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LifeWay Research conducted a fascinating study.

By Lisa Cannon Green

No sabbatical. No help with counseling. No clear picture of what’s expected.

Hundreds of former senior pastors say these were the crucial elements missing from the final churches they led before quitting the pastorate.

A recent study by LifeWay Research points to ways churches can encourage pastors to stay in the ministry, said Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of the Nashville-based research organization.

“Almost half of those who left the pastorate said their church wasn’t doing any of the kinds of things that would help,” Stetzer said. “Having clear documents, offering a sabbatical rest, and having people help with weighty counseling cases are key things experts tell us ought to be in place.”

LifeWay Research surveyed 734 former senior pastors who left the pastorate before retirement age in four Protestant denominations.

Trouble begins early, the survey indicates, with 48 percent of the former pastors saying the search team didn’t accurately describe the church before their arrival.

Their churches were unlikely to have a list of counselors for referrals (27 percent), clear documentation of the church’s expectations of its pastor (22 percent), a sabbatical plan for the pastor (12 percent), a lay counseling ministry (9 percent), or a support group for the pastor’s family (8 percent). Forty-eight percent say their church had none of these.

Most expected conflict to arise, and it did—56 percent clashed over changes they proposed, and 54 percent say they experienced a significant personal attack. Yet nearly half (48 percent) say their training didn’t prepare them to handle the people side of ministry.

“Many seminary programs don’t even require courses on the people side—they’re focused on theology, biblical languages, and preaching, which are important, but almost half of the pastors felt unprepared for dealing with the people they were preparing in seminary to lead and serve,” Stetzer said.

Though almost two-thirds (63 percent) spent more than a decade as a senior pastor, they eventually moved on—most to another ministry role other than senior pastor (52 percent) but 29 percent to non-ministry work.

Forty percent say they left the pastorate because of a change in calling. They also cite such issues as church conflict (25 percent), burnout (19 percent), personal finances (12 percent) and family issues (12 percent).

“These things are interrelated,” Stetzer said. “If you’re burning out, chances are when conflict arises you’re not going to respond well, and that will make the conflict worse.”

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Eric Drew shares his observations of his local mega.

You know the one I’m talking about. It’s in your town, or close enough. They have the fancy lights, loud music, and they’re stealing our young families. That’s right, I visited THAT big church recently. Here’s what I saw:

The Good: Their service was full; actually, their three services were full. They had incredible energy because so many people were there. The energy and excitement didn’t greet me when I walked into the sanctuary, they had welcoming, enthusiastic greeters all the way into the parking lot. I knew where I was going, where my kids were going, and my whole family felt welcomed and expected. Their music sounded great. All of their multimedia and slides worked. Actually, they didn’t just work, they were well designed, tied together with the songs and theme for the service, and brought me deeper in my experience of worship.

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Lisa Fife shares tips for youth pastors.

If you’re like many other youth pastors, you may sometimes struggle with getting your youth engaged and excited about worship. Here are a few ideas that will help you spark their interest in worship, help them grow in their walk with Christ, and raise up leaders through worship.

Let your youth lead.

Having a good representation of young people on your youth worship team goes a long way with ensuring your students stay engaged with worship. When students see their peers leading them in worship, they are more likely to get involved and stay engaged in worship. This also helps raise up young leaders within your ministry and give them the opportunity to grow in their faith and ministry experience. Although you’ll still want adult leadership coordinating the team, the more young people you can get involved the better! Invest in your youth and use their gifts and talents. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

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Mark J Martin offers simple reminders.

1. Consider the Flow.

By flow, I’m not just talking about musical aspects, like tempo (begin with a fast song, move toward slower), although that can be a part of it.

I’m also not just talking about theme – again, a good part of the process.

I’m primarily talking about the flow of thought as you progress through the service. How is it all connected? What’s the purpose for singing each song, and how does it all fit together?

Are you moving the congregation through a journey – one of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and service?

If a theme based worship set, do the songs fit together well? Would one song work better before another instead of after?

Sometimes, the song choice is right, and all it takes to strengthen impact is switching the order.

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