Help for Pastors
Resources & Links
Encouraging Posters - Support Smoldering Wick Ministries and find encouragement from posters that will remind you of God's faithfulness through all of life's difficulties.
Ashes to Flames: Spiritual Burnout and
Recovery - by
Kim and Kathy Wenzel. Here is a 273 page workbook with journaling pages
at the end of each chapter to help you understand what is happening to
you. Kim and Kathy share their story of burnout and recovery with you
and help you understand that burnout
just might be the best thing that ever happened to you!
Soul Space: Where God Breaks In - by
Jerome Daley. Jerome's book is a great read for all burned-out leaders,
but we place it here in our recomended reading list because of Jerome's
excellent chapters on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and
Tree of Life. When you live and minister from inside the Tree of Life,
you will not burnout. Highly recommended.
When God Waits - making sense of devine
delays - by Jerome Daley. Part of our burnout-disillusionment-
frustration is we feel disappointed with God. Where is he? Why is he
taking so long to answer or act? Why can't he get his act together and
help us! We can ask some pretty tough questions, and Jerome is willing
to, and seek the answers for you and I. A great read for people like
you and me!
Unfolding, Not Unraveling - by Dr. Michael
Ross, Founder of The Pastor's Institute. A must read for any who have
stepped away from the pulpit, or are considering doing so. Unfolding,
Not Unraveling is an insightful and encouraging reflection of the
journey into life outside the pastorate. Pastors Michael Ross and Harol
Wright trace the journey out of the pastorate which has led them to new
understandings of ministry and calling. Order fromwww.woundedshepherds.com.
Spiritual Burnout - When
Doing All You Can Isn't Enough - by Malcolm Smith, Founder of
Unconditional Love Ministries. An excellent tape series of what
spiritual burnout really is, along with the cause and the cure.
Malcolm's great gifting of teaching is so very evident in this
material. Highly recommended! Order
from Amazon.com today.
Hidden Manna for the
Hungry Heart - by Charles W. Shepson. This is an excellent daily
devotional for the burnout victim. Charles Shepson has worked with the
wounded and burned out ministry leaders for decades, and he knows the
pain and the hurt well. You will find this daily devotional just what
you need as a burned out person. Cost is $10. Order from Charles Shepson
Shattered Dreams - by Dr. Larry
Crabb, Founder of New Way Ministries. If you get frustrated with the
fact life doesn't seem to work, if you are sometimes frustrated with
God himself, and are still reeling from shattered dreams in your life
and ministry - read this book! It will change your whole view of life
and God. Larry Crabb has been there and bought the T-shirt. We found
this one of the most healing books we have ever read. Order
from Amazon.com today.
The Pressure's Off - by Larry Crabb,
Founder of New Way Ministries. Dispite what the statement of faith for
any given church might say, it is very possible the future burned-out
pastor is living by the "Old Way" of the written code instead of the
"New Way" of the spirit. Do we really understand the difference in the
two ways of relating to God? Order
from Amazon.com today.
The Pressure's Off Workbook - by
Larry Crabb, Founder of New Way Ministries. Order
from Amazon.com today.
Connecting - by Dr. Larry Crabb. A
new approach to relating, loving and healing one another. This book
contains many of the founding philosophies of Smoldering Wick
Ministries. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the perfect example of connecting
and the great purpose of our life is to connect with God in a deep and
intimate way. C.S. Lewis said, "the serious business of heaven is joy,"
and that is what we experience when we truly connect with God and
others.
Order from Amazon.com today.
Faith on the Rock - by Kim Wenzel,
Founder of Smoldering Wick Ministries. A great read when you just
simply need to escape life for a few hours! Kim takes you on a Colorado
rock climb through the vehicle of inductive storytelling. The age-old
battle in the human heart between fear and faith is explored as you
climb the 1,000 foot rock wall, and fall off just before reaching the
top!
Order from Amazon.com today.
