Let's face it...ministry is hard. And at times it's hard in ways we never thought it would be, and for which we were never really prepared. So many of the day-in and day-out realities - the practical nuts-and-bolts of ministry - can leave us tired, frustrated or wondering if we're even fulfilling God's call. And sometimes it can make us feel very alone. Brian Croft joins us on Hope Renewed to talk about finding hope in the midst of the every-day-ness of ministry and where we can find strength fo...
Mar 21, 2022•55 min
Having relationships that are safe, open and encouraging are helpful - in fact needful - for everyone. But finding these relationships as a pastor can be especially difficult. That's why it's important for those who surround pastors to be those kinds of people and create the times and spaces that help pastors be healthy. Join us as we talk with PIR's Robin Schmidt and her husband Larry as they share their experiences in championing safe relationships for their pastors, and how it's a response to...
Mar 06, 2022•53 min
Finding hope to address ministry pain is challenging. For women in ministry - or married to those who are - it can be especially so. Finding a place of understanding, safety and healing can be elusive. That's why we're so excited to share in this episode of Hope Renewed a powerful conversation we had with Kristen Joy, founder of The Ministry Wife Coach. Her deeply informed and passionate approach to resourcing women in ministry provides a much needed place of hope for those impacted by the confu...
Feb 21, 2022•50 min
Tom and Sean sit down with Winn Collier, the director of The Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. Winn is the author of Burning in My Bones, a new biography on Eugene Peterson. In this conversation he talks about his friendship with Eugene and what led him to write this great book. They talk about the joys and struggles of ministry, including a dark six-year period that Eugene called The Waste Land. Winn and Eugene offer hope during our darkest times....
Feb 07, 2022•40 min
In a world that is changing at a seemingly exponential rate, the church is not immune. In fact, more and more of the world's "perspective threads" are being woven into the fabric of the church, and pastors are confronted with attitudes and voices which run counter to the Gospel. How can pastors and ministry leaders best navigate the changing current within their churches, and how can they best attend to an eroding hope which can too easily take hold? Join us as Glenn Packiam shares insight from ...
Jan 24, 2022•50 min
Long and difficult days are a regular part of ministry. It seems the length and difficulty are compounding recently, and pastors are tired. Endurance in ministry is becoming more and more a major theme as shepherds and leaders strive to faithfully and healthily serve the church. Join us as we sit down with Jimmy Dodd, CEO and Founder of PastorServe . In his ministry to serve, support and encourage pastors, Jimmy has gleaned powerful insights not only into the challenges faced in ministry, but ho...
Jan 10, 2022•48 min
Every journey has three components. Most familiar are Destination and Path . What is often overlooked is Origin ...where you're starting from. In our spiritual journey it's as crucial for healthy growth to know where we are - right now - as it is to know where we're going and how we'll get there. Join us as we sit down with Bill and Kristi Gaultiere, whose extensive experience of journeying with pastors and ministry leaders have given them unique insights to discerning where you are in your jour...
Dec 06, 2021•53 min
Shepherding shepherds. Caring for wounded leaders. Walking with pastors and their families. Partnering to bring healing. These all reflect the depth of the mission of PIR. We invite you to sit down with us as we talk with pastor, minister to ministers and PIR Board Member Tim Johnson. He shares some creative and helpful ways by which pastors can facilitate healthy ministry/personal lives and find strength for the long haul. As always we invite you to check out our resources at PIR Ministries' we...
Nov 22, 2021•49 min
Exhaustion. False self. Divided heart. Narcissism. These are terms that are becoming more and more associated with pastoral ministry. And while the concepts are not new - just look at the Biblical examples of them! - the current attention they're receiving comes with a fresh perspective on their antidote. Join us as we sit with pastor, professor, therapist, spiritual director and author Chuck DeGroat as he outlines God's hope and cure for a fragmented and out-of-control life. Perhaps it's best e...
Nov 08, 2021•53 min
It' no secret that pastoral ministry is demanding and requires much from those who engage in it. Practicing good self-care is a must to stay healthy in ministry. But how do you know when you've crossed a line from the normal wear and tear of ministry life into more dangerous areas of damaging fatigue, debilitating anxiety and loss of effectiveness? How do you know when burnout is present? In this important episode of Hope Renewed , we explore the work Sean has done in recognizing burnout in the ...
