If you read through this site, you\u2019ll notice a recurring sentence: “Ministry is hard.”<\/p>\n
This is true whether you\u2019re in a bustling metropolis or in a community with more cows than people. There\u2019s really no way around it. Ministry is hard. It\u2019s harder if you\u2019re on your own.<\/p>\n
Throughout the month of May, we\u2019ve focused on soul care for the pastor. We\u2019ve talked about reading good books, recreation, walking through the really hard days, and the importance of leaning on God\u2019s strength to get us through.<\/p>\n
In this post, I want to talk about friends. There\u2019s a familiar passage in Ecclesiastes that says, \u00a0\u201cTwo are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up\u201d (Eccl. 4:9-10, CSB).<\/p>\n
This is true in many contexts, but I think it is especially true in ministry. Last week Mark Hallock reminded us that none of us is as strong as we think we are. Maybe that\u2019s a scary admission for you, but go ahead and embrace it. Say it with me: \u201cI\u2019m not that strong.\u201d There, doesn\u2019t that feel better?<\/p>\n
Since we aren\u2019t as strong as we\u2019d like to think, we need others to hold us up and to hold us accountable. I\u2019d encourage you to find a friend or two in ministry and meet with them regularly either in person, which is preferable, or through a video chat. Ask one another hard questions about your marriages, your parenting, and your shepherding. Encourage one another as husbands, fathers, pastors, and friends.<\/p>\n
I have a couple of close pastor friends who have talked me off the ledge of resigning a few times. They\u2019ve also provided valuable counsel when I\u2019ve had to deal with rough situations in the church. They\u2019ve been prayer partners as I\u2019ve had to lead in big decisions. They\u2019ve rejoiced with me in wins. They\u2019ve mourned with me in losses. They\u2019ve made fun of me when I\u2019ve goofed up. Without them, I\u2019m not sure I would still be serving in my current church.<\/p>\n
So, pastor, as you serve as Christ\u2019s hands and feet in the tough soil of church replanting and revitalization, you need to know you\u2019re not alone. If you need some help connecting with other brothers in ministry, email replant@namb.net and we\u2019d love to connect you with some other guys in your area who are serving in similar contexts. Follow us on Facebook at Church Replanters, where you\u2019ll find helpful resources as you serve.<\/p>\n
Build relationships in your local association, community ministerial alliance, and state convention. Keep a couple of fellow pastors on speed dial for those really hard days.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t make ministry harder than it has to be by trying to go it alone. God has given us fellow pastors for a reason. Whether they are across town or across the globe, build a network of fellow pastors whom you can encourage and who will encourage you as well.,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you read through this site, you\u2019ll notice a recurring sentence: “Ministry is hard.” This is …<\/p>\n