Burnout is a real risk for many pastors and ministry executives. In an effort to satisfy external or self-made expectations for advancing the Kingdom, leaders may consciously or unconsciously make tradeoffs against their holistic health […]
The enemy has a strategy, and it’s devastatingly simple. If he can get us discouraged, he can get us disappointed. If he can get us disappointed, he can get us distracted. If he can get […]
Fletch is a skeptic and Nathan is a believer. Nathan will try to win over Fletch on the role and effectiveness of 360 degree reviews. Nathan feels that there are key success factors […]
Can a pastor really be relaxed? Would that even be a good thing? Wouldn’t that be lazy and unproductive? Bill and Kristi teach that our Lord Jesus was a relaxed leader. But he […]
America isn’t sleeping well. 39% of Americans say they suffered from some sleep issue in the past twelve months. Moreover, almost 20% of adults use over-the-counter or prescription drugs to help them sleep, […]
In a grant landscape that can be challenging for faith-based organizations, Lilly Endowment stands out as a funder that provides some opportunities specifically for churches. One such grant is The Lilly Endowment National Clergy Renewal […]
Performance reviews: Everyone knows they’re necessary. Almost all organizations have the expectation that employees will participate in at least an annual review—a few attaboys or some harsh scolding—that will motivate that employee through their next […]
Leading a church can be a 24/7 role. Even when taking a regular day off, stress can accumulate over the months. Many churches have instituted sabbatical policies to help their key leaders get […]
Pastor, could God use a sabbatical to re-energize your passion, realign you with His direction for you and your church, and restore your soul towards sustainability in the next season of serving? Let me take […]
According to Gallup’s recent State of the Global Workplace report, 85% of employees are disengaged in their work. But how do we measure improving that alarming […]
Some personality types, like mine, simply love taking on a challenge and taking on responsibility. It comes naturally, especially for leaders. Taking responsibility is a good virtue and it is celebrated in every sphere of […]
As I write this, it’s less than three weeks until 2022. Budgets are, by and large, complete. The staff Christmas party is right around the corner. Staff members are wrapping up the last of their […]
Covid is the current stress factor for pastors. At day 584 and counting, it has brought many pastors to burnout, more than any other event in our lives. This […]
Are you ready to trust—and relax?
Because to avoid burnout, you need to encourage your church employees to pour back into themselves a little each day – while you reinvest in yourself, too – […]
Every faith-based organization—especially churches—should set itself apart from its business and government counterparts by putting a sabbatical policy in place not as a perk or a benefit but rather at the heart of its organization’s […]
Four years ago, our staff huddled up in the Senior Pastor’s office to answer one question: What are the marks of a disciple? The person leading the meeting drew a figurine on the board then […]
I was a young 20-something, eager to get ahead, and interviewing for a promotion to Project Manager. My boss at the time gave me this little bit of wisdom as she described the role, “You’ll […]
Does it feel like helping others is sometimes hurting you more? Are you taking deliberate steps to manage stress in your life? Everyone experiences stress. Even good events like weddings, births, and graduations create stressful conditions. […]
The New Year brings new opportunities to focus our lives on what and who matters most. In my mentoring and consulting practice, I am working with my clients this month, helping them talk through their […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the 2005 Sabbatical Policy of the Westminster Church of […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and church policies. Below is the Sabbatical Policy from Bel Air Presbyterian Church […]
“My good Horse, you’ve lost nothing but your self-conceit. No, no, cousin. Don’t put back your ears and shake your mane at me. If you are really so humbled as you sounded a minute ago, […]
One of the keys to a successful sabbatical has nothing to do with what you do on your sabbatical itself, but everything to do with how you transition into and out of it. For twenty […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and opportunity profiles. Below is the 2012 Pastoral Staff Evaluation Plan and forms […]
Just the word Sabbatical conjures up all sorts of mystery. You might be contemplating whether you should take a sabbatical—if your church provides one for you. Perhaps you are thinking of asking for a sabbatical […]
Burnout is a major problem for many non-profit organizations, and it seems to be growing. Are volunteers just getting more lazy and irresponsible, or is there really something to burnout? Everyone gets tired once in awhile from hard […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and Opportunity Profiles. Below is a review form for the Senior Leadership from […]
This book is a must read for snowed-under ministry leaders like you. Not only will it add some fun in your schedule, but Seth Godin’s Linchpin is like a mental kaleidoscope for opening up your […]
As an experienced executive pastor, and as the founder of XPastor, I often have people contact me with questions about ministry. One of the most frequent issues that church leaders bring to me is about […]
Recently, our church gave my wife and I the gift of an eight-week sabbatical. It exceeded my expectations, by a long shot. My last sabbatical was devoted to writing a dissertation. Thankfully, this one was quite […]
My developmental paradigm for leaders is assess, challenge and support. The threefold paradigm of assess, challenge and support comes from The Handbook of Leadership Development (McCauley, Moxley, and Velsor, editors). The assessment needs to be honest and […]
“I talked about my sabbatical from the pulpit,” said Pastor Mark Brewer. “I even brought up the Elders at each of the three services, and brought up all of the pastoral staff. But, the congregation […]
“I talked about my sabbatical from the pulpit,” said Pastor Mark Brewer. “I even brought up the Elders at each of the three services, and brought up all of the pastoral staff. But, the congregation still had […]
I never would have called myself a contrarian until recently. Now I can look back and see the seeds of it being planted in my college years during the turbulent ‘60s. The school of architecture […]
Holding a tough conversation is arguably a leader’s most difficult and draining responsibility. Many leaders dread these talks … and understandably so. But strange as it may seem, a tough conversation can be the most […]
I really hesitated using that title but I did because I get so many questions related to staff performance. Every XP I know deals with this issue of getting people to do better and do […]
One of my more challenging tasks as a leadership coach is to figure out a way to break the news to an Executive Pastor or Senior Pastor that they may not be doing as well […]
I still remember the day when I received the results of my 360 performance evaluation as an XP. I seriously wanted to either quit or beat the stuffing out of someone (in a Christian sort of […]
It’s Sunday and you and your spouse have had a wonderful morning worshipping at church. You are one of the key leaders on staff. You are curious because your 21-year-old daughter missed church that morning. […]
