Warning Signs of an Abusive Relationship
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Are there warning signs in a relationship?
Recommended steps for child safety this summer.
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.
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.
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 group of pastors from New England is making the case for planning green space in our spiritual lives, too. “As cities carve out green spaces to break urban congestion, we need to help each other find green spaces in our busy lives.”
It is not only businesses that can suffer from generational disharmony. When the generation gap comes to church, it can wreak havoc with a congregational’s well-being and long-term sustainability.
When the Christian Reformed Church North America was awarded a Lilly Endowment grant of nearly $2 million in September 2002, the funding provided the momentum for an initiative with the potential to transform local churches and their pastors through “Sustaining Pastoral Excellence.”
Do smaller churches measure up? “Often, size becomes a major diagnostic tool for churches,” says Rev. Paul Van Dyken, pastor of Grace Christian Reformed Church in Burke, Vermont. “People think that if you’re not big, you’re not healthy.”
Bomhof says he has learned that serving a larger congregation requires different skills than he relied upon in his smaller charges, and he’s intentionally sought out opportunities to hone those much-needed skills. He is not alone in that.
Do small churches suffer from inferiority complexes? Elzo Tenyenhuis, pastor of a small Christian Reformed church in Kincardine, Ontario, admits that small churches often struggle with issues of self-perception.
Is it lonely at the top? An increasing number of pastors are saying that it doesn’t have to be. Through peer group learning, they’re discovering that leadership can be better when it is experienced as a shared journey.
A pastor’s care can be costly, and the expense is not salary-related. Many pastors simply pay too high a price to practice their profession. It’s a condition common among the helping professionals—sometimes referred to as the “cost of caring.”
Rural depopulation has had many repercussions, especially for government and others who strive to provide the same level of service with fewer local human and financial resources. The church faces similar challenges.
Today's churches offer more diverse programs than ever before, and church leaders must deal with increasingly complex issues. Pastors, too, are challenged by greater demands on their time and increasing stress levels.
In all areas of life—from home repair to healthcare—prevention simply makes good sense. Why not put a little effort today into prevention if it means we can avoid big problems—and expensive cures—in the future?