I am the Vine, you are the branches...
apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Clergy Care Ministry

Who Feeds the Shepherd? Being clergy or family of clergy carries a unique opportunity and unique stress. The demands can cause things to get out of balance easily. A good balance is necessary to foster well-being. The purpose of the Clergy Care Ministry of The Vine is to provide opportunity for fellowship, support, emotional healing and spiritual growth so that ministers maintain health and wholeness as they lead God's people, thereby enhancing the vitality and effectiveness of their ministries.


Healthy Leaders, Healthy Congregations (current study/growth groups)

******PLACEHOLDER******************************

Clergy Care Ministry: Our Vision (Part 1)

By Jim Norris, M.Div., LMFT from the 2001 Newsletter of The Vine

From the beginning of The Vine, the vision of a ministry to clergy and their families has been a vital part of The Vine's mission. Having invested 20 years as a parish pastor, I am keenly aware of both the stresses of parish ministry and the need for spiritual and emotional support. A personal friend and clergy colleague recently shared with me regarding this need and summarized it with the question "Who feeds the shepherd?" Finding spiritual and emotional support is crucial for pastors and their families.

Through my years as a parish minister I was able to find support through a small group of colleagues who gathered to share joys and struggles in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. I was also blessed to have a wise therapist with whom I could deal with personal issues that might have been a barrier to effective ministry had I not dealt with them. Through periodic consultation, I was able to make my way through the sometimes rough seas of parish life. By attending retreats, conferences and other opportunities for personal and professional development, I was able to renew my energy and enthusiasm for parish ministry. The Vine is committed to providing counseling, consultation, retreats, workshops and other opportunities that will provide care and support to those who give so much of themselves to their congregations and community.

The Vine launched "The Clergy Care Ministry" with a retreat at the Benedictine Spirituality and Conference Center in Cullman, Alabama in October of 2001. The theme of the retreat was "Honoring Sabbath Time: Rest & Renewal for the Soul".


Clergy Care Ministry: Our Vision (Part 2)

By Amanda W. Ragland, D.Min., LMFT Adapted from 2001 Newsletter of The Vine

Clergy need relationships outside their congregation with family, friends and other clergy, but in the typical church/ministry environment, these relationships get shifted to the outside as church matters consume both time and energy.

Ministers have unique needs for support, for fellowship and for spiritual growth.

It is very easy to work one's self into isolation.

I have counseled many pastors whose marriages were failing because they did not maintain balance and let their families get too far down on the list. We need relationships beyond our congregations and our ministries for support, for balance. Pastors need to be the recipient of the passage about "bearing on another's burdens and thus fulfilling the laws of Christ" not always the giver. A one-way street of giving will soon ruin the best of ministries. Burn out is not fun. Ministers have unique needs for support, for fellowship and for spiritual growth.

It is very easy to work one's self into isolation.

The goal of The Vine in our Clergy Care Ministry is to reach a need about which we feel a definite sense of calling. I pray that this ministry might reach a need for you, if you are a pastor.


What are the major challenges facing pastoral ministry today?

By Jim Norris, M.Div., LMFT and Amanda W. Ragland, D.Min., LMFT

The major challenge facing pastoral ministry today is that the incredible demands from every area, family, self care and congregation, place the pastor in a crucible of pressure. This threatens to leave the pastor disconnected, not centered spiritually and out-of-balance relationally leading to qualities of "the ministry in distress" versus the "good and faithful ministry" where all thrive.


Marks of a good and faithful ministry Marks of a ministry in distress

Habits and Practices that Sustain Good Ministry Over Time: A Checklist for Ministers


____ 1) Regular engagement in spiritual disciplines which yield a very alive and active spiritual life.
____ 2) Periodic time apart from the congregation to step away from the daily demands.
____ 3) Intellectual stimulation with colleagues through participating in biblical Study and theological discussion.
____ 4) Activities that support emotional health so that the pastor is personally and relationally unencumbered.
____ 5) Sustainable friendships with colleagues that include sharing both personal and pastoral concerns.
____ 6) Healthy, life-producing relationships within the clergy family.
____ 7) Ongoing relationships of fellowship between clergy families.
____ 8) Regular efforts to increase and to hone the professional skills of ministry.
____ 9) Receiving recognition of their ministry and participating in the celebration of their ministry.
____ 10) Having a clear covenant of expectation between the pastor and the congregation and within the pastor's family in order to help dissolve conflict, neglect and abuse.
____ 11) The ability to foster strong leadership within the congregation.
____ 12) Feeling that the pastor's ministry is valuable in the broader society

If you are a pastor, we would welcome hearing from you about the usefulness of this checklist. If you are a lay person, please show your support by encouraging your pastor to reflect on this list and to take care of self.

 

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