Resources
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Blessed Connections: Relationships that Sustain Vital Ministry (Book)
Judith A. Schwanz, Author. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2008.
Why do fifteen to twenty percent of pastors leave their positions within five years of beginning them? And why do fifty percent of pastors feel unable to meet the demands of their jobs, ninety percent feel inadequately trained, and seventy percent experience low self-esteem? Seminary professor Judith Schwanz believes these statistics reveal breakdowns in relationships—with oneself, with others, and with God. This book is a primer for leaders who want to strengthen their ministries and lives by strengthening their relationships. Readers will get the most from this book by keeping an "Assessment Journal" in which they respond to the questions and suggestions listed at the end of each chapter.
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Clergy Burnout: Recovering from the 70-Hour Work Week and Other Self-Defeating Practices (Book)
Fred Lehr, Author. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2006.
Fred Lehr addresses the challenges of pastoral life that can lead to burnout, and offers advice on self-care practices that can help clergy maintain—or regain—balance and health in their lives. In particular, Lehr shows how clergy codependence is at the root of the burnout many clergy experience. He further argues that clergy must recognize their own codependence and "own" their part in this dysfunctional pattern in order to break through it. Clergy Burnout helps clergy combat codependence by showing how they can develop gospel-centered lives, become more spiritually mature, regain balance, set boundaries, and both embrace and use their own power to positive effect.
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Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide to Sabbatical Planning (Book)
Richard A. Bullock, Richard J. Bruesehoff, Authors. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2000.
Clergy Renewal is a concise guide for planning effective pastoral sabbaticals. Authors Richard Bullock and Richard Bruesehoff make a strong case for why congregations should provide their pastors with periodic sabbaticals—arguing that these times for rest, study, and spiritual renewal can help keep ministry vital and growing for the long term. This book addresses many common obstacles to sabbaticals. It also offers suggestions for places to go while on sabbatical, advice on sabbatical policies, rituals for sending off and welcoming back the pastor, and funding possibilities. Throughout the text, the authors lift up the positive effects that a well-planned pastoral sabbatical can have on all concerned.
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Clergy Self-Care: Finding a Balance for Effective Ministry (Book)
Roy M. Oswald, Author. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 1991.
Roy Oswald's book on clergy self-care provides a number of strategies for dealing with the stresses of clergy life. By offering effective self-evaluation tools, Oswald convinces clergy that they indeed do suffer stress and face the prospect of burnout. He recognizes that clergy are prone to a level of nonproductive self-sacrifice that they sometimes mistakenly interpret as following Christ. Churches need to recognize that they (1) have a vested interest in their clergy's success and (2) will benefit from knowing more about the elements of clergy stress and signs of burnout. Featuring holistic approaches to body and soul, Oswald's strategies steer clergy and church onto healthier ground.
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The Competent Pastor: Skills and Self-Knowledge for Serving Well (Book)
Ronald D. Sisk, Author. Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 2005.
Competence in ministry is a moving target. A ministry technique that works in one congregation may not work in another, and what works now may not work in five years. But a competent pastor will be able to adapt to a variety of changes. When the competent pastor gets stuck, he or she knows what steps to take to get unstuck. Competence, defined by author Ronald Sisk as "the ability to do what needs to be done," requires ministers to understand themselves and others, to keep a realistic perspective on their lives, and to remain responsive to God's grace. This book will help pastors develop that understanding, perspective, and responsiveness.
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Feed the Fire!: Avoiding Clergy Burnout (Book)
Bruce G. Epperly, Katherine Gould Epperly, Authors. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 2008.
For pastoral husband and wife team Bruce and Kate Epperly, "feeding the fire" means engaging in those spiritual practices that open the mind and heart to God's lively energy. These practices enable pastors, in the Epperlys' words, to "live out their vocations over a lifetime with wisdom, effectiveness, energy, health, and compassion." Chapters are devoted to transforming our bodies, our minds, our spirits, and our relationships. A separate chapter explores our engagement with time. Also featured is a discussion of maintaining equanimity in the face of conflict and practicing "visionary leadership in unsettling times." The book includes stories of pastors who have applied transformational practices to their lives and work.
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Finding Jesus, Discovering Self: Passages to Healing And Wholeness (Book)
Caren Goldman, William Dols, Authors. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 2006.
