Shepherds need shepherding too.
One of my goals for Good Shepherd Soul Care is to cultivate emotionally healthy communities by caring for leaders, pastors, helpers, and caregivers. Here’s why I believe it’s so crucial in our current moment. If you spend your days ministering to others—whether as a pastor, leader, or parent—this is for you.
Do you feel the weight of the increasing expectations of leadership in a changing world? Do you spend your days caring for others but lay awake at night wondering who is going to care for you? Do you wonder how long you can keep going? Do you keep pressing ahead to the next crisis or opportunity? You are not alone.
Shepherds need shepherding. Helpers need help. Encouragers need encouragement.
You cannot navigate the pressures of leadership alone. In fact, you were never made to. God created us to regulate and process our emotions in the context of trusted relationships. The problem is, you spend most of your life being a trusted counselor for others. When it comes to getting the care you need, you have a unique dynamic that makes finding a trusted counselor for yourself especially difficult.
42% of pastors have given real, serious consideration to quitting in the past year.*
If you’re thinking, “Who hasn’t?” you are not alone. Your job was hard enough before navigating a global pandemic, a contentious election cycle, and a racial reckoning. Now that life is returning to normal, you may feel added pressure to get the lost sheep back, build momentum, and make up for lost time. All this comes at a time when you are likely at your lowest. Don’t wait to get help until it’s too late. You need a trusted, confidential guide to attune to your pain and help you imagine a better future.
62% of pastors have no one to talk to about their emotional and mental health.
Books, conferences, and podcasts are great. But to be sustained in leadership for the long haul, you need more than information—you need a face. You need someone to empathize with your wounds and attune to your story. It’s not a weakness to need someone outside yourself to shepherd you; it’s God’s design. The top two reasons pastors give as motivations for quitting are stress and isolation. Let us tend to your soul care so you can care for others for years to come.
Calling always comes out of story.
It almost seems so self-evident that it doesn’t warrant saying, doesn’t it? We teach the Biblical stories of those called by God to lead his people. We know the family histories of people like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Miriam, Paul, Timothy, and others. Yet when describing a call to ministry or leadership, we rarely speak about the early roles we played in our families. We forget that our calling has a context too.
How many ministers began their training by caring for a needy parent? How many mediators got their start keeping the peace in their parents’ marriage? If you spend your days caring for the needs of others, chances are you were thrust into that role at an early age. If we don’t pay attention to our own stories, we’ll likely minimize our own needs and burn out. Let’s discover how God wants to use your past wounds in your own healing and the healing of others.
Help is available.
You deserve undivided attention, encouragement, and care just as much as the people you are called to serve. Your spouse, your children, and your community need you to tend to your own wounds. For your sake and theirs, make soul care a priority.
I’ve spent over a decade in ministry and understand the unique challenges you face. Reach out to Good Shepherd Soul Care or someone else who can care for you as you care for others.
*statistics are from Barna Group Research
