Why do we struggle to talk about pastors and depression?

A few years back I was asked to cover a couple of sessions for a ministry training course. One of the sessions was on “failure.” The request came with a couple of those expected awkward jokes along the lines of “we aren’t picking you for any specific reason.” Indeed, at the time, arguably I’d not… Continue reading Why do we struggle to talk about pastors and depression?

Pastor: Preach grace to yourself

It was just after I’d preached my first placement sermon whilst studying at Oak Hill and the pastor of the church, Joe Kapolyo came over to me to give me a little bit of feedback. “Well I’ve got some good news for you.  It wasn’t perfect.” My initial mental response was “Well if that’s the… Continue reading Pastor: Preach grace to yourself

The Wounded Christian – love letter to a broken child of God – Book Review

The wounded Christian is a book by John Piper, no not THAT John Piper, but by another Christian with the same name although also based in the States. This John Piper is originally from the UK and as a child experienced a strong calling to serve God on the mission field. In his case, his… Continue reading The Wounded Christian – love letter to a broken child of God – Book Review

Depression tells you that you are weak – and that’s okay

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It’s the funny thing about Sertraline.  Every morning if you’ve been pre-scribed it, the box sits there on the breakfast table as a reminder that you need to take your medication. And each morning, it shouts out to you “You are so weak.” It’s funny because you don’t think that when you get up and… Continue reading Depression tells you that you are weak – and that’s okay

Why we should embrace failure

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In a previous article I started to look at the question of failure.  Here I want to offer x good reasons for why we as believers and particularly church leaders should embrace failure. What happens if we refuse to encounter failure? First, if I don’t embrace the reality of failure then I am unlikely to… Continue reading Why we should embrace failure

Failure

Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com

A few years back, I was asked to lead a seminar for the Midlands Ministry Training Course on “failure.”  I wasn’t sure how to take the invitation!  It was there at the end of the year and I suspect not many people would be thrilled at getting that particular gig and I am not sure… Continue reading Failure