The Crabby Pastor

Send a text Rev. Dr. Deborah Rundlett joins me on this episode. Here is my disclaimer: Dr. Rundlett was an instructor at Ashland Theological Seminary during my doctoral work. Our discussion is less about the process and more about how churches can serve their communities. This runs parallel to the question, "If your church disappeared, would anyone in your community miss it?" Dr. Rundlet...

Send a text Rev. Michael Rayson joins the conversation and shares his private pain saga.  It's true that ministry leaders do not have the market cornered on pain. However, it's a challenge to manage the heavy concerns of the people God has given into their care while living through a nightmare of their own.  Hear Rev. Rayson's story...   Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! S...

Send a text Got a burnout story to share? Want a leadership or self-care topic covered.? Then go HERE.... and enter your info. Your input can be anonymous... and that's perfectly fine... or maybe you'd like to be part of an episode. It's your call.  Meanwhile... we're talking about the BIG NUMBER Sundays....followed by the lows of the low Sundays that follow.  What's the b...

Send a text In this "post" COVID era, many ministry leaders and missionaries, feel like they are sitting on the sidelines of ministry. Some of this is due to churches reducing staff because of financial pressures and challenges of getting back onto the mission field.  This is a discussion with Rev. Tonya Kucey, the Founder and President of Loving the Least of These Ministries Internation...

Send a text This episode includes the recent suicide of a colleague in ministry. If your private pain includes thoughts of suicide… please connect with  https://988lifeline.org or call 988.  Many ministry leaders deal with their pain in private. Don’t walk alone… Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, frien...

Send a text Oh no! Please don't add another THING to my already oppressive TO DO List.  And yet, attentiveness to self-care is a sustaining force. Too often, ministry leaders focus on the work of ministry and minimize self-care and spiritual formation. That's not long-term sustainability in ministry.  And, those ministry leaders frequently consider leaving.  Self-care is one way to susta...

Send a text It’s easy to send an emoji. Maybe people need more… Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in ministry. Contact info: Email me at crabbypastor@gmail.com with your input and ideas for burnout and leadership topics of interest or if you know someone who might be intere...

Send a text Give a listen. Ministry coaching is very different than say a baseball coach or a soccer coach. Those coaches help bring the best out of players by telling them what to do. Accredited coaches bring the best out of you by helping YOU think differently about your challenges.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance...

Send a text I asked my friend Patty Dennis, a licensed counselor who is also a trained coach, to join me and chat a bit about what is what when it comes to choosing the kind of companion you need for your journey. Patty and I have served the Church together working through revitalization processes. I think you'll find what she has to say as helpful.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone...

Send a text You're stuck... and you know you need help. What KIND of help do you need?  Listen in to hear from a counselor... and how they can be one way to get help on your journey. Seeking fellow travelers on your journey is ONE KIND of self-care.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and...

Send a text Ever have life just smack you up from seemingly every direction? At once?  I've had some of that lately, which has caused me to double down on self-care and that usually means... slowing down and re-assessing what's a reasonable pace and reasonable load. Listen in! Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importanc...

Send a text My interview with author Alan Fadling. His book, An Unhurried Leader continues. Here is his book.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in ministry. Contact info: Email me at crabbypastor@gmail.com with your input and ideas for burnout and leadership topics of inte...

Send a text I'm back after a six-week sabbatical (living out what I advocate) and was recently joined by author Alan Fadling to chat about the pace that Jesus lived. How can we bring that to bear in our own lives? How can we live a grace-paced existence?  Click HERE for a link to the book mentioned in the podcast.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge...

Send a text In this final episode of the Shepherd and the Shrink podcast, we are talking ANXIETY.  Cindy Davis has spent nearly three decades writing screenplays for animated feature films and designing new lands, parades, and attractions for various Disney theme parks. As an anxiety-sufferer herself, listen and learn how we our anxiety can be lessened.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone!...

Send a text Be Still and Know that I am God. We all know that passage, but do we live it? Do we see silence as a treasure? Jenny Ho Han joins the Shepherd to share about her book, Be Still and Know: Treasures of Silence. Singapore is city living at it's best: busy, stressful and noisy. It generates a lifestyle of haste with an addiction to fast-fixes. It feels impossible to find quiet, to res...

Send a text What on earth is humility anyway? And... just when you think you are humble, well, you aren't. Let's listen in on Rev. Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher as the Shepherd and the Shrink chat about humility.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in minis...

Send a text Why is pride such a big deal? Listen to the Shepherd and the Shrink hash this idea about.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in ministry. Contact info: Email me at crabbypastor@gmail.com with your input and ideas for burnout and leadership topics of interest or...

Send a text A common misconception of Christians everywhere is that to love is to take on others’ problems.  Actually, though, it’s destructive both to others and to ourselves when we try to do that, as well as when we try to get others to take on our problems.  Boundaries are what help us to determine which responsibilities are whose, and today I (Dr. Matt Hook) talk about why that’s important. ...

Send a text Throughout our lives, there will be challenging times, and maintaining calmness can be difficult. Today, it is more challenging than ever to find peace and have a calm state of mind. The chaos around us has a profound effect on our well-being, and finding serenity is not easy.  So, how do you navigate your way through tough times and remain in a calm state? How do you find a sense of p...

Send a text Life can be exhausting and overwhelming, and we often make it worse by trying to push ourselves past our limit. This isn’t healthy and it isn’t what Christ wants for us. Instead, He commands us to set aside a full day every week for Him. Your first thought might be, Who has time for that? Join us today as we talk about why YOU do, and why it’ll actually help you to be more productive i...

Send a text Ever hit a wall when working hard on your sermon? Ideas seem elusive. The pieces aren't coming together. And the clock is ticking.  The struggle is real. Here are some helpful ideas to get you unstuck.  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in ministry. Contact...

Send a text Ok, I get it. The lists, the obligations, the extra work both at home and on the job.  The push-push-push seems even greater during the holiday season.  How would things change if you pace was altered a bit?  Life just keeps throwing one slow-down reminder to me after another. Here's another slow-down message! Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendl...

Send a text I'm sharing a poem my Spiritual Director, Kathy, shared with me years ago. This is about learning to trust. Admit it, there are days we do this very well and days we don't. In keeping with the recent theme of slowing down, sometimes we outpaced ourselves because our trust is lagging. If I don't do X, Y, and Z, then everything is going to fall apart. Sometimes X, Y, and Z...

Send a text So, I recently spent time in the quiet of the glass workshop and came to some interesting insights that I’m passing on to you.  Maybe there is some value to slowing down? Maybe we can indeed hear God better!  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in ministry. Contac...

Send a text I’m still working at slowing down. Doesn’t that sound funny? But yes, it takes an intentional effort to actually slow down. Here’s some things I’ve learned from… of all things: exercise!  Support the show This is a GUILT-FREE zone! So here's your friendly nudge about self-care and its importance for your family, friends, and those you serve in ministry. Contact info: Email me at c...