Pastor’s Picks – Recommended Resources

These are recommended resources that we have been personally encouraged and challenged by and hope they do the same for you. It’s been said before that great leaders are readers, and we are committed to regularly reading through our Bible and never stop learning. May the Lord bless you as you grow! -Pastor Tim Molter

Book: Zeal Without Burnout by Christopher Ash

Posted on

zealwithoutburnoutThere are too many Christians who stop serving in their local church or in a ministry. Why? Burnout. I don’t believe they have lost their love for Christ, or their desire to serve him, but for one reason or another, they are exhausted and simply cannot carry on. This is why we must recognize our own limits to help reduce the risk of what we call “burnout”.

In “Zeal Without Burnout” author Christopher Ash says, “it is a healthy thing, a realistic truth, to grasp that I am dust. I am made from dust. In this mortal life I will never be more than a few particles of dust into which God has temporarily breathed the breath of life. I am frail and fragile, and I do well never to forget it.” People serving in ministry must understand this truth, and know their limitations to reduce the risk of burning out.

This book provides several keys which author Christopher Ash has found to help us not grow weary while doing good. These principles are: 1) We need sleep. 2) We need Sabbath Rests. 3) We need friends. 4) We need nourishment. 5) A warning: beware celebrity. 6) An encouragement: it’s worth it. And 7) A delight: rejoice in grace not gifts.

After you read this book, you will no doubt understand what it means to be burned out and you might discover whether you are yourself burned out. I think that it would be especially encouraging to all who serve in Christian ministry.

How to get this resource:

Devo: Pastors Are People Too (7 Days): What They Won’t Tell You but You Need to Know

Posted on

In light of October being Pastor Appreciation Month (started by Focus on the Family in 1994), here is a recommended 7-Day Devotion for you to enjoy.

devoimage720x405A healthy church requires a healthy pastor. Discover proven ways to make a positive impact in your pastor’s world and the life of your church. This practical devotion offers tangible ways to better understand and care for the pastor who cares so deeply about you. Pastors and their families live under incredible pressures. Their lives are played out in a fishbowl, with the entire congregation and community watching their every move.

They are expected to have ideal families, to be perfect people, to always be available, to never be down and to have all the answers we need to keep our own lives stable and moving forward. Those are unrealistic expectations to place on anyone, yet most of us are disappointed when a pastor becomes overwhelmed, seems depressed, lets us down or completely burns out. Learn how you can help and better appreciate your pastor and his family through this free 7-day devotion.