COMING IN 2018
In 2018, I will augment the Healthy Clergy Make Healthy Congregation s, (HCMHC) ToolBox with six volumes that expand on the material in the ToolBox.
The purpose behind (HCMHC), is to provide resources that can contribute to the health of the church on three levels. First, the volumes will address the clergy and other religious leaders in the church. Second, there will be practical suggestions and strategies that the congregation can implement to contribute to the health of their clergy and religious leaders. Third, I will suggest strategies that the presbyteries and their committees can advance that promote the health of their leadership. With a slight adaption of vocabulary, most of the suggestions will apply to all religious leaders in the church, and those who serve in other forms of ministry.
CURRENT VOLUMES
The current three volumes are these: Volume 1, A Company of Pastors, provides a programmatic way to address the issue of loneliness among clergy. While clergy continually interface with numerous people, the very nature of their work frequently results in an experience of loneliness. Many of their worst decisions are the result of not having trusted people with whom they can process their decisions. The decisions they make and the secrets they bear often result in loneliness. This volume not only analyzes the nature of that loneliness but offers a two year strategy for building a genuine company of pastors who can support each other.
Volume 2, God Laughs—Why Don’t You, explores both the healing power of humor and how to integrate it in various aspects of ministry, including worship, counseling, handling conflict, exploring God’s call, etc.
Volume 3, The Interim Pastor’s Gift, offers a design by which an interim pastor can examine their role in educating a congregation in building a healthy relationship with their prospective new pastor.
COMING SOON
Soon there will be six new volumes, each addressing a different aspect of how we nurture our health as clergy. Look for a special offer at the end of this article. Volume 4, Clergy Physical Health, addresses the physical aspects of health that are affected by stresses and challenges in ministry. It offers various practices, strategies, and suggestions by which a pastor can counter the challenges to his or her physical health. It also offers ways that both the congregation and judicatory can address these issues.
Volume 5, Clergy Emotional Health, focuses on the way ministry can affect a person’s emotional health. It also addresses how emotional issues can contribute to behavior that weakens the ministry. In addition to identifying the problems, it offers suggestions to the clergy, congregation and judicatory on how to counter the stresses of ministry.
Volume 6, Clergy Family Health, recognizes that the nature of ministry often is hard on other family members and relationships. Again, strategies and practices are offered for the clergy, congregations, and judicatories. Some of the suggestions are in the form of games that can include the whole family.
Volume 7, Clergy Financial Health, recognizes the stress that finances and low salaries can add to a pastor’s health. All of these volumes recognizes that the areas interact with each other. Financial issues can create emotional and physical problems as well. Each offer ways to cope and prosper with the health issues that arise for the clergy, congregations, and judicatories..
Volume 8, Clergy Spiritual Health, addresses how we can avoid having the various challenges and stresses of ministry damage our spiritual health. The goal is to learn how to respond to both the satisfactions and stresses of ministry in a way that enables us to grow in faith.
Volume 9, Clergy Vocational Health, looks at both our understanding of the call of God and how to nurture that call even when we have negative experiences. Statistics indicate that a great number of those who feel called to the ministry leave within five years and many others seek a change in their profession long before retirement. This volume seeks to encourage those who have heard God’s call not to become discouraged or dispirited as they live out their response to God’s call.
SPECIAL DEAL
Now for the special deal. If you would like to examine a sample, I will send you a free PDF of volume 4, Clergy Physical Health. Just send me a request at steve@smccutchan.com and I will respond with the free PDF. I will also send you a notice when the other volumes are available.
YOU CAN HELP OTHER CLERGY
If these volumes are helpful, I encourage you to
- Share them with others.
- Encourage your judicatory to make use of them to assist other clergy.
- Review them on Amazon and perhaps in judicatory newsletters.
- Pray for your brothers and sisters in the ministry.
The world is blessed when we respond to God’s call to ministry, and we do better ministry when we remain healthy.