Caren Goldman (a Jewish author) and William Dols (an Episcopal priest) collaborate to present Jesus's life and teachings from a fresh perspective—a perspective that encourages us to raise questions rather than confirm pat answers, and that challenges us to examine our stories in light of Jesus's story. Gospel narratives are complemented with narratives from the authors' lives as well as with poetry, quotes, film scenes, and questions for reflection. Themes explored include "leaving home," "speaking one's truth," "weathering storms," "binding wounds," and "discovering God's kingdom." While it can be used for individual study, this book will be most fruitful when read and explored in community with others.
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Finding the Still Point: A Spiritual Response to Stress (Book)
Tom Harpur, Author. Kelowna, BC: Northstone Publishing, 2002.
Convinced that most medically based stress reduction techniques fail to sufficiently address the causes of stress, Anglican priest Tom Harpur argues for spiritually grounded forms of meditation that can function as powerful sources of healing. He also believes that by slowing down, caring for ourselves more fully, and listening more carefully, we can not only be spiritually nurtured but also serve as instruments of renewal. Finding the "still point," for Harper, means finding that sacred place within ourselves from which we are able to observe and release the tensions that bring stress into our lives. And from that point, believes Harper, we can develop authentic compassion for others.
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Group Spiritual Direction: Community for Discernment (Book)
Rose Mary Dougherty, Author. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1997.
Rose Mary Dougherty has written this book "for those individuals who have an appreciation for spiritual direction and want to offer spiritual direction for themselves and others in a group setting." Drawing on the community practices of intercessory prayer and silence, group spiritual direction helps participants discern and respond to God's action in their lives. The author discusses the structure and format of small groups. She also addresses practical concerns—such as determining whether someone is ready for group direction, the role and care of facilitators, and common problems encountered in group direction. The book's appendix outlines a different approach to group direction for those engaged in ministry.
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Journeying toward Renewal: A Spiritual Companion for Pastoral Sabbaticals (Book)
Melissa Bane Sevier, Author. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2002.
Melissa Bane Sevier draws on her own sabbatical experience to provide a guide for pastors considering or beginning a sabbatical. Acknowledging that many may fear the unknown consequences of renewal leave, she nevertheless addresses the personal and spiritual cues that the time is ripe for a sabbatical and explains why sometimes "the congregation needs you to go away for a while." She then reflects on the process of leaving her congregation, spending time away, and returning. Each chapter includes exercises for inspiration, contemplation, action, and further study. With additional information on funding sources, this book is essential for ministers who want to get the most out of their leave.
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Leading the Congregation: Caring for Yourself While Serving the People (Book)
Norman Shawchuck, Roger Heuser, Authors. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.
Providing a survey course on the roles, functions, and pitfalls of congregational leadership, Leading the Congregation could be subtitled "caring for oneself in order to midwife the growth and development of the congregation." The opening chapter cites the conditions that constrain a pastor's leadership efforts. Part One covers the pastoral inner journey. Parts Two and Three cover the "what, how, and why" of supporting a church's vision through addressing the interplay between pastoral and congregational authority. Later chapters discuss women in leadership, multi-cultural congregations, and congregational life cycles; an appendix provides leadership role description. Beginning and seasoned pastors should read this book at the inception of any new pastorate.
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Listening for God: A Minister's Journey through Silence and Doubt (Book)
Renita J. Weems, Author. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1999.
"Ministers rarely talk about the long dry periods in their spiritual journey. I know they don't because I am one…" So says Renita Weems in this memoir of her struggle with the experience of God's silence and her longing for a renewed sense of God's presence. Weems explores the mysteries of silence, prayer, ministry, marriage, mothering, and miracles. Included throughout are prayers, personal stories, and journal entries that record her anger at God's seeming absence as well as her growing acceptance of the silence through which God speaks. This acceptance occurred not on a quiet mountaintop, but in the midst of a full family and professional life.
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Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives (Book)
Richard A. Swenson, Author. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 1992.
Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, convincingly argues what all too many of us experience: we are suffering a diminishing reserve of personal resources relative to what is demanded of us. This loss of margin has numerous emotional, physical, and social costs. Swenson encourages us to re-center our lives by learning to rein in the emotional, physical, financial, and time demands we endure. To this end, he first marshals evidence that we live in a particularly stressful era. But he does not simply diagnose. Instead, he also makes a host of prescriptive suggestions for life in four key areas: emotions, physical energy, finances, and time use.
