“Pastors need pastors too.” We say this often within our ministry. Pastors pour so much time and heart into caring for so many. It’s a privilege at Preparing for Amazement Ministries to care for pastors the way they care for others. Are you curious what this looks like?
One facet of our ministry is Pastors4Pastors. In these monthly small group gatherings, we have created an environment for pastors and ministry leaders to connect and mutually care for one another so they understand they are not alone. Pastors and ministry leaders need soul friends to be vulnerable with, to pray with, to be encouraged by, and to be empowered by. This is the kind of space Pastors4Pastors has established in our monthly gatherings. Pastors and ministry leaders are able to be real, authentic, and share their struggles with one another. They are able to dialogue with other ministry leaders on big questions for discernment as well as be prayed over and with. It’s become evident that the Pastors4Pastors ministry is a gift because it has provided a wisdom panel present in leaders’ lives walking alongside them as they persevere in their own faith journeys and in ministry.
Participants in Pastors4Pastors have the freedom to share their heart joys and struggles. In this safe space of vulnerability, we are living out what it looks like to walk alongside one another supporting each other through spiritual friendship and prayer. Participating in authentic community where we can be seen, known, and nurtured is a vital part of the journey towards health and wholeness in Christ. Relational connection is necessary for life-giving flourishing. Leaders in the church too often do not have spaces for genuine, authentic soul care. Without this nourishment, leaders in ministry over time can grow to feel alone, isolated, weary, or stagnant in their growth journeys. Unhealthy leaders leak onto others, and congregations under their care are hurt in the process. Discipleship is malnourished as a result, and we can get distracted from our mission as the church.
Too much church trauma is caused by leaders not paying attention to their own growth journeys and not paying attention to the culture of the flock under their care. Those who participate in our monthly gatherings have been paying attention together and interceding for one another through prayer. One leader described Pastors4Pastors as a lighthouse pointing the way. As these leaders are supported in their own walks toward health and wholeness, there’s a ripple of light that spreads into the greater body.
Jen Binford, Coach
0 Comments