Real guidance for pastors navigating the challenges of everyday ministry.
Leading a small or midsize church comes with unique pressures. From burnout and soul care to church strategy and team development, our articles and podcast guides address the issues church leaders face every week.
“Any pastor who becomes addicted to the approval of people will eventually be slaughtered by their disapproval.” In other words, if we don’t deal with our need for approval, our negligence can lead to the end of our ministries. It may even bring the end to our marriages or other key relationships.
Jerry Bostick, flight dynamics officer for the Apollo 13 mission, was once asked, “Weren’t there times when everybody, or at least a few people, just panicked?” He answered, “No, when bad things happened, we just calmly laid out all the options, and failure was not one of them. We never panicked, and we never gave up on finding a solution.”
“Residency is about creating an environment that wants more FOR them than FROM them, like the teaching hospital.”
“Stop wandering lost in ministry. Discover your God-given calling by understanding where you are and learning to wait for divine rescue instead of figuring it out alone.”
“Struggling with pastor burnout? Learn the transformative shift from doing ministry FOR God to ministering FROM God’s power through authentic connection.”
“God made none of us whole. God made us wholly interdependent with the body of Christ in order to lead his church.”
In case team building is something you need help with, allow me to share the basics from a resource I created for 95Nework titled “Eight Key Principles for Equipping Saints and Improving Follow-Through.”
“A disciple organizes their calendar around their relationship with Jesus.”
One of my greatest ministry regrets is that I didn’t have anyone to help me work through this while I was pastoring. However, you don’t have to go through what I did. We are here for you.
“Communications is not about being promotional; it’s about bringing the plan together.”
Discouraged. It’s how every leader has felt at one point or another when we want to be somewhere we’re not. Dale navigated his own experiences of disappointment in himself and uncovered key truths about leadership in ministry that can anchor and guide us today.
Dale Sellers of 95Network believes this trend is largely due to discouragement among our pastors. Many church leaders begin ministry with dreams of making an eternal impact. But years of striving, stress, and strain have left them feeling defeated, disillusioned, and stalled.
Thankfully, there is hope that ministry can turn around for the discouraged pastor. As a former minister who’s been in the trenches, Dale Sellers reveals that:
In STALLED, you will discover your sweet spot and realize you are closer to being “there” than you know.
All episodes will be posted here on the website, and are also available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hosted by Caralee Culpepper and Dale Sellers, our executive director, and a former small church pastor, our 95Network podcast is a wealth of information specifically for small-church pastors—delivered in a candid, kind, and concise way. We cover pressing topics in modern ministry, annual trends, and more.
Most pastors aren’t refusing rest—they’re trapped by systems. Without a plan (and a bench), even a short break can feel impossible.
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Equipping can’t be reduced to a weekly performance; it requires presence, relationship, modeling, and shared life.
“If you got a pulse, he’s got a purpose for you.” Retirement isn’t the end of ministry; it’s a new season with fresh opportunities to serve, mentor, and impact the kingdom.
Self-awareness protects leaders from self-deception. Honest feedback is a guardrail for character and culture.
Build discipleship around practice, not just information. People grow through doing, feedback, and repetition in relationships.
Prayer is the engine, not the accessory. Easter effectiveness is not primarily about production, but about God’s presence.
Start with alignment, not content. Kevin begins sermon prep by praying, seeking God’s direction, and dealing with “known sin” to remove spiritual and emotional friction.
Less Is More—With Intentionality. Doing less with your whole heart is better than doing more and being worn out. Fewer tactics executed with great intentionality will be more effective than an overwhelming production.
Have the Conversation Before There’s a Problem. You can’t wait for something negative to happen before talking to volunteers. Schedule regular check-ins not just about their area of service but about their lives.
The personal God gets personal with us. Biblical counseling explores the active, desiring heart beneath behavior and connects it to Christ’s finished work and the Spirit’s present ministry.
Listen to Dale on The Stetzer ChurchLeader Podcast w/ Ed Stetzer discussing his book:
Get the 4 day Stalled devotional plan through YouVersion.
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