This is my least favorite question in the inventory, mostly because for me the answer is almost always no. I have always been a little heavy and it is not healthy nor is it what I want. Pastors, ministry leaders and other leaders are notorious for not taking care of themselves physically whether it is […]
Blog Posts
Are my emotional needs being met in a healthy way?
The truth is that every human being has emotional needs. While there is a lot of negative stigma around this term and concept, and rightly so, it is not entirely a negative concept. God created out emotions and our emotions matter. They matter to our living, to our family and friends, to our leadership and […]
What are the most life giving aspects of my relationship with God right now? What are the most challenging aspects of my relationship with God presently?
Most ministry leaders, pastors and Christian leaders do a terrible job in paying attention to their own faith and their own relationship with God. This is a fatal error as we cannot give what we do not have and we must pay attention to our relationship with God. These questions are many ways is simple […]
What goals am I going to set for better self-care?
Those who aim for nothing hit their target every time. Setting goals is important. It is ok to not meet them to change them or to exceed them, but it is not healthy to not have any goals at all. This is especially true when it comes to self-care. The definition of insanity is doing […]
How have I dealt with pain and suffering in my life? How have these experiences changed me?
We all face suffering, personal and vocational. Leaders are not only exempt from suffering, often they experience more of it than those who do not lead. How we handle suffering has a huge impact on our families, work, leadership and lives. Suffering changes us whether we like it or not. Unprocessed suffering is the only […]
Do I have friends inside and outside of my ministry setting?
It is important for leaders to have friends inside and outside of their ministry/work/leadership setting. There are many that you should not be friends with those you lead, those in your church (for pastors) or those who report to you. While that is one perspective, it is not a healthy and realistic perspective. Pastors, ministry […]
What kind of support system do I have in my ministry setting? Outside of my ministry setting?
Support systems are essential to ministry. One cannot lead in ministry, non-profit or any other organization without support. Leaders need support systems inside their organizations and outside their organizations. They must be people that you can trust. They must be people whom you can be honest with. It is also critical to have a support […]
How can I learn more about my area of ministry? Other areas of ministry? How can I learn about things not related to ministry?
For many ministry leaders, and even other leaders (you can replace the word ministry for leadership in these questions) we forget that a core requirement of leadership is life-long learning. The truth is that we always have more to learn, can always grow and will always have strengths and weaknesses to develop and address. The […]
Do I feel healthy? How do I feel about my health? My body?
For many leaders, taking care of themselves physically is an afterthought. For some, this is not a problem, because they are naturally able to stay healthy, but for most this is a great challenge. Long hours, little time for exercise, eating quickly and in an unhealthy way are all very easy when you are the […]
Am I in touch with what I am feeling and can I express this?
Self-knowledge is an essential tool for all leaders. One of the cornerstones of self-knowledge is being able to identify and healthily express your feelings. It also means that at some level you can identify why you have those feelings. Most leaders are very hesitant to express their feelings, especially to those they lead. While there […]