Hi friends. This week, Pastor Bob Coy and Pastor Tom Stipe joined me on the podcast to discuss maintaining your joy in ministry. This is our second podcast discussing the importance and practice of personal renewal in the life of a pastor.
Be sure to listen and then come back to the blog and help other pastors with your advice / comments / concerns as we continue to learn from each other. I am sure it would help many pastors if you could share how you personally maintain your joy in ministry.
This blog is a place for us pastors to help one another…
Rick
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Pastor Rick Warren
Saddleback Church
The Purpose Driven Life
15 responses so far ↓
stephen // May 22, 2007 at 4:47 am
I pastor a small Baptist Church in London, UK.
Enjoyed hearing your insights based on your own experiences in ministry - good stuff and helpful. God bless!
Anthony WagenerSmith // May 22, 2007 at 11:41 am
Dear Rick,
I’m in my 1st year of ministry serving two Seventh-day Adventist Churches in southwest florida. Thanks for the thoughts on authenticity in the younger generation. While I am 28, the average age in my two churches is in the upper 60’s and far removed from this paradigm. Today’s generation is seeking pastors who lead with genuine transparency and I am thankful for how your podcast is encouraging me to do so…
Thanks for keeping it real,
-Anthony
Bill LaMorey // May 23, 2007 at 6:11 am
As a church planter that is 2 years into the game, it was very encouraging to hear these words from a group of pastors I respect so greatly.
Thank you for the podcast and even more for the sustained example of faithfulness in ministry!
Larry Yarborough, Jr. // May 23, 2007 at 9:50 am
Please keep the conversations going. I love listening to your podcasts while out on a long run. They hit home, not just with the topics, but the “here’s what you can do now” insight from Pastor Rick and others. Thanks and remember that we’re praying for you guys, too!
Rev. Martins Olaomoju // May 26, 2007 at 8:14 am
I am the senior pastor of Foursquare Gospel Church, Apeka - Ikorodu, Lagos Nigeria. I thank God for your insight and your pratical ministry experience that you share with others in the field.
They are most helpfull and indeed a blessing to the
work of the king.
I am glad to let you know that you have enhanced my ministry tremendously with these pastors’ tools that have now become my precious companions.
Please keep doing what you are doing with every breath of your holly calling. We are praying for you.
God bless you real good in the name of Jesus.
With sincere love and best regards.
Martins Olu Olaomoju
Pastor Albert Mwansa // May 27, 2007 at 5:56 am
this is Pastor Mwansa in Lusaka Zambia this topic is so important for us ministers of the Gospel as the scripture puts it that the joy of the Lord is our strength in other words in makes us to look forward even when we come across dfificulties and challenges. Thanks Dear Pastors you have really ministered to me,God bless.
Mark // May 28, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Rick,
Thanks you so much for these podcasts. My wife and I serve the Lord in the Middle East where very little Christian material is available. Likewise, because we live in the heart of the Muslim World, there aren’t conferences to attend. Thanks for being creative and bringing the material to us in alternate ways.
Mel McRoberts // May 29, 2007 at 6:22 am
Hi Rick:
I start out my week by listening to your pod casts and taking notes. They are really helpful! I’ve been appointed to a new church beginning in July and was wondering if you might address this subject of starting over again at a new church in one of your future pod casts?
Thanks again for all you are doing to encourage and equip ministers!
Jim // May 29, 2007 at 10:04 am
Pastor’s
Your recent Podcast was a true inspitation. My wife and I pioneered a new church in Saginaw Tx. We stepped out in faith in Dec of 2004 and in October of 2006 we took another step when I went full time. Our hearts are to run this as a marathon as mentioned in your podcast and I know wisdom can be heard in my elders. Not to say you some of you guys are older than me in physical age but in the maturity of God I hear a lot of wisdom. I just wanted to say thank you for being an inspiration and a model that I am not afraid to follow. I know you are men of God and you have been put into place for people like me. Thank You and God bless each and everyone of you.
Jim “DoughBoy” Brady
Amy // May 31, 2007 at 10:21 am
I’m a church planter in a downtown city, and I want to thank you for the maintaining joy conversation. The topic of greiving while in the pulpit (while still maintaining joy!) is especially raw right now. We found our unborn child had died the friday before Mothers Day. Although our church has been very supportive, it has been a challenge to maintain authentic emotions in front of the congregation, while maintaining the message of hope and faith and God’s soveriegnty. Just to add to that portion of the conversation- before we received this news, we had attended a conference on pain in the pulpit. One thing I gathered from that conference was that we can’t bring our pain into the pulpit until we can also proclaim hope. Sometimes that may mean sitting aside for a while, and allowing others to lead, while the process of lament brings you to the end of the psalm, where we return to the truth of God’s faithfulness.
Thanks for helping me take a step towards joy today.
(PS- I noticed a few references assuming that your listening pastors are men, and I want to remind you that some of us are women! :)
Norm // May 31, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I’m glad I took the time to listen. It was refreshing. Our church is about five years old in Northwest Florida, and we’re “going through the change.” It has worn on me the last few months more than even when we were struggling to get a few people. “Advance and Retreat” was a good word. Retreat or get beat. Keep the talk going.
Pastor Mel // May 31, 2007 at 6:54 pm
For the first in my life I listened and I enjoyed listening to the podcast of Rick Warren. I’d been pastoring a small church and several times I left obligated doing my ministry rather than enjoying it. After listening to you, I realized I should stop comparing myself with others. I found this program very helpful and should continue to take advantage of this for my continues growth.
God bless you.
soon kim // June 3, 2007 at 8:10 am
[Until now, I have been disappointed because I was unable to watch Saddleback Church services on-line], I [give] thanks to God to listen to the podcast (especially free). I’m living in South-Korea and preparing to minister independently in my area. I was challenged by your ministry several years ago when I have mission work in Philippines. Since that time, I have tried to learn the will of God to this world.
anyway it’s my pleasure to leave message to you and I hope to learn from this blog.
thanks a lot and God bless you.
Gary R Sweeten // June 7, 2007 at 5:31 am
Great discussion among top tier professionals who play a very high skill game. The problem I heard rthroughout the discussion was unconsciously placing us pastors into a different category than “laity” a “one up” position to the people in the pew. The way we talk about “problem people” but “have to love them” etc. Just too much emphasis on the importance of us and a lack of emphasis on God and the people.
Trevor // June 11, 2007 at 9:59 am
Hi gang,
Thanks for the challenging message. I happened on this resource today, while on my “day off” and it was very convicting and inspiring. We were called to a small church in Canada that recently lost its founding pastor due to conflict and burnout. This is my first senior pastorate and it has been challenging with many times where I’ve questioned God’s leading and my own sense of calling. It is improtant to know that others have been there and survived. Blessings to all for your words and your willingness to take the time to share your journey with us.
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