Pastor’s often meet together and talk shop. It takes a certain level of trust, though, for us to talk about matters of the heart than issues of the Church. I wrote this booklet, Building A Community of Trust: Eleven Things Pastors Struggle With, but Rarely Talk About with the aim of helping ministry leaders get to the heart of their struggles.

Order the booklet here! 

Here are the eleven things in chart form that pastors struggle with but rarely talk about;

The Struggle
The Symptom
The Possible Outcomes

Insecurity
I am one moment from losing it all
– Inner dread of being found – Pressure to perform based on expectation of others- Pleasing others becomes more important that pleasing Jesus

Expectations
The pressure to meet the standards of others.
– Serving with wrong motives- Disappointment and discouragement- Conflict with others who have differing expectations 

Apathy
lack of interest, enthusiasm, or loss of passion
– Loss of passion and motivation- No one follows; lends to apathy in others- Diminishing life and ministry in the church

Identity
Afraid that people will find out what I am really like
– It is “not well” with my soul- Based on performance – “I am as good as my last sermon”What others think of me is more important than what Jesus thinks of me.Keep the pastor from being open and vulnerable.

Loneliness
Living with few or no true friends
Pastor has no real friendsPeople’s expectation of the pastor is professional not personalCan lead to poor choices; the pastor is his own counselLeads to pastors talking shop, more than talking soul

Pride
A sense that I am indispensable to the church.
– Rarely away from the pulpit- Has to make all the decisions himself- False humility- Can lead to sinful choices 

Anger
Feeling of bitterness or resentment toward others; wanting others to hurt.
– Act irrationally without thinking of cost- Critical and sarcastic- Use position and pulpit to address issues- Often is seen by others but not by the pastor himself

Failure
Ministry is not going well, not going my way. It’s just not working.
– Discouragement and defeat- Second guess the call- Is often how God works best

Doubt
I’m not sure I am called to this; I am not sure I believe in what I do.
– Lack of confidence- Lack of preparation – Comparing to those more successful – Can lead to humility and reclaiming of call

Restlessness
I am bored, not happy here, want to be somewhere else or doing something else
– Boredom – Loss of passion- Desire for something new- Can anchor to eternal promises

Sexual Purity
I am distracted by so many things that I know are not healthy for me.
– Susceptible to sexual temptation – Addicted or prone to view pornography.- Focus on God’s holiness can lead to freedom 

 

The post Podcast Ep.124: Eleven Things Pastors Struggle With but Rarely Talk About, and How to Change That. (Mitch & Dan) appeared first on Before You Quit.