You know
the old adage: “Speed of the leader, speed of
the team.” Here’s a new adage that is equally
true: “Health of the pastor, health of the church.”
The spiritual and emotional health of pastors, and
how that relates to the health of their churches,
is the focus of the next installment of the Pastor
to Pastor series on CCN. John Ortberg and Rick
Blackmon join host H.B. London to look at issues
surrounding emotionally healthy pastors.
“Human transformation is what church ministry
is all about,” says Dr. Blackmon, a clinical
psychologist and professor. “And that starts
with transformation in the life of the leader.
If we pastors are maturing spiritually and emotionally,
then we can offer that to those in our church families.”
The broadcast will help pastors learn how they can
intentionally focus on their emotional growth in
the midst of the difficulties of ministry, which
for pastors can include burnout, depression, and
anger issues.
The broadcast will help you understand the importance
of:
- Healthy boundaries in ministry
- Differentiating serving people from pleasing
people
- Assessing emotional health (by looking below
the surface, breaking the power of the past,
living in brokenness and vulnerability, living
with limits, embracing grief and loss, and
making incarnation your model for ministry)
- Having practical strategies for self-care
- And much more
If you could use a spiritual and emotional check-up
(or tune-up!), you’ll benefit greatly from
the next Pastor to Pastor broadcast on CCN.
John Ortberg is the Senior
Teaching Pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian
Church in California . He received a Master
of Divinity and Ph.D. in clinical psychology
at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena
, where he now serves on the board of trustees.
He is the author of Everybody's Normal
Until You Get to Know Them; If You
Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to
Get Out of the Boat; and The Life
You've Always Wanted.
Richard Blackmon is an adjunct
professor at Fuller and has a clinical practice
specializing in adult and marital psychotherapy
with a primary emphasis on ministers and their
families’ mental health. Dr. Blackmon leads
workshops directed to church leaders around the
country. He received his Ph.D. from Fuller School
of Psychology and a Masters of Divinity from Fuller
Seminary. His doctoral dissertation addressed “The
Hazards of the Ministry.”
H.B. London is the Vice President
of Ministry Outreach/Pastoral Ministries for Focus
on the Family. After serving three decades in pastoral
ministry, he joined Focus on the Family as a “pastor
to pastors.” He directs the development of
ministries to pastors and their spouses, and oversees
ministries affecting physicians, youth culture,
the inner city, missionaries, and chaplains. He
has co-authored Pastors at Risk, The
Heart of a Great Pastor, and They Call Me . |