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Recalling Our Own Stories: Spiritual Renewal for Religious Caregivers (Book)
Edward P. Wimberly, Author. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1997.
Recalling Our Own Stories outlines harmful myths that can affect the deepest motivations for ministry and contribute to such recurring problems as resentment, over-functioning, the inability to forgive, and the inability to enjoy life. While knowledge of these myths is crucial for remaining true to one's calling, knowledge alone is not enough. Drawing on numerous examples, Edward Wimberly explores ways to rewrite one's stories. Such rewriting enables ministers to frame original stories in more fruitful ways, as well as to integrate those stories with more mature processes of discernment. As a result, religious caregivers—who are often vulnerable emotionally—will have more to offer as they experience growth and healing.
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The Right Road: Life Choices for Clergy (Book)
Gwen Wagstrom Halaas, Author. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2004.
Written by Gwen Wagstrom Halaas—physician, professor of medicine, and director of ministerial health and wellness for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America—The Right Road offers counsel and resources on healthy bodies, minds, relationships, intellects, and vocations. Halaas cites studies indicating that many clergy have problems at work, with depression, and in their families. For example, clergy have higher levels of obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease than the general population. Healthy living, however, results in healthy leadership and communities. At 98 pages, this is not an exhaustive text, but it explores the vital question of how and why congregational leaders need to lead a good life.
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Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship and Direction (Book)
David G. Benner, Author. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.
"We need companions on our spiritual journey. The modern world has taught us to value autonomy and individualism… We soon discover that our souls long for accompaniment, intimacy, and spiritual friendship." David Benner breaks the topic of Sacred Companions into three discussions: spiritual friendship, spiritual direction, and a combination of the two. The book explains that being a spiritual friend and a spiritual director are two different callings and tasks. In the third discussion, Benner talks about being a spiritual director in groups of people seeking spiritual companionship. He also explores possibilities of "soul friendship" in marriage. Here is a book for those seeking a fuller sense of God's presence.
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The Spiritual Leader's Guide to Self-Care (Book)
Rochelle Melander, Harold Eppley, Authors. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2002.
Defining "self-care" as "living the life God has intended for you," clergy couple Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley have created a practical self-care guide for congregational leaders. Six key themes are addressed: creating a life vision, caring for yourself at work, nurturing relationships, caring for physical and material needs (such as the needs for a healthy diet, adequate exercise, and sound finances), caring for spiritual and intellectual needs, and sustaining a life vision. Each chapter offers suggestions for reflecting, connecting with a partner, and connecting with God. The book ends with an annotated resource guide to a wide range of topics—including friendship, vocation, and spiritual tools.
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Spiritual Wholeness for Clergy: A New Psychology of Intimacy with God, Self, and Others (Book)
Donald R. Hands, Wayne L. Fehr, Authors. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 1993.
In her foreword, novelist Susan Howatch summarizes this book as describing "the great human quest for self-realization and integration—or, in other words, the great call from God to fulfill his purpose by becoming the people he created us to be." Donald Hands and Wayne Fehr draw from many hours of clinical therapy and spiritual direction to describe the various disorders and pathologies that clergy suffer and to summarize the phases of healing: "uncovery" (purgative), "discovery" (illuminative), and "recovery" (unitive). Spelling out a healthy spirituality in relationship with self, others, and God, the authors synthesize the insights of Jungian depth psychology, the 12-step movement, and traditional Christian spirituality.
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Undoing Perpetual Stress: The Missing Connection Between Depression, Anxiety, and 21st Century Illness (Book)
Richard O'Connor, Author. New York, NY: Berkley Books (Penguin), 2005.
Richard O'Connor argues that our minds and bodies are not equipped to keep up with the rapid pace of change in our lives, in technology, and in the world today. Many people develop what he calls "Perpetual Stress Syndrome," a state of overstimulation that can cause structural damage to our nervous systems, brains, and internal organs. This syndrome contributes not only to clinical depression and anxiety, but also to numerous physical problems. But health can be restored, says O'Connor, through developing the "core skill" of mindfulness and related cognitive, emotional, and relational skills. Here is a practical and down-to-earth manual for those seeking help from the debilitating effects of stress.
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