January 1, 2026
Compelling: Managing Three Key Emotions of Leadership Succession
Over time I learned that, while emotions shouldn’t be the dominant voice in my life, understanding them is a wise choice for my life.
Articles for tag: Emotional Health
January 1, 2024
Investing in Your Leader’s Mental and Emotional Health
By Tim Harlow It’s worth pointing out that I was not asked to write about a deep doctrinal issue, or leadership, or how to respond to a difficult social problem. No, I was asked to share about the benefits of therapy for Christian leaders. I own it. I needed therapy. I need therapy. I have had very few seasons of my life when I had my stuff together. In fact, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the occasional counseling help I’ve received, specifically from the good folks at Blessing Ranch Ministries. I’ll share a specific example from a
March 30, 2021
‘An Antidote to Loneliness’ for Pastors
Loneliness is a perpetual problem among pastors, and it only has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to two experts who specialize in care for pastors—Dr. Wes Beavis and Alan Ahlgrim. “There’s not a pastor out there who does not need authentic friendships,” Beavis said.
August 29, 2015
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence
By Michael C. Mack “Pete, I”m leaving the church.” “I sat still, too stunned to respond,” says Pete Scazzero, founder of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York, and author of several books, including The Emotionally Healthy Church. “When a church member says, “˜I”m leaving the church,”” Scazzero continues, “most pastors don”t feel very good. But when your wife of nine years says it, your world is turned upside down.” Scazzero says while he was a successful senior minister by external measures, he was emotionally immature, “a workaholic for God and failing at home as a husband and father.”
September 8, 2014
Here’s Where Change Begins
By Becky Ahlberg There is no one in the world you can change but yourself. No one. That is the consistent””some would say incessant””mantra at My Safe Harbor, a ministry begun by Anaheim (California) First Christian Church that helps single mothers break the dysfunctional cycle of broken homes. You can manipulate, coerce, or even try persuasion, but in the end, a person must want to change, and she must do it herself. And yet, so much of our emotional energy is spent both believing in and pursuing change in others. We think if we could change the people around us,
September 1, 2014
Three Ways to Improve the Attitude of Your Team
By Michael C. Mack Your attitude as a leader can either kill or build your team, says Carey Nieuwhof, author of Leading Change Without Losing It and lead pastor of Connexus Community Church in Barrie, Ontario. What can you do to cultivate a better attitude? Nieuwhof gives three solutions: 1. Get more sleep. Someone once told Nieuwhof that 70 percent of discipleship is a good night”s sleep. How holy, passionate, and kind can you be when you”re exhausted? 2.Create white space on your calendar. Be sure you create margin in your life””space on your schedule that is not filled with
August 5, 2012
Surviving Ministry Means Knowing Ourselves
By Rob McCord I believe the pastoral ministry is one of the most exhilarating and rewarding ways one can spend a life. It is an honor and a thrill, an adventure and a delight, full of amazing highs and irreplaceable glimpses of God at work. However, upon entering ministry, I completely lacked understanding of the pain that would accompany it. Pastoral ministry carries with it the potential of psychological, emotional, and even spiritual trauma. It can be dangerous. The statistics regarding pastoral burnout and failure are staggering. The pain and anguish that so many pastors endure is heartbreaking. These servant
August 1, 2012
Learning to Trust
By Mike MacKenzie Jeff is not unlike many ministers we see. He has been in ministry for 25 years and has been reasonably successful. He accepted his current senior pastor position eight years ago knowing it was going to be a challenge. The congregation”s former senior pastor, who was also the founding pastor, had left under a cloud of suspicion. The church”s building program was hanging in limbo after a church split had seen half the members leave. And the finances were messy. But Jeff figured, with his experience, he had a responsibility to do what he could when he
November 27, 2005
Survival Tips for Church Planters
By Jim Tune I recently heard a church planting consultant tell a story about seal rehabilitation. Apparently the average cost for dry cleaning a seal and reintroducing it to the wilds after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively rehabilitated animals were released into the wilds amid cheers and applause from onlookers. Less than a minute later, in full view of all those in attendance, a killer whale came up and ate both of them! This experience is well understood in church planting circles, as many planters face
