One of the challenges that pastors and their families face is life in the goldfish bowl. In many other vocations a person can go to work, do his job, come home, and his home life and family stay out of view. My father worked for a tech giant for 37 years and I can count on my fingers the number of times that I interacted with my father’s co-workers. The same cannot be said about the pastor and his family.

Yes, digital communication is convenient, but in counseling and debate situations, it’s best to conduct these face-to-face. Sit down over a cup of coffee and counsel or engage in debate.

If you want to be more productive, you must train yourself to do it. You don’t have to swear-off technology and switch to a dumb phone and a typewriter, though there could be some advantages. But you should be deliberate about your work habits.

I suspect that few think of the important role that churchmanship plays in a pastor’s ministry.

When I first entered the pastorate I told myself never to preach to any one person in the congregation, and it seems like Providence confirmed this decision time and time again.

A good library is necessary because, as well trained as a minister might be, when he gets his spiffy new diploma upon his graduation, it is not an ending but a new beginning—it is his license to learn.

Among the many theological ailments that can strike in Reformed churches, “Reformer’s Syndrome,” is one of the more troublesome. What is “Reformer’s Syndrome,” you ask? Reformer’s Syndrome is the personal belief that you are a sixteenth-century reformer, reincarnated for the present day, ready to take on all forms of authority regardless of how inane and convoluted your ideas might be.

As a pastor, you don’t have a choice about making hospital visits. Whatever hang-ups or issues you might have, they just don’t matter. If a member of your congregation winds up in the hospital, you need to go, period.

The Lord may decide to use you in mighty ways, far beyond the reach of your own congregation. If he does, praise God. But don’t forget that ministry is about your sheep, your congregation.

During my time in the ministry I have encountered a number of colleagues that work very hard. However, I think those same colleagues were not very productive. While someone might work very hard on something, it doesn’t mean he will be productive.