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Soul Care Essentials Series: Healthy Soul, Healthy Ministry: Prayer, Sabbath, and Soul Care Rhythms for Pastors (w/ Dan Reiland) – Episode 334
Soul Care Essentials Series: Healthy Soul, Healthy Ministry: Prayer, Sabbath, and Soul Care Rhythms for Pastors (w/ Dan Reiland) – Episode 334
Pastors can’t sustain ministry on drive alone. In this episode, Dan Reiland shares how lasting leadership flows from a healthy soul (not just hard work) and why prayer remains the “real” secret behind sustainable ministry. He offers practical rhythms for building consistency with God, embracing Sabbath as “doing different,” and creating margin for what matters most.
We also explore the real cost of soul care—learning to say no, navigating the tension between availability and family, and leading with healthy limits. Ultimately, Dan challenges pastors to move from doing everything themselves to equipping others, creating a healthier and more sustainable way to lead.
About Dan: Dan Reiland is a coach, consultant, author, husband, father and grandfather. He brings decades of local church leadership experience to his current ministry endeavors that focus on helping leaders excel. Dan has served the local church for more than forty years including at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia where he partnered with Kevin Myers for 24 years as the Executive Pastor. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at Maxwell Leadership (Previously INJOY).
Dan is best known as a leader with a pastor’s heart and a coach’s intuition. He truly loves the local church and is considered one of the nation’s most insightful executive leadership coaches and church consultants, bringing wisdom and experience to the process. Dan has written 4 books on the church and church leadership and writes a bi-weekly blog at DanReiland.com. Dan and his wife Patti have two children and three grandchildren. In his leisure time, he’s a collector of really cool guitars!
Links to Resources Mentioned or Related
- Website: DanReiland.com
- The 3-Point Process For Leadership Development
- Book: Leadership Alone Isn’t Enough: 40 Devotions To Strengthen Your Soul
- Book: Confident Leader: Become One, Stay One
- Book: Amplified Leadership: 5 Practices To Establish Influence, Build People, And Impact Others For A Lifetime
- Book: Shoulder To Shoulder: Strengthening Your Church By Supporting Your Pastor
- Book: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation To The Wonder & Mystery Of Prayer
- Email Dan
- Link to NEW! Soul Care Essentials Online: 3-Session Video Series
- Link to NEW! Soul Care Essentials Cohort: 6 Weeks of Guided Conversations for Post-Conference Groups
- 95Network – Soul Care Essentials
- 95Network – Healthy Church Assessment
- Read Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Thought They’d Be There By Now
- Watch Podcast on YouTube
Key Takeaways
- Prayer isn’t the warm-up—it’s the engine. Ministry strength doesn’t come from personal drive; it comes from dependence on Jesus and consistent prayer.
- Create a “set-aside” place that cues your soul. A dedicated space helps form a habit of presence, quiet, and listening.
- Quiet the mental swirl before you try to pray. Capturing distractions (notes/cards) can move you from scattered to present.
- Start prayer big, then move closer to home. A helpful pattern is global → national → church → family → personal.
- Sabbath is changing rhythm, not disappearing. Rest includes doing something different—rest, play, and a break from normal work pressure.
- Soul care requires saying no. It’s not escape; it’s intentional priorities and boundaries that protect calling.
- You’ll never regret time with family, but you must be present. Being home isn’t the same as being engaged.
- Healthy rhythms require honest conversations. Clarify expectations and calmly communicate limits.
- If nothing changes after healthy communication, take a wise risk. Sometimes the next step is simply not doing the unreasonable thing you already discussed.
- Margin fuels longevity. Protect margin for think time, pray time, and play time—especially when ministry pressure rises.
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