All cannot use the same kind of spiritual exercises, but one suits this person, and another that. Different devotions are suited also to the seasons, some being best for the festivals, and others for ordinary days. We find some helpful in temptations, others in peace and quietness. Some things we like to consider when we are sad, and others when... Continue Reading
You rarely hear of a minister “going postal.” We don’t take an Uzi and shoot up a deacons meeting…….we think about it, but we don’t do it! But, we do get depressed, cheat on our spouses, become addicted, emotionally hurt those we lead, and burn out to the point we do something so stupid they have to fire us. Like... Continue Reading
Our spiritual language changes over time. Read the religious classics and we find these spiritual saints speak of a relationship with God and Christ using a language with which we are unfamiliar. Just in my life time the Christian church language has changed from “having a personal relationship with Jesus” to “studying about Jesus,” from “following Jesus” to “worshipping Jesus,”... Continue Reading
In his book, Abandonment to Divine Providence, Jean-Pierre de Caussade says, “Every moment we live through is like an ambassador that declares the will of God to us. If we understood how to see in each moment some manifestation of the will of God we should find therein all that our hearts could desire. If we were attentive and watchful... Continue Reading
“There is not a moment in which God does not present Himself under the cover of some pain to be endured, of some consolation to be enjoyed, or some duty to be performed. All that takes place with us, around us, or through us, contains and reveals His divine action. If we understood how to see in each moment some... Continue Reading
The importance of silence, solitude, and stillness in the life of Jesus and his disciples is undeniable. Jesus made a habit of withdrawing, sometimes abruptly, from the crowds and his ministry of doing his Father’s will to “the hills” or a “lonely place” or “the wilderness” or a “high mountain” or to the “seashore” or to the Garden of Gethsemene.... Continue Reading
The longer I am in ministry the more convinced I become that any God honoring effectiveness I experience is a direct result of the cultivation of my inner spiritual life. Most in ministry would say the same, but few of us believe it enough to incorporate the spiritual disciplines, practices and habits necessary to consistently maintain our inner spiritual life.... Continue Reading
Many ministers I know wrestle with the difficulty of trying to live a life of transformation and intimacy with God they read about in their Bibles. Most of us long for a deeper inner spiritual life yet regularly experience Dallas Willard’s observation “the greatest enemy of intimacy with God, is service for God.” Ministry by definition is depleting. Without constant... Continue Reading
Ministry by definition is depleting. We walk down the halls of our church and feel as if people are sticking vacuum hoses into us. Without intentional extended times for renewal, ministers implode as the pressure on the outside exceeds the structure on the inside to sustain spiritual and emotional health. Taking a one or multi-day personal spiritual retreat on a regular basis... Continue Reading
We can so easily get lost in the constant demands of “doing” life and ministry that we develop habits of nonstop business and lose our sense of “being.” Then we wonder why we feel burned out, empty and isolated. We need to develop a dance of life in which we regularly disengage from life and get away with God for... Continue Reading
The greatest need of the hour for today’s minister may very well be a more intentional approach to their own soul care, to paying attention to their “inner spiritual life.” The minister’s inner person must be constantly renewed and without regular introspection and self-examination minister’s run the risk of a fruitless ministry or “sudden failure.” The good tree, Jesus... Continue Reading
One of the most challenging yet essential responsibilities of ministers is to monitor their spiritual health. I have found this assessment developed by my good friend and mentor Keith Meyer, author of “Whole Life Transformation…….Becoming the Change Your Church Needs,” can help discern the status of your gauges by answering each question with a green (consistently), yellow (frequently), orange (infrequently), or red (seldom... Continue Reading
Jim is a Church Organizational Leadership and Management Coach, Consultant and Trainer. Throughout his career Jim has demonstrated a passion for showing Pastors and Ministers how to use organizational tools for church and personal growth and health.
More About Jim“For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:5