Our support line for pastors and their families features fellow pastors and trained counselors who frequently support those in church and ministry roles. These pastoral care specialists can provide an understanding ear, a word of advice, a timely referral or a simple prayer. We know leadership is not easy, and we’re eager to come alongside pastors and their loved ones to help meet their needs.
These are testing times for the church and church leaders—and for the whole world. But crises spark opportunities for adjustments and innovations.
While separation will soon come to an end, pastors and other church leaders can educate, nourish, encourage, and equip the members of their church during a season of the second best.
In this time of isolation, it is comforting to know that the Spirit of God is not limited. We are free to participate in the work of the body from our own living rooms or food pantries.
Life in a small-town church is often very different than many of us realize. It is important to remember the small, rural church during a time of pandemic and crisis.
A crisis is a magnifier that tends to reveal cracks – but also highlights needs. What type of feedback are you receiving? Are your congregants enjoying your extra emails, texts and phone calls? Has this season revealed your need to spend less time on large group events and more time on one-on-one ministry?
Even during a pandemic, church leaders can have a significant impact on the lives of their congregants by being wise stewards of both technology and finances.
Pastors and church leaders make God their refuge and strength and thus rise to the occasion by marshaling practical and theologically-informed strategies in place for church life and by teaching the wisdom of Scripture concerning God’s faithfulness.
Christians have been here before, and we can take comfort and wisdom from the actions of those who faced these kinds of things well. During the first 100 years or so of the early church, there are letters written by Roman governors during times of plague talking about the behavior of this strange new group of people, Christians.
You don’t need a degree in philosophy to incorporate apologetics into sermons. A solid study of basic logic, worldviews and arguments for Christianity and against other viewpoints can fortify those in the church to have a winsome reason for their hope in Christ
The sweetest comfort I found in my grief was knowing that my baby is with Jesus. That he or she will never know loss, pain, cold, grief, disappointment or sorrow. That all their soul will ever know is joy in the presence of God.
Trying to make sense of tough topics, most people will end up online and in social media listening to friends or cultural icons. Nothing compares, however, to how a pastor will be around after the service, available over email and present the next week.
