Articles for tag: Pastoral Care

July 16, 2012

Christian Standard

Let the Dead Bury Their Own Dead

By C. Robert Wetzel I am not dead. At least I wasn”t when I wrote this article. But I have come to see that Jesus was talking about people like me when he said, “Let the dead bury their own dead.” Let me explain. While reflecting on Matthew 8:19-22, which contains that quote, I remembered something that had happened about 30 years ago during our 11-year ministry in England. During that time, I would spend about a month each year visiting churches in the United States that supported or might support our ministry. On one of those trips I was

May 8, 2012

Christian Standard

The Right Framework for a Healthy Body

By Gary L. Johnson We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our bodies are comprised of systems designed by God that enable us to enjoy the fullness of life. Our skeletal system gives us shape and support, produces life-giving blood cells, and stores necessary nutrients, such as calcium. Without our internal structure, our bodies could not grow and function effectively. Just as God designed the body to grow and function, he designed the church to do the same. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul described the church as having many parts, like a human body. An essential part of the body is

October 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Commonsense Suggestions About Elders

By Chuck Sackett “A Parable of Two Churches“ (a sidebar) is my attempt to capture the past 37 years of observations and experiences. I”ve been privileged to be the preacher in three very different congregations. And while serving as a Bible college and seminary professor, I worked in various capacities with dozens of congregations. What follows are practical suggestions for how congregations can have healthy, effective elderships. These are simply reminders of the obvious. I”ve seen them work in a variety of settings, expressed in various ways, ending with varied results. Every church I”ve seen believes it is doing church

September 12, 2011

Christian Standard

Interview with Jim Phegley

By Brad Dupray Jim Phegley was sitting in the barber”s chair when he heard that a plane had crashed into one of the twin towers in New York City. With half-shorn hair, he saw another airliner strike the second tower and went right to work doing what he does best, ministering to people in his church. Jim has been senior minister of Glen Cove (New York) Christian Church for 27 years. The church on Long Island became a place of solace on the evening of September 11, 2001, and continued as a place of ministry outreach after that. Jim”s heart

October 6, 2010

Christian Standard

How to Get Started Selecting a New Minister

By Thomas F. Jones Jr. Selection of a minister by a local church is an extremely important task and should not be taken lightly. We”re talking about the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the people of God. This is not like choosing a Little League baseball coach, a hired hand, or a repairman to fix a leaky faucet. Strong and gifted leaders guide successful organizations. The church is no exception. High-quality leadership is needed to fulfill the mission of the church. This is serious business. Few decisions are equally crucial to the church, and none is more

June 6, 2010

Christian Standard

What Is a Sermon? My Definition Has Changed Over the Years

By Jud White A wise and seasoned leader said to me once, “Jud, stop trying to preach great sermons. Preach good sermons and love your people, and they will love you for it.” That may sound like odd advice. He could tell I was trying so hard to preach well that it was suffocating my loving well. His advice freed me to be more concerned about caring for people and getting God”s truth out there week in and week out, rather than hitting a grand slam each weekend in my preaching. Ultimately, it freed me to make my preaching more about

May 16, 2010

Christian Standard

Leading People Toward Redemption and Restoration (Part 1)

By Ken Swatman As ministers and church leaders, we see sin every day in our communities, congregations, families, and in ourselves. We are called by God to recognize sin, confront it, and bring it into the light of Jesus. We are no more on the front line of sin”s personal battle than anyone else, but as servant-leaders in Christ”s body, we often must assume the roles of confrontational authority and navigator of the deep waters of redemption, repentance, and restoration. In this three-part series, I will look at some practical issues we face as we lead people down this path.

October 18, 2009

Christian Standard

Someone in the Church Family Has Just Died

By Marshall Hayden Those of us who serve in ministry with a church family are asked by members and the community to do several things. People seek counseling; and most of us refer more often than we accept. Groups are looking for a speaker; and we will accept the events we feel good about. Couples come asking us to perform a wedding. Some we accept. Several we decline. But there is one request that, as a minister, I have never turned down. A funeral is an opportunity for meaningful service, and often a chance to open hearts to the good

August 9, 2009

Christian Standard

Whatever Happened to Pastoral Care?

  by David A. Fiensy It is unusual when someone enters your office, sits down, and immediately begins crying. When the white-haired lady regained her composure, she said only, “My husband is in the car. Would you come out and talk to him? Our minister won”t.” Thus began my acquaintance with this saintly, if unusual, couple that would continue over the next six months for him and over the next few years for her. Later, as I stepped inside the door of their small, frame house on the appointed day of my visit, the wail arose almost immediately. The poor

