It is interesting for me how many otherwise very intelligent and sensitive pastors, upon retirement, are not able to separate…

A game to encourage family conversation about their experience of the ministry. Divide your family into two teams. One team…

Many people who live under pressure also feel that others don’t appreciate the sacrifice that they are making. While the…

While we may read with horror the story of Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac, most pastors know that there is…

On this Easter Monday, when we have just celebrated the resurrection and new life, let us begin building a list…

If you accept that the profession of being a pastor is stressful on both the pastor and his or her…

In the past several blogs, I have dealt a lot with expectations from the congregation, the session, each other, and…

When I return, we will again reflect on the pressure of the ministry on clergy families and how we might…

Sometimes when expectations are named, people will recognize that they are unreasonable and the expectation is altered or discarded. I…

From family therapy, I learned that problems can either bond or divide a couple. If, for example, long hours at…

Yesterday, you clarified some of your projections of what each of you expect of each other as a spouse within…

A major pressure on clergy families are the expectations, real and perceived. Expectations of others can be difficult to respond…

I once heard a Catholic priest say that the church considered the family our domestic church. I’ve always loved that…

Several lessons in experiencing and expressing appreciation are: It is best if it is specific and not general. It is…

Most clergy are committed to their calling and recognize that it is going to include long hours and modest salary…

Yesterday, I raised the issue of the impact of under-appreciation in the ministry. I think it began as an idea…

If you are looking for reasons that people drop out of the ministry, high on your list should be feeling…

Since we are facing some rather shocking statistics on the decline of clergy health, it is important that judicatories, in…

Yesterday I mentioned near the end of the piece including your congregation in your care for your physical health. Today,…

Some more ideas about how to find exercise in and around your daily activities. 11. There are some great workout…