Oct 25, 2021•48 min
The Soul Care Institute ( https://www.soulcareinstitute.com/ ) is a six-retreat journey spread over two years where participants learn to care for their own souls. Sean interviewed the Soul Care Institute president Kaylene Derksen and her husband Jimm (who serves a s Vice President of the Institute). The talked about how pastors are often so busy caring for others that they neglect to care for their own souls. The Soul Care Institute experience is an ideal way for pastors to find safety, friends...
Oct 11, 2021•46 min
As leaders there is always the subtle temptation to allow our identity to be found in our own accomplishments. Our degrees, successes, networks, and personalities become what form and inform our perspectives for ministry. But what if God is choosing a different way to shape us for His call? Desert experiences. Painful self-awareness. Suffering. What if God’s way involves the breaking of ourselves to be filled by Him? Join us as we sit down with PIR Board Member and friend Shalini Bennett who sha...
Sep 27, 2021•50 min
Shame. It’s the lie that says, “You’re worthless. You're a mistake.” It can get to the root of our being and poison our lives. Pastors and ministry leaders face unique battles with shame even as they hold out the Word of life that heals. What is it about shame that is so devastating? When and how does it attack? What are some ways those in ministry can unmask shame, build “shame resilience”, finding freedom and renewal? Join us as we talk with Pastor Mike Gorr (D.Min.) whose own confrontation wi...
Sep 13, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Often pastors and ministry leaders find themselves occupied and even struggling with the very same issues they help others face. The danger is the assumption - the lie - that "pastors can deal with these things on their own" or, "pastors don't need counselors, that's a sign of weakness." Nothing could be further from the truth. Literally. The truth of God's word admonishes all of us to seek and receive good, biblical, godly counsel. Our lives and health depend upon it. We sit down with pastor an...
Jul 06, 2021•53 min
When a car's wheels are out of alignment, it can create a domino effect of issues which could ultimately result in a crash. So it is in life, and perhaps more so in ministry. Inattention to our soul's alignment can be the fundamental issue that expresses itself in ever increasing difficulties. We sit down with pastor and ministry coach John Opalewski, whose story is one of the wheels coming off, but finding new hope and strength through alignment with God's truth and purposes. Resources Find all...
Jun 21, 2021•48 min
Many leaders are hurried, and hurry is costing them more than they realize. What if we were to rediscover the genius of Jesus' unhurried way of life and leadership? Great leadership grows in the soil of good rest. This is the conviction Alan Fadling has found in his quest to live and minister from the fullness of life in Jesus. Join us as we discuss living life at the pace of Jesus and what it means to abandon the rush of doing ministry our own way and in our own strength, and surrendering to th...
Jun 07, 2021•42 min
Good health in any aspect of our lives requires Attention and Intention. It just doesn't happen, it must be pursued and practiced. This is especially true in ministry because there is an enemy - of our souls and of our ministry - who would have us weak, ineffective and irrelevant. How we cultivate our ministry health is as important as the ministry we seek to do! In this episode of Hope Renewed, we talk with Bryan Moak of Converge, and glean some crucial insights from how his work in the Mid-Ame...
May 24, 2021•48 min
“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”—John 15:9 What would ministry - and life - look like if done from a basis of abiding deeply in Christ and his love? If that's not your current experience, it may be that this command of Jesus is an invitation to explore a more life-giving and joyful way to engage in your call to serve and minister. Join us as we sit down with Jack and Sharon Brown, who share their journey of ministry and life, and the lessons of identity, bound...
May 10, 2021•51 min
Serving the small (or ordinary) sized church is filled with challenges. So many of the resources and conferences for ministry leaders are geared toward larger-church contexts, and can leave those called to smaller congregations feeling under-served and less than confident about their ministry. In this episode of Hope Renewed we sit down with Karl Vaters, whose love for and experience in small church leadership have uniquely equipped him to be a voice of encouragement for pastors of congregations...
Apr 26, 2021•49 min
Each of us has a story which serves as a testimony to God's grace in our lives. Some of these stories involve deep pain and potential ruin. Others are stories of perseverance and discovery. All of them point to Jesus and the hope of his gospel. In this episode of Hope Renewed, PIR's own Jason Eddy opens his heart and shares his story of burnout and recovery. From a promising beginning in ministry, through an almost catatonic crash, to a renewed and flourishing role in service and ministry, Jason...
