Most Thursdays I write a post especially for church leaders. If you are a pastor, preacher, elder, or simply engaged in some kind of ministry in your congregation, you may find this helpful.
1. You might enjoy Gordon MacDonald’s presentations from Bethel University. MacDonald is the author of a number of books and has been in ministry for years. He is the chancellor of Denver Seminary. Two of his recent presentations can be found here (number 2 and 3) in iTunes. These presentations are in the series “Improving Your Impact.” He is particularly useful to me in providing pastoral wisdom.
2. Are you familiar with Day1.org? This is primarily a preaching site-some good interviews, podcasts, etc. I first became aware of this site through some excellent interviews that I heard.
3. One of the most difficult moments for a minister is conducting the funeral of a child or young person. These are some of the most difficult funerals that I preach. It is also difficult to grieve with the family during this time, and later. Mike Cope has written a very fine series on his blog entitled “When a Child Dies.” This series is very valuable for anyone who wants to have a better feel for what families go through during these horrific times. You can read the first post here.
4. You might want to read the recent post I wrote: “Church Leaders Can Become Depressed?“ Some people might be amazed that many church leaders (in a variety of roles) may struggle with depression. I do not believe that we say enough about this. You might find this helpful.
I just found Day1 also.
I read MacDonald’s “Who Stole My Church” a couple of years ago. I look forward to listening to his presentations.
Hope you enjoy them, Pat.