Well, for most of us the treadmill you’ve been on for decades has abruptly stopped. What has happened is inexplicably incredible and profound. It’s arguably the greatest gift God could have ever given our generation. Not the deaths, not the COVID-19 virus, but The Great Stoppage. What the pandemic has given us is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stop, to rest,... 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
As you depart many churches today there are signs indicating “You are Now Entering the Mission Field.” The signs are there to remind attenders that missions is not just overseas but also where they live, work and play. At the gate to Christ in the Desert Monastery in Northern New Mexico there is a hand crafted metal sculpture that reads simply... 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