In Preaching Articles: "Ministry Challenges"

How To Tell If A New Volunteer Is Truly A Leader (Or Simply A Doer)

By Carey Nieuwhof on May 10, 2024

"I recently surveyed 1400 small and mid-sized church pastors to find out what they struggle with most as their church grows. They overwhelmingly identified developing leaders as their top challenge."

Tags: leadership, Church Growth, Volunteer, church ministry, obstacles to growth, Barriers to Growth, Growing a Church, Leaders vs Doers, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ministry Killers Every Pastor’s Wife Faces

By Charles Stone on Aug 21, 2025

Eight in ten pastors’ wives say they feel unappreciated or unaccepted by their husband’s congregations. Charles Stone and his wife give insight into how to protect your spouse and your marriage during the sometimes difficult calling of pastoral ministry.

Tags: Ministry, stress, Marriage, wife, family, Stress, relationships, priorities, home, Difficulties, pastoral care, Spouse, Church Body of Christ, Marriage General, church leadership, ministry, marriage support, Church Leadership, Pastoral Care, Ministry Health, Pastors Wife, Marriage Support  (view more)  (view less)

The Best Way To Avoid Ministry Burnout That You Keep Forgetting

By Eric Bryant on Aug 5, 2024

Exodus 18 exposes leadership myths that exhaust pastors and shows how shared leadership restores health, disciples others, and strengthens God’s people.

Scripture: Exodus 18:1-27, Numbers 11:16-17, Deuteronomy 1:9-13, Acts 6:1-7, 2 Timothy 2:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Team Development

Digging Deep: How Do You Define The Ministry Of The Word?

By Peter Mead on Jul 4, 2025

"The ministry of the word is stewarding and heralding God's word in such a way that people encounter God through his word."

Scripture: Psalm 37:4-5

Tags: Ministry, Preaching, God's Word, blackaby, ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

11 Reasons To Protect Your Spirit From The Demands Of Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 8, 2021

Pastoral ministry can be hazardous to our spiritual health. But it doesn’t need to be.

Tags: Preaching

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 28, 2021

Sometimes I think church leaders take the most negative approaches in an attempt to encourage more people to get involved in ministry in the church.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Lay Leadership, Recruiting

Three Questions Every Small Group Ministry Must Answer

By James Emery White on Sep 22, 2022

"Regardless of the type of small group ministry you may have, there are three foundational questions that must be settled for maximum effectiveness and clear focus––yet seldom are. And they are foundational questions because they speak to the heart of your philosophy of ministry."

Tags: strategy, BIBLE STUDY, Small groups, Bible Study, Church Small Groups, Fellowship Group, Small Group Ministry, bible study  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 1

By Lance Witt on May 13, 2024

"There is nothing worse than trying to inspire people to be passionate about God when you have little or no passion yourself. There is nothing more empty feeling than trying to connect people to God when you feel disconnected from God."

Tags: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Growing in Faith, Christ's Love for Us, Healthy Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 17, 2024

"In ministry, there are certain tensions that we must live with. Sometimes they seem contradictory, but they are tensions that are actually healthy for us."

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 3

By Lance Witt on May 22, 2024

When pastoring is your job, it adds complexity to simply loving Jesus. To live and lead from a healthy soul, we must learn the art of separating our own personal pursuit of loving Jesus from our “ministry” of leading in the church.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Tags: time with God, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, Putting Christ First, Sincerity with God, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Preacher To Preacher: Three Vital Questions Before You Quit The Ministry

By Leslie Holmes on Sep 26, 2024

Astounding: 50 percent of pastors serving American congregations are so discouraged in ministry that they would quit if they could afford to do so.

Tags: Ministry, Preaching, quit, ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

13 Benefits Of Putting An Expiration Date On New Ministries In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 12, 2024

Here's a great way open your church up to innovative new ideas by minimizing the risk – or at least the sting – of failure.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

10 Ministry Principles I Wish I Knew When I Started

By Brady Boyd on Mar 4, 2025

Fifteen years of pastoral ministry reveal lessons a young minister rarely sees coming, from handling pressure and friendships to trust, rest, and long term faithfulness.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:2-4, Mark 6:31, Galatians 6:9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Lesson, Ministry, leadership, Leadership, ministry, Ministry Wisdom  (view more)  (view less)

How To (Finally) Stop Giving In To The Pressure To Add More Ministries In Your Church

By Carey Nieuwhof on Sep 27, 2023

When you’re a church leader, you feel a lot of pressure.

Tags: focus, Simplicity, Church Body of Christ, ministry philosophy

How To Preach Like You’re Having A Conversation

By Lane Sebring on Jan 21, 2026

Want your sermons to connect on a deeper level? Learn how a conversational preaching style can make your message more personal, relatable, and engaging.

Tags: authentic ministry, Authentic Ministry