A pastor experiences a cacophony of emotions ranging from ecstasy to utter despair from the various people s/he encounters. Medical…

Clergy are frequently the first people contacted when members and non-members experience mental distress. We can be cynical and say…

Hopefully you have given yourself permission to take this day off and be with your family, or if you are…

Some final thoughts on what can help multiple staff relationships. First, a yearly planning retreat in which you take a…

One of the strengths of the Presbyterian faith is its understanding that you don’t have to be perfect to do…

You’ve introduced your new staff member to some key figures in the congregation and encouraged that person to take some…

In most cases when you bring on a new staff person, they are moving from another community. Sometimes we forget…

A church expends a lot of energy in seeking and hiring a new staff person. Then s/he comes and people…

After a number of active exercises, you could then move to a more reflective aspect of the retreat. There is…

Being part of a minister’s family is different from being in other families. Not only are you in a 24…

One of the ways that pastors develop support for themselves is building friendships with other pastors that they can occasionally…

Over my years of ministry, I can clearly remember when someone in the congregation recognized a particularly difficult time for…

One of the ways that a presbytery or governing body can help families of clergy is by helping them realize…

You can do the exercise I’m suggesting by yourself, with your spouse, or with the entire family. It will be…

All professions have their impact on the families of the person in that profession. You could probably name both positive…

Look, up in the sky It’s a bird, It’s a plane, No, it’s superclergy Faster than unfolding sexual scandals More…

Once you have some images of what might be good for you and your church through the process we identified…

Sometimes we can get so mired down in the daily details that we can lose perspective. Even if you are…

You are conscious of the drain on your emotional resources, vacation is still a while off, but you can carve…

You check your emotional pulse and realize that you have taxed your emotional reserves but the demands of ministry continue.…