Apr 12, 2021•53 min
60 million people live in rural America, making it a fertile field for ministry. But with country churches come country issues, which bring their own unique challenges and joys. The demands on a pastor serving in these contexts are often multiplied because of isolation, lack of resources and small-town community dynamics. What are some keys to thriving when God calls you to serve His church in what can feel like a far away place? Jon Sanders joins us to bring his insight, experience and enthusia...
Mar 29, 2021•50 min
When you think of concepts and practices that help pastors and ministry leaders find hope and thrive, perhaps neuroscience isn't among the immediate thoughts that comes to mind! Yet in the "uniquely and wonderfully made" way in which God has fashioned us, we are discovering the crucial connections between how Biblical truths about our lives and the physiological insights God is revealing about how our brains function are deeply and importantly related. In this fascinating episode of Hope Renewed...
Mar 15, 2021•41 min
What we often find in ministry life is that the circumstances and challenges we face aren't necessarily ones for which our training has prepared us. Having someone who can offer perspective, encouragement, guidance and perhaps a little advice is a HUGE help! Even for the "normal" work of ministry and leadership, a "seasoned and reasoned" voice - what we call a "Thinking Partner" - can be an invaluable asset for pastors and ministry leaders. I this episode we talk with Rev. Anne Horton and her co...
Mar 01, 2021•48 min
What has it been like for you leading and ministering in this COVID season? Ministry can be stressful enough under normal circumstances. Add to it the weight and wait under which your ministry is currently being carried, and it can be a recipe for depression, frustration and burnout. How can you retain strength, vitality and resiliency in these difficult times? We sit down with Denny Howard of Full Strength Network , a partner in ministry with PIR. Denny walks us through the different types of s...
Feb 15, 2021•48 min
If you’re in pastoral or ministry leadership, the church needs you to be healthy. Research shows there are certain keys to cultivating a sustainable, sacrificial yet fulfilling ministry and a key among them is Resilience . How do you seek resilience in ministry as a pastor or ministry leader? What does self-care look like when a pandemic has disrupted everything you do? How do you care for all of the needs out there and also take care of yourself? In this sacrificial calling, how might the cross...
Feb 01, 2021•51 min
Joe Chambers is on a journey. A self-described " pilgrim on his way home to the Kingdom of the Heaven" , Joe shares a story of the highs and lows of pastoral ministry, and the restorative nature of God's grace. Join us a we walk with Joe through his experience and discovery of the depths of God's love, and the hope found in Jesus alone. Links Joe's book: Field Notes on the Jesus Way Joe's BLOG CrossRoads Counseling of the Rockies...
Jan 17, 2021•50 min
A New Year seems to always bring with it a sense of looking forward to new hopes, new thoughts and new opportunities. How much more in 2021! On the cusp of this new and promising year, we thought it would be a great opportunity to revisit Who We Are as Pastor-in-Residence Ministries, and how we might best serve you in this New Year. Executive Director Roy Yanke sits down with us to offer an overview of PIR, the resources and tools we provide, and the encouragement God offers in and through this ...
Jan 04, 2021•44 min
Without fail the holiday season comes each year, and with it heightened expectations and stress in ministry. This year is especially challenging with the extra layers of complications due to pandemic protocols. While "making it through" the holidays might seem like the order of the day we at PIR want to encourage you to recover well from what may have been a hectic and draining time, and enter the next season with vigor and enthusiasm! Dan Borg joins Sean and Tom to talk about the pulls and stra...
Dec 21, 2020•44 min
Steve Cuss is a Pastor, Author and Spiritual Care Professional who has a deep passion for ministry leaders. His particular concern is to bring relief from the pressures of ministry that weigh heavily on leaders by equipping them with tools for individual and team health. In this episode of Hope Renewed we sit down with Steve and talk about the various aspects of leadership anxiety that can war against ministry health, and explore some specific tools that help reframe our management of that anxie...
Dec 07, 2020•51 min
From time to time on Hope Renewed we have the opportunity to sit down with pastors and talk with them about navigating the challenges of serving in the church from the viewpoints and experiences of those who are on the "frontline" in local church ministry. We're able to hear their sometimes painful stories and how they have found hope to sustain and strengthen them for the long haul. This episode is a conversation with Sean's good friend Pastor Doug Smith, serving in McBain MI.
Nov 23, 2020•42 min
