MIND, BODY, SPIRIT FITNESS - Healthy Churches...

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D. Presenter

SHERATON CHARLOTT HOTELCharlotte, NC

MIND, BODY, SPIRITFITNESS

Ministry for the Leaders

Nov 17, 2016

What is expected of you?

… I am supposed to move from sick bed toadministrative meeting, to planning, tosupervising, to counseling, to praying, to troubleshooting, to budgeting, to audio systems, tomeditation, to worship presentation, tonewsletter, to staff problems, to mission projects,to conflict management, to communityleadership, to study, to funerals, to weddings, topreaching.

…I am supposed to be “in charge” but not tooin charge, administrator, executive, sensitivepastor, skillful counselor, public speaker,spiritual guide, politically savvy, intellectuallysophisticated. And I am expected to besuperior or at least first rate, in all of them.

…I am not supposed to be depressed,discouraged, cynical, angry, or hurt.

…I am supposed to be up-beat, positive, strong,willing, available.

Right now I am not fulfilling any of theseexpectations very well.

AND I AM TIRED!!

A Pastor

An Awesome Responsibility

are called to ‘care’ for the sheep

KNOW

FEED

LEAD

PROTECT

Understanding The

Paul Tripp

13% of active pastors are divorced.23% have been fired or pressured to resign at least once in their careers.25% don't know where to turn when they have a family or personal conflict or issue.25% of pastors' wives see their husband's work schedule as a source of conflict.33% felt burned out within their first five years of ministry.33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.

40% of pastors and 47% of spouses are suffering from burnout, frantic schedules, and/or unrealistic expectations.45% of pastors' wives say the greatest danger to them and their family is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual burnout.Though I can find no specific statistics (I'm sure they are out there), the pastorate is seeing a significant rise in the number of female pastors.

45% of pastors say that they've experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry.50% feel unable to meet the needs of the job.52% of pastors say they and their spouses believe that being in pastoral ministry is hazardous to their family's well-being and health.

Studies indicate that the worst possiblecombinations of work conditions are HighPerformance Demand, combined with littlecontrol over the situation.

Therefore, by its very nature, Pastoral ministryis a stressful vocation.

To be successful and maintain overall health,vitality, and longevity, we must identify andunderstand the stress that we encounter withthe job.

Are We who Pastor…

Who Is Our Pastor?

What is Your

Ministry for the leader…TOXIC?

HEALTHY?

For the most part, the culture we have createdaround pastoral ministry is toxic and dangerous.

It forces pastors to put on a persona and toisolate themselves from the body of Christ. Trippasks, “does it seem right and healthy that inmany churches the functional reality is that noone gets less of the ministry of the body of Christthan the pastor does?”

Is it possible we have constructed a kind ofrelationship of the pastor to his congregationthat cannot work?

7 REASONS FOR PASTORAL BURNOUT

THOM RAINER

• The 24/7 mentality. Many pastors can’t “turn off” work in their mind. Even on their days off, they are waiting for that next telephone call or next crisis. Thus, they never relax.

• Conflict. I often heard it said that conflict is not the problem; it’s how we handle conflict. That’s true to a point. But if church conflict and criticisms are ongoing, pastors wear down. They eventually burn out.

• Expectations. All pastors would be problem-free if they were omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Of course, no pastor can meet all the expectations of church members. But many try. And they burn out as a result.

• Unwillingness to let go. Several years ago I was with a pastor who was frantically trying to sort the mail that had just arrived. He was hurrying to go to his next meeting. I asked him why he didn’t let someone else take care of some of things he was trying to do. His blank stare was his answer. He quit ministry three months later and never returned.

• No friends. Many pastors fail to develop meaningful friendships, people with whom they can “let their hair down.” Without such outlets, burnout is more likely.

• Not suited for some tasks. This issue is similar to trying to meet everyone’s expectations. First, such attempts are physically impossible. Second, pastors are not equipped to do everything well. But many try and many fail.

• No life outside the church. I am amazed at the number of pastors who have no meaningful hobbies or recreational activities outside the church. I am less amazed when those pastors burn out and drop out.

for those who shepherd

SUPPORT SYSTEM

ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM

PROTECTION SYSTEM

Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D., PresenterApostolic Faith Church Ministries

Underlying Stumbling Blocks to Getting Support

• Cultural• Gender: sexual• “Metaphors for ministry”• Lack of self-esteem/self knowledge

OVERCOMING ‘THE DARK SIDE’ OF LEADERSHIP

The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction

Gary L. McIntosh & Samuel D. Rima, Sr.

“The DARK SIDE”• The dark side is a natural result of

human development. It is the inner urges, compulsions, and dysfunctions of our personality that often go unexamined or remain unknown, until some significant problem or encounter reveals and exposes it.

“Know Thyself”(the truth

about yourself)

Johari Window Model

known to self

not known to self

known to others

OPEN

BLIND

not known to others

HIDDEN

UNKNOWN

Self Image ConceptAn adequate self-concept is a precious possession...an inadequate one is a “hardship”.

(If we don’t like the kind of person we are, we think no one else likes us either.)

Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D., PresenterApostolic Faith Church Ministries

How do we create and identify support

for pastors and couples in pastoral

ministry?

And so to combat this toxicculture and to find a healthierway Tripp gives eight suggestionsfor churches to bring their pastorsunder the ministry of the body ofChrist and see them live spirituallyhealthier lives.

Require your pastor to attend a small group he doesn’tlead

Pastor, seek out a spiritually mature person to mentoryou at all times

Establish a pastors’ wives’ small group

Pastor, be committed to appropriate self-disclosure inyour preaching

Be sure that your pastor and his family are regularlyinvited into the homes of families in your church

Make sure there is someone who is regularly mentoringyour pastor’s wife

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Make sure your pastor and his wife have the meansto be regularly out of the house and away for theweekends with one another

Make sure counseling help is always available tothe pastor, his wife, and their family.

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Together churches and their pastorsneed to work together to breakdown the toxic culture that allowsfor pastors to be isolated from theministry of the church.Churches need pastors who are firstapplying the gospel to their ownheart and are practicing confession,forgiveness and community.