Comments on: Boosting Your Church’s Discipleship Movement http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/ Home of Disciples and Disciplers who takes Discipleship seriously by giving away free preaching materials for preachers, discipleship materials, daily devotionals, christian songs with chords and lyrics, and discipleship lessons. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:53:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: oggie http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-502 oggie Sat, 09 May 2009 01:26:46 +0000 http://thedisciplers.com/?p=95#comment-502 FROM: <a href="http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/page/7/" target="_blank">http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/page/7/</a> Suffering servants: is ministry hurting your health? Posted January 16th @ 10:21 am by Andy Rau Is your pastor’s health suffering as he serves your congregation? We’ve discussed the all-too-common phenomenon of church and ministry staff burnout, but a recent New York Times article suggests that the pressures of ministry can cause physical, not just spiritual or emotional, problems for overworked church leaders: While medical studies in various denominations indicate that clergy members live longer than comparable civilians, an emerging body of evidence over the last two decades has shown that ministers are more vulnerable to diabetes, depression, hypertension, gastrointestinal distress and heart problems. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, was writing nearly three centuries ago about the importance of diet, exercise, moderation and hygiene. He regularly fasted as part of his own health regimen. But for his followers in the Methodist ministry today — incessantly on call through e-mail or cellphone, fearful of offending the congregant offering homemade pie, fretting over every $20 or $30 medical co-pay — Wesley has become a distant paragon. (The research thus far focuses on Methodist pastors, who [perhaps more than their counterparts in other denominations] are required to do a great deal of traveling and congregation-switching.) The image of a pastor trying to politely turn down a congregant’s homemade pie might sound more amusing than alarming, but it does raise the question of the effect of pastoral ministry on one’s physical health. It’s one thing to be supportive when a pastor becomes ill; most churches are probably prepared to help a pastor suffering from sickness or serious emotional burnout. But what about the longer-term practice of promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles among church staff? If you work in a leadership position, has your health suffered due to the demands of ministry? Does your church pay attention to the physical health of its staff? Would your church recognize in time signs that a pastor or staff member was neglecting their own health in order to meet the pressures of ministry? (Via Theophiles.) ShareThis FROM: http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/page/7/

Suffering servants: is ministry hurting your health?

Posted January 16th @ 10:21 am by Andy Rau

Is your pastor’s health suffering as he serves your congregation? We’ve discussed the all-too-common phenomenon of church and ministry staff burnout, but a recent New York Times article suggests that the pressures of ministry can cause physical, not just spiritual or emotional, problems for overworked church leaders:

While medical studies in various denominations indicate that clergy members live longer than comparable civilians, an emerging body of evidence over the last two decades has shown that ministers are more vulnerable to diabetes, depression, hypertension, gastrointestinal distress and heart problems.

The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, was writing nearly three centuries ago about the importance of diet, exercise, moderation and hygiene. He regularly fasted as part of his own health regimen.

But for his followers in the Methodist ministry today — incessantly on call through e-mail or cellphone, fearful of offending the congregant offering homemade pie, fretting over every $20 or $30 medical co-pay — Wesley has become a distant paragon.

(The research thus far focuses on Methodist pastors, who [perhaps more than their counterparts in other denominations] are required to do a great deal of traveling and congregation-switching.)

The image of a pastor trying to politely turn down a congregant’s homemade pie might sound more amusing than alarming, but it does raise the question of the effect of pastoral ministry on one’s physical health. It’s one thing to be supportive when a pastor becomes ill; most churches are probably prepared to help a pastor suffering from sickness or serious emotional burnout.

But what about the longer-term practice of promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles among church staff? If you work in a leadership position, has your health suffered due to the demands of ministry? Does your church pay attention to the physical health of its staff? Would your church recognize in time signs that a pastor or staff member was neglecting their own health in order to meet the pressures of ministry?

(Via Theophiles.)

