Pastors

When I worked in youth ministry, whether within a church or in a parachurch setting, I discovered a little secret pastors don’t tell anyone. They are human just like everyone else and stress and anxiety are just as bad for them, if not worse. If pastors cannot be successful, how can we have any hope?

[Read more…] about Is It Okay For Pastors To Have Anxiety? [Devotional]

Let me first say, this is a very sensitive subject. Suicide is gaining more and more public press with high profile people in the media spotlight committing suicide. Along with that, mental health is becoming more of a normalized topic where people feel they can openly talk about this as we demystify suicide and get the facts about it. If you are worried about yourself or others struggling with suicide, please familiarize yourself with several resources to help support you. Further, if you know someone has suicidal ideation, we ask you review this sheet and take proper precautions.

Also, for churches who have not created a Church Suicide Prevention Policy, go steal that one and copy/paste it into your church policy manual today so you can implement it immediately.

[Read more…] about How The Church Could Prevent Suicide

Mental health currently in America has a strong secular investment and the Church is missing from the conversation. We need to change this. Where is the Church? Should we as Christians even care? Aren’t we supposed to not be of this world?

Rick Warren absolutely says it best. Jesus’ life demonstrates we should be showing our love to those who hurt, especially mental health. He notes specifically three points: the historical reason, the Biblical reason, and the practical reason. I would even add there is a compassionate or Holy Spirit reason as well.

Check out the video below.

[Read more…] about Should Churches Care About Mental Health?

Tragedy is something we experience in our fallen world in a multitude of different ways. From the internationally known wildfires in California that lead to people being displaced, to the war crimes in Eastern Aleppo in Syria that have sent out haunting photos, we see these images, hear their stories, and feel helpless and hopeless to enact change. Then we have the seemingly endless local tragedies of murders, rape, and car crashes which up end families and affect whole communities.

In the midst of this chaos stands the Church. In this darkness, there is light in Christ. And in the trauma someone receives, one can be restored. So what can the Church do to help?

[Read more…] about How To Handle Tragedy As A Church

Professional: Do pastors feel prayer alone can fully heal depression?

On the surface, that seems like a difficult question, but it’s actually an impossible one. If you don’t mind, I’m going to side-step this question and come to an answer from a different angle.
First of all, I don’t think that prayer heals anything. Prayer is simply speaking with God, putting our requests before him. I can order my pizza through a app on my phone, but neither the app nor the act of submitting the order makes the pizza appear. Someone on the other end must receive the request and respond.

Prayer is the method by which we bring our requests to God. He then responds according to His will, His plan to bring glory to His name and eternal good to our soul. So, right off the bat, I’d like to make it clear: prayer doesn’t heal anyone of anything.

[Read more…] about Professionals Ask: Can Prayer Heal Depression?

Crisis is an inevitability. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Further, people act differently when in crisis and so a well thought out plan is needed. Even better, a plan that is revisited and practiced regularly will reduce the impact of a crisis. Finally, proactivity reduces being reactive and instead allows a person or ministry instead to respond. To do this, you need to have a crisis plan.

[Read more…] about What To Do When Crisis Hits Your Church?

Professional: As a counselor, we constantly talk about self-care to our clients, even being ethically required to take time off if we are not in a good space. What happens if a pastor is not doing well with self-care?”

I began working at a church plant a few years ago with the intention of becoming full-time eventually. I felt called to ministry and wanted to work at a church that was going to make a difference in the world! When the church started, we obviously did not have any funds so I had to fundraise 100% of my “part-time” salary and also work another job. While I understood this would be difficult, I knew in the long run I would eventually become full-time (hopefully).

[Read more…] about Professionals Ask: Does Burn Out Happen To A Calling?

Nearly twenty percent of people struggle with mental health at any one time in the lives yet sixty percent of them did not receive any treatment for it according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). While it is not conclusive this is due to lack of resources or because people are ashamed, I can say from my experience as a counselor, the latter is definitely in the majority. Instead of dealing with their mental health, they’re avoiding it which costs individuals and the general public nearly $200 billion a yaer. Unfortunately, this taboo came from the culture around these people and the Church is actually making it worse.

[Read more…] about Is Mental Health Taboo? Pastors Think So.