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Leading With Expectation vs. Expectancy
I’ve sat across the table from enough pastors to recognize the weight that quietly builds up over years of ministry. It rarely announces itself. It shows up in the tightness of your jaw during a leadership meeting, in the restlessness that follows a Sunday where things didn’t go as planned, in the slow erosion of…
Read MoreWe’re Fighting – It Must Be Holy Week
She found the note on the counter Wednesday morning — a sticky note from her husband that simply said, “Miss you.” By then, he had already left for church. She didn’t even hear him leave. She stood there for a moment, note in hand, realizing there were things she had meant to ask him, things…
Read MoreGive the Work Time to Mature
I’ve served as Senior Pastor at Candia Congregational Church since July 2017. Founded over 250 years ago, the church had spent the past four decades with renewed focus on loving God and people as Jesus commanded. When I arrived, the church had several thriving ministries, but as the big events grew, we started asking: “Are…
Read MoreUntil …
Are you in a season of ministry that seems to be going backwards? People seem excited about everything but spiritual things. Complaints and conflicts have become the norm. The vision that seems so clear feels like it’s withering in a wilderness of indifference. I have been there, and I suspect many of you reading this…
Read MoreMeet Overseed Field Director Steve Treash
Jim Harrell, Jack Daniel, and Steve Treash joined a Zoom call to discuss the exciting things happening at Overseed, including Steve, former pastor of Black Rock Church in Connecticut, joining the Overseed team as a Field Director. Steve shared some profound thoughts about the important work of Overseed and the valuable lessons he’s learned over…
Read MorePastor as Network, Not Nodes
A few years ago, I moved into a new city to begin a role as pastor. Early on I received an email to join a cohort from an organization I had never heard of before, Overseed. I was new to New England and new to the role of senior pastor, so I was glad to…
Read MorePreventing Ministry Team Burnout
by Steve Treash, Overseed Field Director The concept of “burnout” originated in the 1970’s with a psychologist named Herbert Freudenberger who used the term to describe what he saw among the volunteer staff of a medical clinic in New York City. The volunteers were young, enthusiastic and on a mission to serve the City’s poor…
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