February 8, 2009

Christian Standard

How Our Church Uses Elder Governance

By Gary L. Johnson The psalmist got it right when he wrote, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). God created our bodies in remarkable ways. For example, the average heart has a cardiac output (i.e., volume per minute) of 1.1 gallons of blood. That means the heart moves more than 1,500 gallons of blood each day””that”s roughly 30 million gallons in a lifetime. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.       When I play with my grandchildren, I am also reminded that God created us to grow. My grandchildren run faster and jump higher with every week that

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Two Elders Now Ministers Talk About Elder-Minister Relationships

By Darrel Rowland With apologies to Judy Collins, we could say that Ernie Graf and Jim Sloderbeck have looked at church from both sides now. Their unique perspective comes because both were veteran elders and both now serve on their church”s ministerial staff. Graf is minister of administration for Northside Christian Church near Akron, Ohio. He majored in accounting and has a degree in business administration, which he used for 35 years in the private sector. When Northside created the administrative post in 2003, he took early retirement and joined the staff. Sloderbeck has been executive pastor of Heritage Christian

June 8, 2008

Christian Standard

God’s Word on Great Shepherds

By Michael C. Mack READ THE MAIN ARTICLE: “Good to Great Groups” READ THE SIDEBAR: “Great Small Groups Need Shepherds” God”s Word is rich in its discussion about shepherding. Here are just a few passages that describe the great shepherd-leader”s role. “Be shepherds of God”s flock that is under your care” (1 Peter 5:2). The apostle Peter addressed his appeal to elders in the first-century church. These leaders were called to shepherd the groups in a particular city or churches that met in specific homes. This passage also applies to what small group leaders are called to do in today”s

March 2, 2008

Christian Standard

They Never Stopped Teaching Me

By C. Robert Wetzel Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you (1 Timothy 4:14). It has been more than 50 years ago since elders laid hands on three of us at the First Christian Church in Hugoton, Kansas. We were reminded at the time, and many times since, not to neglect our gifts. In 1 Timothy 4:14, the apostle Paul seems to be talking about some special gift that was given or revealed to this young preacher when the elders of his church laid

December 2, 2007

Christian Standard

How Kentucky Christian University Is Training Second-Career Ministers

By David Fiensy Kentucky Christian University, Grayson, Kentucky (www.kcu.edu) The Graduate School of Kentucky Christian University offers two 36-hour Master of Arts degrees with several concentrations. The MA in New Testament requires both biblical languages, a core of foundational classes, and 15 hours of exegetical courses. The MA in Christian Leadership requires an 18-hour core of foundational classes plus a concentration of 18 hours. The concentrations granted in the MA in Christian Leadership degree include Theological Studies, Leadership Studies, Pastoral Care, and Christian Ministry. Students may choose either the thesis or the comprehensive exams option as the capstone of their

October 7, 2007

Christian Standard

Cultivating Church Leadership Through Internships

By Kevin Stone As Christ”s Church of the Valley”s executive pastor, I receive e-mails like this all the time from church leaders around the country: “I”m looking to release a new employee manual, do you have anything I can use?” “We”re revising our bylaws; can I get a copy of yours to read for input?” “We”re about to begin a capital campaign, what consultant do you recommend?” By far, though, the queries I receive most are from pastors with key leadership positions to fill. Good people are hard to find and lack of leadership people can and will hamper a

January 28, 2007

Christian Standard

How Should We Define “˜Leadership”?

By Randy Gariss Do you remember the playful but mischievous kid who kept pulling pranks on the foreign exchange student by “coaching” him with the wrong definition to significant words? Well, someone has been playing with the definition of what it means to be a leader in the kingdom! Talking to individuals in the churches about becoming a leader has gotten harder because the term has become a bit blurry. In the current church landscape there are three different models or templates in use for what it means to be a leader. As a consequence, most everyone who sees himself

July 23, 2006

Christian Standard

How Could I Preach Again?

By Kevin Jett Eight years ago when I was preaching at First Christian Church in Mount Olivet, Kentucky, I went through a devastating divorce. In the span of a few months, I lost my job, my home, my wife, and I almost lost my sanity. At age 31, I had to move back into my mother”s home. I thought I had lost everything. I did not even have a bed to sleep in. I felt like a complete failure. I had failed not only my heavenly father, but also my family and many friends who believed in me. I was

December 4, 2005

Christian Standard

I Marvel at His Blessings

By Laura Lovejoy “So, where are you from?” I asked. The patient was clearly suspicious of my presence. I thought some casual conversation might help. He mentioned the name of his town, adding, “I don”t suppose you know where that is, do you?” But in fact I did know his hometown, several hundred miles away. When to his surprise, I mentioned something distinctive about his town, he lit up as if to say I had passed the test. And he began the story of his illness and what ultimately led him to seek care here, so far away from home.

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