Hope Renewed

60 million people live in rural America, making it a fertile field for ministry. But with country churches come country issues, which bring their own unique challenges and joys. The demands on a pastor serving in these contexts are often multiplied because of isolation, lack of resources and small-town community dynamics. What are some keys to thriving when God calls you to serve His church in wha...

When you think of concepts and practices that help pastors and ministry leaders find hope and thrive, perhaps neuroscience isn't among the immediate thoughts that comes to mind! Yet in the "uniquely and wonderfully made" way in which God has fashioned us, we are discovering the crucial connections between how Biblical truths about our lives and the physiological insights God is revealing about how...

What we often find in ministry life is that the circumstances and challenges we face aren't necessarily ones for which our training has prepared us. Having someone who can offer perspective, encouragement, guidance and perhaps a little advice is a HUGE help! Even for the "normal" work of ministry and leadership, a "seasoned and reasoned" voice - what we call a "Thinking Partner" - can be an invalu...

What has it been like for you leading and ministering in this COVID season? Ministry can be stressful enough under normal circumstances. Add to it the weight and wait under which your ministry is currently being carried, and it can be a recipe for depression, frustration and burnout. How can you retain strength, vitality and resiliency in these difficult times? We sit down with Denny Howard of Ful...

If you’re in pastoral or ministry leadership, the church needs you to be healthy. Research shows there are certain keys to cultivating a sustainable, sacrificial yet fulfilling ministry and a key among them is Resilience . How do you seek resilience in ministry as a pastor or ministry leader? What does self-care look like when a pandemic has disrupted everything you do? How do you care for all of...

Joe Chambers is on a journey.  A self-described " pilgrim on his way home to the Kingdom of the Heaven" , Joe shares a story of the highs and lows of pastoral ministry, and the restorative nature of God's grace. Join us a we walk with Joe through his experience and discovery of the depths of God's love, and the hope found in Jesus alone. Links Joe's book: Field Notes on the Jesus Way Joe's BL...

A New Year seems to always bring with it a sense of looking forward to new hopes, new thoughts and new opportunities. How much more in 2021! On the cusp of this new and promising year, we thought it would be a great opportunity to revisit Who We Are as Pastor-in-Residence Ministries, and how we might best serve you in this New Year. Executive Director Roy Yanke sits down with us to offer an overvi...

Without fail the holiday season comes each year, and with it heightened expectations and stress in ministry. This year is especially challenging with the extra layers of complications due to pandemic protocols. While "making it through" the holidays might seem like the order of the day we at PIR want to encourage you to recover well from what may have been a hectic and draining time, and enter the...

Steve Cuss is a Pastor, Author and Spiritual Care Professional who has a deep passion for ministry leaders. His particular concern is to bring relief from the pressures of ministry that weigh heavily on leaders by equipping them with tools for individual and team health. In this episode of Hope Renewed we sit down with Steve and talk about the various aspects of leadership anxiety that can war aga...

From time to time on Hope Renewed we have the opportunity to sit down with pastors and talk with them about navigating the challenges of serving in the church from the viewpoints and experiences of those who are on the "frontline" in local church ministry. We're able to hear their sometimes painful stories and how they have found hope to sustain and strengthen them for the long haul. This episode...

Studies indicate that upward of 85% of Protestant churches in the US have less than 200 members. This means many (if not most) pastors are serving in small context ministries, which bring unique challenges and stresses. An Author and Conference Leader, Pastor Chris Vitarelli has served in small (or “ordinary”) church contexts for over 20 years and has a passion to serve those who also minister in...

Conflict hurts! According to our guest Dr. Daniel Borg, conflict “divides people, destroys careers, devastates friendships, and distracts churches from their God-given mission. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus called His followers to unity, forgiveness, and reconciliation.” Sit with us as we talk with fellow PIR Regional Director Dan Borg, who has studied, taught and lived out conflict ma...

Who is PIR? We had a unique opportunity recently to sit down as a staff and share together. Included in this episode are introductions of the people in the ministry, motivations underlying our sense of call to serve PIR, how we feel our individual experiences have equipped us to serve others, some "success stories" of where God has used PIR, our perspectives of the current state of ministry challe...

Sharon Garlough Brown, award-winning author of the Sensible Shoes series, talks about her own experience as an author, a pastor, and spiritual director. We discuss the unique format of her spiritually formative fiction and why one of her characters struggles to find her identity in Christ as a pastor.  Pastors will be challenged to ask the question, “who am I if I’m not a pastor?” Find out mo...

Many times, the routines and rigors of ministry can tempt a pastor to give up. How much more during these demanding times when it seems like every decision is second guessed and every action is highly scrutinized. Before you give in to a sense of defeat, sit with Tom and Sean as they explore the hope Christ offers to those who are ready to toss in the towel.

In part two of our interview with spiritual director, Joshua Banner, we talk about the importance of rest for pastors. We also talk about how to find a spiritual director and why it’s important to choose a director carefully. If you'd like to learn more about Spiritual Direction or access Josh's resources, visit his webpage The Invitation .

In this two-part interview with spiritual director, Joshua Banner, we explore the nature of spiritual direction and how it can help pastors find new hope in Christ. In part one, Josh explains what spiritual direction is and challenges us to think seriously about how aware we are of God’s presence.

Where does a pastor find hope and healing when life and ministry bring disappointment, discouragement and even displacement? In the arms of God’s grace as expressed in the Body of believers. Join us as we continue our conversation with Dr. Jim Amandus, the first Pastor In Residence. Jim shares how the local church can be a place of hope and healing for pastors and their spouses.

What does a pastor look like after a season of renewal and restoration? In this episode of Hope Renewed we talk with Dr. Jim Amandus, the first pastor to walk through the Pastor In Residence process. As a PIR, Jim and his wife were welcomed into a Refuge Church, given opportunity to both engage in ministry and find healing and restoration, and discern God’s next steps for them. His story is one of...

Ministry abounds with expectations, but what can hide on the dark side of unmet or unrealistic ones can leave a pastor empty and losing heart. Discouragement lies along the path to compassion fatigue and burnout. While disappointment is normal and inevitable, a pastor needs to stand guard against discouragement. In this episode of Hope Renewed we explore where discouragement comes from, and what h...

This is the third installment of our discussion of Sean Nemecek’s article Searching for Shalom:The Importance of Sabbath Rest . Sean shares his experience of finding shalom in sabbath-keeping, as well as resources and tips for pastors to faithfully practice and develop sabbath rhythms in their life.

Pursuing Sabbath rest is an easily understood priority for a pastor. The tricky part is just how that actually gets done! In this continuation of a conversation with Sean Nemecek (pastorsoul.com) we explore the practical side of how to build Sabbath into a busy ministry lifestyle. 

How well do Pastors care for their own soul, and just how is that done? In this first of 3 installments we talk with Sean Nemecek. Sean writes and resources on his website “The Pastor’s Soul” ( www.pastorsoul.com ) and is the newest Regional Director with PIR Ministries. Sean shares from his article “ Searching for Shalom: The Importance of Sabbath Rest .”

Everyone in ministry has great hopes because we serve a great God! But what happens when the plans, programs and people you invest in fall well short of your hopes? Disappointments and let-downs can take a toll on our hearts, leading to a kind of sickness that robs us of our joy and passion in serving the Lord. In this episode of “Hope Renewed,” we explore the reality of deferred hopes...

In the second part of our conversation with new PIR Board member Dr. Zack Eswine, he shares insight and encouragement for pastors and ministry leaders from his experience in life and ministry. Part 2 of 2.