You have a very challenging job. You must develop skills in administration, preaching, teaching, evangelism, leading worship, and discipling people through trials in their lives (pastoral counseling). This last responsibility might be the most challenging of these responsibilities for a variety of reasons. Here are some ways to improve your role as a counselor: Mistake #1: … [Read more...]
Feeling the burn: Defusing the source of your anger
It’s no secret that we get angry with staff members, church members, and even family members. But just because we may have more spiritual authority and insight than those we interact with doesn’t mean we’re always innocent when it comes to conflict. Elyse Fitzpatrick explains … Questions to ask yourself when you’re angry with a church member: What do I want … [Read more...]
Caught: Key questions to explore in the aftermath of adultery
Trivia question: What were the first two questions posed by God to humanity? If you look into the Genesis account of Adam’s fall into sin, you will see them plainly. Soon after Adam ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God called out, “Where are you?” Upon finding Adam and his wife hunkered in the bushes and then listening to their driveling, God asked, “Who told you … [Read more...]
First, remember: How looking back can help the grieving move forward
In the end, grief is about how we remember. Memory is powerful. It shapes our lives in many ways. Memory impacts our emotions. Memory shapes the significance we give to current events. Memory influences what we expect from the future. So the effort to grieve well could be reframed as learning to remember in healthy ways. Too often our church members try to define “getting … [Read more...]