Monthly Theme: Assessing Wellness. Reading time: two minutes. You don’t need a friend that has bad breath. You need a friend who will tell you that you have bad breath. Some things you can’t figure out on your own. We all have blind spots, and only your friends, those who… Read More
Monthly Theme: Assessing Wellness. Reading time: two minutes. “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” The first step is defining for yourself what wellness looks like. You’ll then know how to start making a plan. More important, you’ll be able to see when you’re… Read More
Monthly Theme: Assessing Wellness. Reading time: two minutes. Boots are for trudging through mud. Wings are for soaring on the wind (read “pneuma/spirit/Spirit”). Our theme this month is Assessing Wellness. How do you answer the question, “How am I doing?” Try this for a definition of “wellness”: “But the fruit… Read More
This month: Assessing Wellness. Reading time: two minutes. I think I’m just Stupid enough to Keep It Simple. (Go ahead; KISS me!) It pains me terribly to hear church work professionals stumble and stammer trying to explain that, “Something’s wrong, but I just can’t put my finger on it.” That’s… Read More
This is the last post for vocational wellness month. Reading time: two minutes. The gold and silver medals in the women’s marathon went to runners from Kenya, clearly the class of the field. Molly Seidel from Wisconsin beat the crowd and took the bronze by managing her pace. Ministry is… Read More
The answer is “herd humility.” The question is, “What’s the solution to church worker burnout?” C. S. Lewis said of the truly humble person, “He will not be thinking about Humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.” Jesus described the kind of “herd humility” that he expected… Read More
The football analogy is a good one: the church is like 22 football players on the field desperately in need of rest, being watched by thousands of people in the stands who are desperately in need of exercise. A wise friend and Elder once told me, “Darrell, you preach with… Read More
Most Pastors, (and many other church work professionals), could use a Jethro. Jethro was the guy who told Moses, “Slow down! One person trying to do it all by himself was never God’s design for ministry!” (See Exodus 18 for the full story.) Sometimes we honor God by doing less. Read More
I’ll get a new car when the wheels fall off my ’06 Malibu. I’ll probably get stranded by the roadside one day, but I’m okay with that. I only drive it around town and my contingency plan to Uber over to a used car dealer will work just fine. I’m… Read More
The mission of Grace Place Wellness is to help you ask and answer the important questions: “How are you, spiritually, physically, relationally?” “What brings you the greatest joy in ministry? How’s your joy?” Your answers to the questions help you seek the healing grace of Christ for vitality and joy… Read More
Frederick Buechner said, “There is no joy for any of us until there is joy for all of us.” Joy is communal, God’s gift to the Church. Have you ever felt all alone at church? We’re made to share joy together. Where the Spirit leads his people, it’s a journey… Read More
Best t-shirt ever: WORLD’S OKAYEST PASTOR This is not a competition, you know. Pastors may like to compare advanced degrees, mission trip destinations and average weekly attendance (how’s that working out this year?), but God doesn’t. This is not a test. You’re not getting graded on a curve. Jesus already… Read More
The Way to Wellness for the Non-Ordained in Church and School Ministries