In my interaction with these various levels of the church I found that one of the most important is the session, or my elders. In the life of the church I quickly discovered the importance of keeping my elders close.

One of the complaints I sometimes hear from some graduates is that they believe their seminary education did not adequately prepare them for the various counseling challenges they face in the pastorate.

It may seem counterintuitive, but there are times when you shouldn’t accept a call even if a church issues you one. When should you decline a call? Ultimately answering such a question calls for wisdom, as this is a circumstance that is not black and white.

Did you ever think that late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon could offer sage advice regarding getting your next call? While Fallon didn’t use his late night platform to discuss seeking a pastoral call, an online video of Fallon interviewing Nicole Kidman certainly made a very practical point.

As a pastor I have seen first-hand what pornography can do to a marriage relationship and the devastation it leaves in its wake.

It seems like far too many people treat relationships of all sorts as being disposable. As soon as they hit a rough patch of any sort they decide to pull up stakes, move on, and find a new relationship. This is especially the case, I believe, when it comes to church membership.

What happens when you lose your pastoral call and you think you should change vocations? Or what happens if you graduate of seminary and after a number of years you still haven’t been able to get a call? Should you hang up your cleats? Making such decisions can be difficult and heart-wrenching.

Despite all of our modern pretensions to advancement and evolution, even though 1,500+ years have passed since Augustine’s day, our so-called evolved society still has bloodlust and regularly lathers its hands in violence as a form of entertainment.

Don’t be quick to talk about your accomplishments. Don’t think too much of yourself. In the words of Proverbs: “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” (27:2).

Divine pruning of your congregation can be discouraging—loss of members, friends at a distance, and looking out on a smaller number of people as you peer over the pulpit. Use the opportunity, however, to reflect on your need for God’s grace in your ministry, to pray that God would motivate you to get the word out to see new people, even new converts, fill the pews.