As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Pastors ages 50+ score notably higher in overall flourishing (78) compared to their younger counterparts (74), with particularly pronounced differences in vocational satisfaction and well-being. Similarly, pastors of color report higher levels of faith flourishing and overall flourishing compared to their white colleagues.” - C.Leaders
“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” (John 11:1–3, LSB).
“Since most rural communities are not growing, it’s harder for churches there to increase attendance. Yet 3 in 4 pastors still aim for attendance growth….Even more rural pastors aim for success in the spiritual growth of their congregations evidenced by their focus on salvations, care, forgiveness and serving.” - Baptist Press
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brings all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they will never follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:1–5, LSB).
“There are business administrators, receptionists, directors of children’s ministry, youth pastors, ministers of music…. None of those titles are in the Bible. Doesn’t that mean we should give up the two-office game and go ahead and list as many offices as we need?” - 9 Marks
“…pastors need a technologically grounded and theologically informed framework for thinking about AI, one that understands the technology’s core limitation and discerns its usefulness and dangers for discipleship, and especially for preaching.” - TGC
“…make no mistake, brother pastor, your writing is important. It is one of the means by which God is shepherding your local church. Therefore, you should think of your writing as a craft worth cultivating.” - 9 Marks
“I was lovingly confronted by a dear friend and fellow pastor that I was not using all my vacation time. In his rebuke, he explained to me the reasons I should be taking every day of vacation the church gives me, which I had never done.” - C.Leaders
“Pastors who prioritize their families and bring them into ministry are more likely to find ministry longevity. Pastors who more strongly agree they put their family first when time conflicts arise are 1.7 times more likely to still be in pastoral ministry.” - Lifeway
“I’ve met many church members who no longer trust church leaders. Often that distrust is unjustified, but sometimes it’s valid. If you want to gain and grow your congregation’s trust, here are some ways to do that.” - Chuck Lawless
Discussion