ShareThis

]]> By: oggie http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-491 oggie Mon, 04 May 2009 10:23:38 +0000 http://thedisciplers.com/?p=95#comment-491 This can be related to boost discipleship: http://thedisciplers.com/excerpts-and-thoughts-on-the-book-by-wes-roberts-and-glenn-marshall/ http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2009/04/29/why-people-leave-the-church/?disqus_reply=8977850#dsq-alerts This can be related to boost discipleship:

http://thedisciplers.com/excerpts-and-thoughts-on-the-book-by-wes-roberts-and-glenn-marshall/

http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2009/04/29/why-people-leave-the-church/?disqus_reply=8977850#dsq-alerts

]]> By: oggie http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-12 oggie Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:44:56 +0000 http://thedisciplers.com/?p=95#comment-12 Christ came not only to save mankind's souls, but even also their broken bodies, ruined lives, fragmented minds, and destroyed spirits. He came to give life for the wholeness of the person, not only mankinds' fragmented parts. Abundant life at that, not abundant death as what hypocritical religion like that of the Pharisees' will really impose on its hapless, helpless, and hopeless adherents. Christ came not only to save mankind’s souls, but even also their broken bodies, ruined lives, fragmented minds, and destroyed spirits. He came to give life for the wholeness of the person, not only mankinds’ fragmented parts. Abundant life at that, not abundant death as what hypocritical religion like that of the Pharisees’ will really impose on its hapless, helpless, and hopeless adherents.

]]> By: oggie http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-11 oggie Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:41:08 +0000 http://thedisciplers.com/?p=95#comment-11 The Lord's style of disciplership is integrative, i.e, integrating the practical aspects of life to spiritual truths underlying the practical aspects of life. Wholistic perspectives, not dichotomizing life into meaningless and unrelated components which can not really transform the disciples to the plans and intentions of God in their lives!!!!! The Lord’s style of disciplership is integrative, i.e, integrating the practical aspects of life to spiritual truths underlying the practical aspects of life. Wholistic perspectives, not dichotomizing life into meaningless and unrelated components which can not really transform the disciples to the plans and intentions of God in their lives!!!!!

]]> By: Ptr. Vince http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Ptr. Vince Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:52:22 +0000 http://thedisciplers.com/?p=95#comment-9 This is really true bro.Oggie. This is why the life of a discipler is very important. It's hard to preach when you are doing what you are preaching. The same thing in discipleship. You cannot disciple someone of something that you do not really do. When it comes to indoctrinating, one of the main failures of a discipler is just to "over" spiritualize things without even applying it. This is really true bro.Oggie. This is why the life of a discipler is very important. It’s hard to preach when you are doing what you are preaching. The same thing in discipleship. You cannot disciple someone of something that you do not really do.

When it comes to indoctrinating, one of the main failures of a discipler is just to “over” spiritualize things without even applying it.

]]> By: oggie http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-8 oggie Sat, 18 Oct 2008 05:43:22 +0000 http://thedisciplers.com/?p=95#comment-8 problem sometimes in discipling process is indoctrinating the disciples to be so heavenly minded without eartly use. If we study how the Lord discipled His apostles, he taught them not only spiritual truths, but practical aspects of life, which we can sometimes read in his parables. problem sometimes in discipling process is indoctrinating the disciples to be so heavenly minded without eartly use. If we study how the Lord discipled His apostles, he taught them not only spiritual truths, but practical aspects of life, which we can sometimes read in his parables.

]]> By: oggie http://thedisciplers.com/boosting-your-churchs-discipleship-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-7 oggie Sat, 18 Oct 2008 05:38:27 +0000 http://thedisciplers.com/?p=95#comment-7 Part of the discipling process should be the informal kinds, not in the formalized programs of bible studies and prayer. Say, in incorporating the learning process even in trivial everyday life, like in work, family life, and other whatever should be sanctified in life, even in drinking and eating!!! Part of the discipling process should be the informal kinds, not in the formalized programs of bible studies and prayer. Say, in incorporating the learning process even in trivial everyday life, like in work, family life, and other whatever should be sanctified in life, even in drinking and eating!!!

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