Blog

Yes….we’re back. Even if only in a limited capacity. And still, it has been a blessing to return to our little corner of informing the Methodist world with the news and information the effects them the most. After a rather intensive and complicated Pancreatic cancer recession, an unexpected abscess, and a rather challenging surgical recovery, […]

Barry Davis The Invisible Weight Pastors CarryNo one quite prepares you for how heavy it can feel to love a local church. You don’t just prepare sermons—you carry souls. You don’t just lead meetings—you shepherd hearts. When conflict arises, or people leave, or the numbers drop, it’s hard not to take it personally. The love […]

The Letdown No One Talks AboutSunday may be the high point of a pastor’s week, but Monday often feels like the valley. The adrenaline fades, the sanctuary is empty, and the pastor begins to second-guess everything. “Was the sermon clear enough?”“Did I preach too hard—or not hard enough?”“Did anyone even listen?” This phenomenon—post-sermon discouragement—isn’t a […]

Leadership in ministry inevitably involves conflict. As a pastor, you’ve likely stood at the foot of many hills—each one tempting you to climb, raise your voice, and draw a line in the sand. But not every hill is Calvary. Not every issue is worth the cost of division, burnout, or broken fellowship. There are, of […]

When the Public Outpaces the Private Pastors are constantly leading others in prayer: But here’s the painful truth: many pastors are guiding others into prayer while quietly neglecting their own private time with God. According to a recent study reported by Baptist Press, only 18 percent of pastors are “very satisfied” with their personal prayer lives, and 72 percent […]

The Pain of People Walking Away Few things hurt a pastor more than watching people leave. Sometimes they leave quietly.Sometimes they leave loudly.Sometimes they leave for good reasons.Sometimes for reasons that are shallow, sinful, or simply unclear. You’ve poured into their lives.You prayed with them.You baptized their children.You sat beside them in the ER.You planned […]

Two Jobs, One Calling If you’re a bivocational pastor, you know what it means to wear multiple hats. You shepherd a flock, preach the Word, visit the sick, and lead in worship—but then you also clock into your weekday job, manage your schedule, provide for your family, and fulfill responsibilities that few church members even […]

Barry Davis ~ When Ministry Happens Off the Platform Ministry doesn’t always happen from the pulpit. Some of the most powerful, Spirit-filled moments happen in quiet, unscheduled spaces—the hospital room, the hospice bedside, the nursing home hallway, the rehab center waiting area. These are the margins of ministry—places where life is raw, time is short, and […]

The Wounds of Words If you’ve served in ministry for any significant length of time, you know that criticism is inevitable. Some of it is constructive. Some of it is cruel. Occasionally, it’s a whisper behind your back. Sometimes, it’s a full-on confrontation in the church foyer. Every pastor faces it—Jesus certainly did. The very people […]

Jeffrey Rickman – Complicit Christian Leaders Every Christian pastor is implicitly, if not explicitly, asked to be complicit in lies that people want to believe about themselves. Namely, the lie of the carnal Christian. Each of us has in our covenant communities a number of individuals who want to live as worldly people, yet refer […]