Friendly Fire - by Mike Warnke. Mike
tells his own story of accusations brought against him and his ministry
and the near collapse of the ministry, the lessons learned, and the
eventual rebuilding of the ministry. An encouraging read for all who
have been battered by religion.
Order from Amazon.com today.
The Bait of Satan - by John Bevere.
Your response determines your future! How well do you handle offense?
Many don't handle offense in a Biblical manner, and the resulting
turmoil contributes toward burnout and defeat. You can respond to
offense from the Tree of Life, or from the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil, and indeed, your response will determine a bright future
or a painful future. Let John walk you step by step through the
Biblical process of handling offense and practicing forgiveness. Order
from Amazon.com today.
Wild at Heart
- by John Eldridge. The best seller for men. If you are one of the few
who hasn't read this book yet, you need to. Not knowing your heart can
contribute to your burnout. Knowing your heart can aid in the healing
process. Order
from Amazon.com today.
Web Links
www.pastors.com is a ministry of Saddleback Church and is loaded with resources and ideas.
www.ministryrenewal.com provides encouragement and support to those who share a calling to ministry. The Center offers retreats, counseling, support groups, annual conferences and newsletter for ministry leaders and spouses.
www.pastorcare.org is a clearinghouse for clergy care givers. It is the official web site for the National Clergy Support Network.
www.youthspecialties.com- For over 30 years Youth Specialties has led the pack in training, equipping, and encouraging Christian youth workers to effectively minister to young people. Much of their resources are applicable to pastors and former pastors, too.
www.bengston.org - features the Ministering to Ministers Foundation. Information is available about seminars and retreats for pastors.
www.mendingthenets.cjb.net - highlights a ministry for pastors who have resigned or been forced from the ministry.
www.pastorinresidence.org - is the web site for the Pastor-in-Residence Ministry that supports pastors in career transition.
www.family.org/pastor - is Focus on the Family's home site for pastors and contains links to other resources.
www.crosswalk.com - is a good place to buy or at least read about Christian material for pastors and other church leaders.
www.thecents.org - is a site dedicated to restoring fired/terminated pastors and has resources to help pastors in recovery.
www.sarahstent.com - is a site directed specifically at pastors' wives, and is a great support to help the family of disenfranchised pastors.
www.midwestministry.org - features ministry development and assessment programs, outplacement counseling and transitional tools.
www.gospelcom.net/mlm - Mastering Life Ministries is an interdenominational, non-profit Christian ministry. It exists in order to target areas of life where people are caught and deceived into unhealthy, dysfunctional life-styles that separate them from the power and blessing of God, and to equip the Church to redemptively minister to such people.
www.clergyabuse.net - A Canadian based support group for abused clergy.
www.balmnet.co.uk - BALM (Bullied & Abused Lives in Ministry) an international and inter-denominational support group for damaged ministers and their families. Based in the United Kingdom.
www.pastorsinstitute.org - Leading research group for wounded and burned-out pastors.
www.woundedshepherds.com - A helpful website by the Pastors Institute.
www.pastorsinpain.com - Another great ministry dedicated to helping pastors in pain!
www.malcolmsmith.org - Malcolm's teachings on unconditional love may be what you need to hear right now. He is a gifted teacher used powerfully by Father to teach the body the truth about our loving Father.
www.worldprayerteam.org - The World Prayer Team is based out of The World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs. You can enter a prayer request, and have millions of intercessors praying for you all over the world. This can be a powerful aid to the burned-out ministry leader. Please check it out.
www.AllaboutGod.com - A new ministry designed to reach the lost via the internet and be a help to many ministries and their use of the net.
Mental Health Abuse - An web site with tons of info about mental abuse in many forms.
www.Spirit Fire Center.org - A web site and retreat center located just south of Mexico on the Caribbean Sea. Awesome!
www.Just Between Us - Attention Pastor's Wives and Ministry Wives - here is a magazine just for you dealing with some of those never talked about topics!
www.Petraglobal.org - An web site and ministry for all of you wounded and hurting in the UK.
