The winter season is a time for family, football, and seasonal depression. Many Christians suffer from what is known as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a pattern of significant depressive episodes that appear during a seasonal change and then disappear in the next season. You might feel sad, lonely, stressed, guilty, or a…
The Covid pandemic caused an influx of stress for pastors across the country. So much so, in fact, that 38% have even considered leaving ministry altogether. What is pastor burnout, and why has it become so common? The answers to those questions are a complex combination of emotional and spiritual turbulence that affect the work…
Pastors and addicted congregants have a historically rocky relationship. On the one hand, a general lack of knowledge and understanding has led the relationship to be more problematic than beneficial. On the other hand, there’s great potential for educated pastors to be an instrument of great change by ministering to addicted persons and their families. …
Election seasons are stressful, and another midterm election has come and gone. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you sit on, most believers are facing politically-induced stress in some way or another. Throughout our democratic history, fear and stress have been used as a tool to mobilize voters. The fear and stress we…
Stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” Pastors understand the concept of stress very well, though often in a different light than those not of the clergy. Pastoral stress is a unique situation and is best understood by others in your field. As…
Pastoral ministry is rife with spiritual warfare, and pastors should pay special attention to the battles being fought around them. As pastors are often the pillar holding their church and congregation up, it makes sense that Satan would use various methods to test their resolve in themselves and their faith in God. What might those…
Pornography addiction is deeply rooted in the general population. It’s not surprising, then, that pornography addiction has made its way into the church. Pastors, like everyone else, can struggle with sin. How many pastors come forward about their struggles? Why do many of them not? How can pastors and faith leaders learn to acknowledge and…
Thanksgiving is a holiday about food, family, and football for many around the country, but what can it mean to Christians? How can Christians observe Thanksgiving in a way that glorifies God and helps us become better people? Thanksgiving has a much deeper meaning to faith than most Christians realize. We’ve all heard the…
People often assume that being a pastor or faith leader is a piece of cake. You only work one day a week, give a few good speeches, and pull all your source material from one big book. The reality is; unfortunately, pastors and faith leaders carry an invisible responsibility on their shoulders. Nobody has…
Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel, purposes are disappointed: But in the multitude of counselors, they are established.” Stigmas regarding receiving counsel have tirelessly gone without rest from generation to generation. Therefore, many who require help avoid utilizing therapy as a resource because of the perception others hold. The reshaping of the generation’s perception has…
