Hope Renewed

Let's face it...ministry is hard. And at times it's hard in ways we never thought it would be, and for which we were never really prepared. So many of the day-in and day-out realities - the practical nuts-and-bolts of ministry - can leave us tired, frustrated or wondering if we're even fulfilling God's call. And sometimes it can make us feel very alone. Brian Croft joins us on Hope Renewed to talk about finding hope in the midst of the every-day-ness of ministry and where we can find strength for the practical aspects of our call to shepherd God's flock.

Resources

Practical Shepherding website

Having relationships that are safe, open and encouraging are helpful - in fact needful - for everyone. But finding these relationships as a pastor can be especially difficult. That's why it's important for those who surround pastors to be those kinds of people and create the times and spaces that help pastors be healthy. Join us as we talk with PIR's Robin Schmidt and her husband Larry as they share their experiences in championing safe relationships for their pastors, and how it's a response to God's call in their life and to the church at large.

Finding hope to address ministry pain is challenging. For women in ministry - or married to those who are - it can be especially so. Finding a place of understanding, safety and healing can be elusive. That's why we're so excited to share in this episode of Hope Renewed a powerful conversation we had with Kristen Joy, founder of The Ministry Wife Coach. Her deeply informed and passionate approach to resourcing women in ministry provides a much needed place of hope for those impacted by the confusion, pain and even trauma of ministry exits. Her story of finding grace in the midst of woundedness gives a strong foundation of leading others to healing.

Resources 

Kristen's Website

Tom and Sean sit down with Winn Collier, the director of The Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. Winn is the author of Burning in My Bones, a new biography on Eugene Peterson. In this conversation he talks about his friendship with Eugene and what led him to write this great book. They talk about the joys and struggles of ministry, including a dark six-year period that Eugene called The Waste Land. Winn and Eugene offer hope during our darkest times.

Resources Highlighted:

A Burning In My Bones

The Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination

Winn Collier Homepage

In a world that is changing at a seemingly exponential rate, the church is not immune. In fact, more and more of the world's "perspective threads" are being woven into the fabric of the church, and pastors are confronted with attitudes and voices which run counter to the Gospel. How can pastors and ministry leaders best navigate the changing current within their churches, and how can they best attend to an eroding hope which can too easily take hold? Join us as Glenn Packiam shares insight from his experience and new book "The Resilient Pastor". Building on data from the Barna Institute, Glenn unfolds current trends pastors face and offers hope-filled guidance to find resilience in ever-changing contexts.

Resources mentioned:

Glenn's website

Long and difficult days are a regular part of ministry. It seems the length and difficulty are compounding recently, and pastors are tired. Endurance in ministry is becoming more and more a major theme as shepherds and leaders strive to faithfully and healthily serve the church. Join us as we sit down with Jimmy Dodd, CEO and Founder of PastorServe. In his ministry to serve, support and encourage pastors, Jimmy has gleaned powerful insights not only into the challenges faced in ministry, but how to endure and flourish in Kingdom work.

Resources Highlighted in this Episode:

PastorServe

UniteKC

Every journey has three components. Most familiar are Destination and Path. What is often overlooked is Origin...where you're starting from. In our spiritual journey it's as crucial for healthy growth to know where we are - right now - as it is to know where we're going and how we'll get there. Join us as we sit down with Bill and Kristi Gaultiere, whose extensive experience of journeying with pastors and ministry leaders have given them unique insights to discerning where you are in your journey, and how to find hope and vision for the road of faith ahead.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Soul Shepherding

Journey of the Soul

Sabbatical Guide

Shepherding shepherds. Caring for wounded leaders. Walking with pastors and their families. Partnering to bring healing. These all reflect the depth of the mission of PIR. We invite you to sit down with us as we talk with pastor, minister to ministers and PIR Board Member Tim Johnson. He shares some creative and helpful ways by which pastors can facilitate healthy ministry/personal lives and find strength for the long haul.

As always we invite you to check out our resources at PIR Ministries' website.

Exhaustion. 

False self. 

Divided heart. 

Narcissism. 

These are terms that are becoming more and more associated with pastoral ministry. And while the concepts are not new - just look at the Biblical examples of them! - the current attention they're receiving comes with a fresh perspective on their antidote. Join us as we sit with pastor, professor, therapist, spiritual director and author Chuck DeGroat as he outlines God's hope and cure for a fragmented and out-of-control life. Perhaps it's best explained in David's prayer in Psalm 86: "Give me an undivided heart..."

Find Chuck and his resources at chuckdegroat.net

It' no secret that pastoral ministry is demanding and requires much from those who engage in it. Practicing good self-care is a must to stay healthy in ministry. But how do you know when you've crossed a line from the normal wear and tear of ministry life into more dangerous areas of damaging fatigue, debilitating anxiety and loss of effectiveness? How do you know when burnout is present? In this important episode of Hope Renewed, we explore the work Sean has done in recognizing burnout in the life of the pastor, and where to find recovery and hope. Having a clear and simple way to begin understanding how burnout may be effecting you (or others!) could be just the lifeline to hope you've been looking for!

Resources Referenced

Visit Sean's Website: The Pastor's Soul