Shannon's Corner

  Why is caring for the well-being of those in ministry so important?  Imagine what the trajectory of the church would be if the pastor’s well-being deteriorated to the point of unhealth. Imagine w hat the trajectory of missions  would be   if the missionary ‘s well-being deteriorated to the point of unhealth? Here are statistics from a new  Barna  poll on pastors. In 2015, 72% of pastors said they felt “very satisfied” with their job as pastors. In late 2022, just 52% of pastors were “very satisfied with their jobs.” This is a 20% drop in just seven years. Carey Nieuwhof states in his blog titled '5 Shocking Realities About the Real Estate of Pastor Burnout' ,  " The health of a leader impacts the health of a church or an organization,  we’ll see a ripple effect of pastoral exhaustion that could damage churches for years to come ." In the spring of 2023,  Field Partner International  did a study of missionaries to gain insight into cu...

  SHANNON’S CORNER Ahoy matey!  Have you ever sailed on a boat or cruise ship?  Each crew member has an important role whether given a small or heaping amount of responsibility.  One of the things that helps a sail team to be successful is a positive mindset of “how can I contribute from start to finish.”  When everyone is stewarding well their responsibilities with a positive mindset of being a team player to succeed, the whole crew finds enjoyment and lasting endurance even when storms of life happen.  But if the ship’s crew have a fixed mindset and are slacking in their responsibilities it is like being off one degree from the port of call and the ship will end up miles and miles away from the intended port.   God’s ministry of caring for the well-being of His saints who are serving locally and globally in advancing the gospel is our ship.  The captain is Jesus Christ.  He is inviting each of us to come aboard as His crew.  Just like ...

  Have you ever ridden or seen people riding a tandem bike? What did you notice? Picture yourself riding a tandem bicycle.   The captain (client) is in the front of the bicycle to control and balance the bike through steering, shifting, and braking.  The stoker (coach) is in the back serving as the motor and moving in sync with the client. Pedaling together, leaning together and embracing adventure are characteristics of riding a tandem bike. It takes partnership and collaboration to be a successful tandem team. This is a great metaphor for what a coaching relationship is like between the life coach and her client.    Research shows that the relationship between coach and client has the largest impact on the client’s outcome.  A coach helps to build an environment of trust, safety, and connection to enhance the client’s personal and/or professional potential. The coaching assumption is that the client is capable of generating his/her own solutions...

How do you say goodbyes?  When do like to avoid saying goodbyes?   Have you ever thought that goodbyes are part of loss and the need to grieve?      The year I turned nine I was so excited to be finally old enough to get to go to Seneca Hills Bible Conference Camp and all by myself for the whole week.  I would hear how much fun my older brother had during his weeks at Seneca Hills and now it was my turn.  I was so excited that I had my suitcase packed two months in advance.  It was also the year my parents received the news that we would be moving to a new place which I was also looking forward to a new house because of having my own room finally but going to camp outshined even that news.   I had an amazing week at camp and when my parents came and picked me up on Saturday, my nine-year old self did not realize until pulling up to a new house when the truth hit me that I was not going back to my old house. ...

  In my adolescents, there were different fall activities where we made hobo soup, and everyone invited had to bring either a canned food or fresh vegetable to contribute to the pot.    Usually, the host would start with the meat and broth as the base and for the meat to have time to cook.  Then, when each person arrived with their food item, it was added one by one along with any herbs and spices.  Each time I have eaten hobo soup, it’s never been the same because it's always made up of different ingredients.   Hobo soup is never the same as are transitions, no two are alike.  What are the ingredients that make up your hobo soup of transition?  Some possible ingredients may be work-related stress, family, friends, other relationships, changed roles, location, reactions, position, health – physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional, environment, culture, society, losses, rhythms, identity, routines, etc.   ...