Volume 34: RECALIBRATING
January 2017
WHEN YOU GET THERE WHERE WILL YOU BE?
Mapping the Journey of Ministry
by Jody Seymour- retired but still on the journey

There is an old saying; "If you do not know where you are going you may end up some place else." I thought of this as I pondered my 44 years of ministry after retiring this past June.
So I offer you the question above to help you be intentional not only about where you are now in ministry but also to plot where your are headed...  More
OBSERVATIONS ON SUCCESSFUL CLERGY HABITS
by Leesa Sluder

As a Professional Coach with the Davidson Clergy Center for the past 7 years, I have had the privilege of working with over 150 ministers from various denominations. Many I have coached for months and even years, watching their careers unfold as they navigate the challenges of this demanding profession.

After writing my Masters' thesis on the Impact of Stress on Health (based on decades of working in the finance industry), I started working with the Davidson Clergy Center when the pilot for the Clergy Health Initiative was launched. In this context, health is broadly defined to cover physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Many caring professionals, including clergy, put their health at the bottom of the list, as they continually bend their schedules and lives to focus on supporting others.

Here are a few of my observations on successful clergy habits to obtain and maintain health  ... More  
LEVERAGING COACHING
by Dave Zietlow

New Year's resolutions allow the possibility for a season to recalibrate self and ministry. Perhaps this is a time to focus on spiritual renewal. As a pastoral coach for the past several years in the North Carolina and the Western North Carolina Conference, one of the consistent affirmative topics often raised by clergy is the practice of spiritual disciplines during the clergy's career.
These critical career moments include new appointments, first appointments, difficult challenges, and seasons of life. Coaching can be helpful in thinking through the need for spiritual direction and renewal. At its core, coaching equips people to move from where they are toward the greater competence and fulfillment they desire... More
BIG SIGH MINISTRIES

Leaders sometimes need time away in order to recalibrate. Stepping out of an appointment allows a clergy-person to rest, renew, and  refocus. Big Sigh Ministries offers resources to enable clergy to take a "renewal leave" according to ΒΆ350.3 in The 2016 Book of Discipline (officially a formational and spiritual growth leave) for up to six months. They offer workshops for clergy to navigate planning the leave and workshops for a pastor/staff parish relations committee to learn how to support the pastor during the leave. Once the workshops are complete, funds are available to support the leave.  Learn more about Big Sigh Ministries and these opportunities ...  More
WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BOTHER MAKING NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
by Michael Hyatt

N
ew Year's resolutions are as old as time, but that doesn't mean they're very effective. It only takes a day or two into January before the #resolutionfail hashtag starts trending on social media.

Roughly 200 million Americans make New Year's resolutions at least some of the time, according to research by the University of Scranton. But the same research says most of us are wildly unsuccessful.

Many of us only stick it out a while. A quarter bomb in the first week. A third don't make it past the first month. Fewer than half are still plugging away after six months. Only 8 percent of us are actually successful ...  More
IS THERE ENOUGH GOODNESS TO JUSTIFY A LIFE IN MINISTRY?
by Susan Beaumont

There are seasons of ministry when we are not sure that we can keep at it any longer. "I am tired; burned out. I have been beaten up by the dysfunction of this congregation, and the two before this one. I am not experiencing any goodness in ministry anymore. Unless something turns around as a result of this coaching relationship, I'm done."... . ... More
TALKS TO FORM BETTER HABITS

Sometimes recalibrating means quitting bad habits in order to begin new ones.  Check out these 8 TED Talks which provide a new framework for setting and keep goals that lead to a healthier, happier life. ... More
PREVIOUS eLEAD TOPICS

Innovative Community Fundraising (December 2016)
Sustaining Spiritual Health (November 2016)
Employment and the Local Church (October 2016)
Sermon Series (September 2016)
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