An interview with Tom Haren Tom Haren oversees the care ministry at NewSpring Church at its Anderson, SC, campus. He shared with us how NewSpring uses trained volunteers to minister to people who respond to the invitation or challenge following worship services. Caring for people at a growing church can be a real challenge, but we hope this approach stimulates you to think … [Read more...]
What constitutes a pastoral approach?
What does it mean to be “pastoral”? I’m a pastor. Have been for almost fifteen years. I love my job. I get to serve the God I love and work with the things our God loves most deeply: His Word and His church. As a local church pastor, I am 100 percent in favor of being “pastoral.” So long as the word means what the Bible means for it to mean. When I see the adjective … [Read more...]
Are you giving people what they really need to win the war waged against their souls?
What tends to consume your thinking when you start counseling people? Are you aware that when you sit with others to discuss the issues of their hearts, you actually enter a war zone? Would you say this is a prominent aspect of your counseling mind-set? Consider the Apostle Peter’s words for a moment, ”Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the … [Read more...]
Caring for your church after the dismissal of a pastor (and for yourself)
An interview with Rev. Tim Sharpe When a senior pastor suddenly must resign, the effects on the congregation are going to range from bewilderment to anger. The remaining leadership must help their congregation deal with this range of unpleasant, unsettling reactions. While every case will have unique elements, we thought it might be helpful to read about some possible … [Read more...]
I burned out at Saddleback Church
Lance Witt, who served twenty years as a senior pastor and six years as an executive/teaching pastor at Saddleback Church, shares insights on how pastors can prevent burnout and not make some of the same mistakes he feels he made. After leaving Saddleback, Lance started a ministry called Replenish to help pastors care for themselves as they do the work of ministry. He is now … [Read more...]