Comments on: Your Personal Pace, Part 1 http://pastorforlife.org/your-personal-pace-part-1/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:09:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Your Personal Pace, Part 5 : Pastor For Life | Healthy Life and Ministry for Pastors http://pastorforlife.org/your-personal-pace-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Your Personal Pace, Part 5 : Pastor For Life | Healthy Life and Ministry for Pastors Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:09:56 +0000 http://pastorforlife.org/?p=55#comment-71 [...] want to keep moving in this series of posts on your personal pace. Click on these link to get to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part [...] [...] want to keep moving in this series of posts on your personal pace. Click on these link to get to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part [...]

]]> By: Kevin M. http://pastorforlife.org/your-personal-pace-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Kevin M. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:24:10 +0000 http://pastorforlife.org/?p=55#comment-34 Great topic Paul! Very applicable to my life. My wonderful and wise wife (Lauren) already provided great insights from our experiences so I don't have much to add. :) Great topic Paul! Very applicable to my life. My wonderful and wise wife (Lauren) already provided great insights from our experiences so I don’t have much to add. :)

]]> By: Bernie http://pastorforlife.org/your-personal-pace-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Bernie Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:02:39 +0000 http://pastorforlife.org/?p=55#comment-33 Lauren - what drives us may not be the church or the church leadership - mine is always telling me to slow down and then usually ask for a favor! SMILE! Often what drives us is an internal desire to earn God's favor, a broken model of work ethic, a running so long and hard for so long we forgot to stop and refuel. When people speak of pace, I don't fully relate since I have been running hard for 30 years. Some early rests and family vacations when our kids were small but in the last five years very little change in pace or scene. The monster: Others choose not to help you because they think you have all you need and run too fast for them anyways. The other monster: YOU have lost your way and true self. Lauren – what drives us may not be the church or the church leadership – mine is always telling me to slow down and then usually ask for a favor! SMILE! Often what drives us is an internal desire to earn God’s favor, a broken model of work ethic, a running so long and hard for so long we forgot to stop and refuel. When people speak of pace, I don’t fully relate since I have been running hard for 30 years. Some early rests and family vacations when our kids were small but in the last five years very little change in pace or scene. The monster: Others choose not to help you because they think you have all you need and run too fast for them anyways. The other monster: YOU have lost your way and true self.

]]> By: Paul http://pastorforlife.org/your-personal-pace-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Paul Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:56:14 +0000 http://pastorforlife.org/?p=55#comment-32 Bernie - you could be on to something! Rock ....I mean,....RIDE on! Lauren - great perspective! Thanks for participating in the conversation and bringing further enlightenment to this concept! Bernie – you could be on to something! Rock ….I mean,….RIDE on!

Lauren – great perspective! Thanks for participating in the conversation and bringing further enlightenment to this concept!

]]> By: Lauren http://pastorforlife.org/your-personal-pace-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Lauren Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:36:22 +0000 http://pastorforlife.org/?p=55#comment-31 So...I'm not a pastor, but I'm married to one. This issue of personal pace of life is extremely applicable not only to me personally but also to my marriage and our ministry together. My initial thought to your post is that working outside your own "personal pace of life" is minimally a recipe for disaster and in the extreme an invitation for burnout. As a couple we've gone down that burnout road recently. In an odd way it ended up being a gift of sorts because it really allowed us to evaluate how we had gotten to that point and then make some strategic steps toward a healthier pace of life. We were so blessed to be ministering in a church that has responded really well to the change in our lives, marriage and ministry. I imagine there are plenty of churches that allow their pastors to burnout and then move onto the next pastor who is crazy enough to try to fill the shoes of his predecessor. I think our biggest struggle in this area now is refusing to feel guilty about owning up to and living within the pace of life that God has called us to. It is SO easy to get sucked into the comparison game with other churches and pastors (and pastor's wives). Why do we do that to each other? It is a daily choice to embrace the pace that God has given us personally and as a ministry couple. That's what makes it tough AND the fact that for the most part the people you are ministering to are more than happy to take everything you're willing to give. If you allow the people around you or your church to decide what your pace of life is going to be you are headed for trouble:) So…I’m not a pastor, but I’m married to one. This issue of personal pace of life is extremely applicable not only to me personally but also to my marriage and our ministry together.

My initial thought to your post is that working outside your own “personal pace of life” is minimally a recipe for disaster and in the extreme an invitation for burnout. As a couple we’ve gone down that burnout road recently. In an odd way it ended up being a gift of sorts because it really allowed us to evaluate how we had gotten to that point and then make some strategic steps toward a healthier pace of life. We were so blessed to be ministering in a church that has responded really well to the change in our lives, marriage and ministry. I imagine there are plenty of churches that allow their pastors to burnout and then move onto the next pastor who is crazy enough to try to fill the shoes of his predecessor.

I think our biggest struggle in this area now is refusing to feel guilty about owning up to and living within the pace of life that God has called us to. It is SO easy to get sucked into the comparison game with other churches and pastors (and pastor’s wives). Why do we do that to each other?

It is a daily choice to embrace the pace that God has given us personally and as a ministry couple. That’s what makes it tough AND the fact that for the most part the people you are ministering to are more than happy to take everything you’re willing to give. If you allow the people around you or your church to decide what your pace of life is going to be you are headed for trouble:)

]]> By: Bernie http://pastorforlife.org/your-personal-pace-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Bernie Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:10:57 +0000 http://pastorforlife.org/?p=55#comment-30 The moral of the story is that all pastors should consider driving old skool muscle cars. This leads to satisfaction, breaking of sterotypical barriers of clergy transportation and allows for extra power when someone envades your boundary and marginal space. It also has the capactiy of kicking up your personal pace without wearing you out. Though not good on gas - it is a kick in the pants. The moral of the story is that all pastors should consider driving old skool muscle cars. This leads to satisfaction, breaking of sterotypical barriers of clergy transportation and allows for extra power when someone envades your boundary and marginal space. It also has the capactiy of kicking up your personal pace without wearing you out. Though not good on gas – it is a kick in the pants.

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