggests too few congregations supply pastors with the time, encouragement and financial means to sustain the quiet devotional life and deep expertise that the ministry requires.
Much to the delight of some, renewal occurs in surprising, unintentional ways. This article explores the benefit of peer group programs for pastoral renewal.
Has the concept of “calling” been hijacked by the institutional church? I wonder. In our Reformed theological tradition we acknowledge the priesthood of all believers.
Many a young pastor leaves the seminary eager to pursue a life in ministry. Why, then, do so many face debilitating stress after just a few years of service, while others flee the profession before middle age?
In an ecosystem, each plant and creature relies on the functioning of the other to thrive. So it is with church systems.
According to Statistics Canada, almost one-third of working Canadian adults perceive themselves as workaholics. Yes, workaholics put in more hours, but that is not what defines them.
The focus on excellence over the last years is not uniquely Christian Reformed, but is prevalent throughout our society in workplaces and institutions of learning. At first glance, a focus on excellence seems excellent!
Daniel Goleman’s bestselling book Emotional Intelligence: Why It can Matter More than IQ billed itself as “the groundbreaking book that redefined what it means to be smart.” On his blog, Goleman admits that he was surprised when the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) spread like wildfire.
While many pastors feel their profession has moved beyond the “glass house” phenomenon of an earlier era, pastors’ families cannot escape the reality that they still play a central—and highly—visible role in the church.
The lyrics of this 90s-era Bette Midler hit, “From a Distance,” imply that eyeing a situation from afar offers a healthy change in perspective. Many pastors are discovering that, too.
Here’s a riddle for you. What is surrounded on all sides, but still stands painfully alone? The answer: the clergy.
The Christian Reformed Church now has a $2 million program called “Sustaining Pastoral Excellence.” Notice that it says “sustaining” pastoral excellence and not “producing” such excellence.
The ultimate goal of CRCNA ministries is to transform lives and communities worldwide. Now that’s a goal! How do we even begin to tackle a goal as grand as this? One step at a time.
Meeting together to discuss their work and home lives, the members of the peer group say they quickly came to realize that the health of a pastor’s marriage and family life is an important determinant for the health of ministry.
The City of Toronto ranks among one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with over 140 languages and dialects spoken there. “Diversity is our Strength” boasts Toronto’s motto, and its population mirrors that vision.
A frightfully realistic, hence necessary corollary to all axioms of leadership is this: Church leaders WILL trip, stumble and fall. Not all will do irreparable damage to themselves or others as they fall; sometimes no one but God notices. Regardless, the result is always disheartening.
This is a practical tool for mentors (experienced pastors) and mentees (pastors new to ministry). It covers a wide variety of topics which pastors will generally encounter during their first several years of ministry. Each module/topic has discussion questions and a resource list.