When the storms come into your life, it’s too late to build the relationships you need to sustain you. Rick Warren

Ministry isn’t meant to be done alone. Pastor, you know that. We’re meant to work together for the cause of Christ. The Bible shows us this, and the early church modeled it for us. But according to one often-cited survey of pastors in the United States, 70 percent of clergy in the country have no close friends.

That’s tragic. And unfortunately, it’s during the times we as ministers need others the most (when we’re stressed and at a breaking point) that we often isolate ourselves. When we’ve got a personal problem, when we’re discouraged, and when we’re facing mounting criticism, we want to hibernate, build a wall, and crawl into a hole.

That’s a huge mistake. When you’re at your breaking point, you need other people in your life. When you’re stressed, you don’t think straight. You don’t see the whole picture. You need somebody else who can help you get a wider view.

You’re going to hit the wall one day. Count on it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pastor, a CEO, or a short-order cook. You’re human. The question is: Who will be in your life when a crisis hits? You spend much of your life helping other people go through crises. But what happens when one hits your life?

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage each other and give each other strength.” When you let other people encourage you, you help them obey God’s Word. Have you ever thought of that?

Here’s the key – you’ve got to set up those kinds of relationships before the crisis! When the storms come into your life, it’s too late to build the relationships you need to sustain you.

For pastors, this can be tricky. We’re around people all the time. But we often don’t feel like we can’t open up about certain issues to our congregation. And even if we could, there are certain issues only another pastor would understand.

So how do you build relationships with others who understand the unique challenges of your ministry?

You can start in your own community. Whether it’s through denominational connections, the local ministerial alliance, or some other avenue, you need to build face-to-face relationships with other pastors. If your community doesn’t have a local minister’s group, start a group of your own. Call a couple pastors whose ministries you respect and see if they’d like to get together for lunch. Start once a month and go from there.

The new Pastors.com and Ministry Toolbox are here to help as well. I started this Website nine years ago to help pastors. Through the site, I’ve shared practical resources and material for you to use at your church. I’ve also tried to help you get to know other pastors through online forums, and most recently through an innovative blogging system.

Last week we debuted a brand new Pastors.com. In fact, you can see the difference with this week’s Ministry Toolbox. It’s the biggest design change we’ve ever made to it.

Most importantly, the new Pastors.com will help you connect with other pastors. We’ve made it easier for you to start your own blog, see other people’s postings, join groups, and more.

Of course, you’ll still find the great tools you’re used to on Pastors.com, including a more user-friendly Toolbox. You’ll also find more than a year’s worth of free sermon transcripts – and teaching and student notes for some of your favorite Purpose Driven seminars. 

Most importantly, Pastor, I want this to be a place where you want to come hang out. You need an online home where you can come and spend time with people who understand what you’re trying to do and why you’re trying to do it.

Ministry isn’t meant to be a solo endeavor. And there’s no reason it should be.

Pastor Rick

P.S. I hope you’ll check out my free Webcast on May 28 at 11:00 a.m. PST. I’ll be talking about the “Jesus Model of Missions.” It’ll be a great time for encouragement and challenge.

 

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times best seller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers. Copyright © 2009 Rick Warren

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Posted Wed, May 27 2009 10:16 AM by MTBEditor