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Relationship Restoration
Walk in any grocery store in the country this week and you're likely to be bombarded with chocolate hearts, cartoon valentines, and fluffy teddy bears. Whether you're part of a romantic relationship or not, Valentine's Day is hard to escape. Yet with all the focus on sugary treats and gifts, our relationships - romantic and otherwise - aren't always as sweet as we'd like them to be.
In the ministry, maintaining and restoring relationships can be extra difficult. We juggle multiple and complex demands on our time and our energy, leaving little of either left over for the important people in our lives. Add to that the various characters we encounter in our congregations and their expectations of our personal lives, and things get chaotic quickly. But at their best and their worst, these relationships remind us that we serve a relational God.
So if you're looking to further define and understand those difficult people in your life you'll appreciate Mike's article at In Full Connection. If you're looking for some practical guidance and an allowance for normality, Marilyn Steven's contribution should serve you well. If your independence is yearning for a break from all the love-talk, Chestnut has you covered. And if you're looking to laugh, just look a little farther right for our Daily Dose of Humor. Whether you feel at peace with the people and relationships in your life or whether you could use a little guidance navigating rougher waters, I hope you find understanding and comfort and just a little bit of humor in this month's newsletter.
Peace,
Alison
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| Managing Difficult People
"Once in a while I will have that daydream familiar to every veteran pastor. It's the one where I gather ONLY THE BEST folks from each congregation I've served. And these wonderful folks all pitch in and form a church, and I get to be the pastor of the greatest congregation ever! Wow: what a daydream! On the other hand, never once have I fantasized that I would retrieve the most difficult individuals from each congregation..."
Should you find yourself in the latter congregation (and there are days when many of us do) you might find these 8 tips helpful for learning how to manage difficult people.
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 Marriage, Family, and the Ministry
There's an unhealthy expectation among churches that clergy families are perfect. We're held up as pillars of the community, lauded as examples for the congregation, and assumed to enjoy a divine blessing on all personal matters. Lucky for us, Marilyn Stevens is debunking the myth:
"The truth is that crises do not stop at the clergy family's door. The clergy family, as much as any other family, has the right to be human, to have human problems."
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A Wholly Healthy Response to Stress Management
It's common knowledge that relationships and families bring on extra stress, but what happens when your stressor becomes the lack of these things? Stress doesn't discriminate based on our relationship status and so Chestnut Global Health has compiled a list of ways to manage stressors that are specific to single life.
Read the article Going It Alone or check it out on our Wholly Healthy blog and then join in the conversation on our facebook group to let us know what you think.
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| Upcoming Events!
Check out these upcoming events from Connected Pairs.
Love and Laughs Valentine Dinner:
ConnectEdPAIRS Spring Getaway Weekend Retreat: Webinars -In the Comfort of Your Own Home:
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Peace Be With You,
Pastoral Care and Counseling
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Contact Our Web Editor
You can reach Alison by email at:
alison.smith@garrett.edu
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Daily Dose of Humor
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Whether it's your family or someone else's, dealing with conflict is tricky!
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New to Ministry?
Are you in the ordination process or new to the ministry?
PCC is looking for ways we can support new pastors and those in the candidacy process.
If you have ideas on how we can be of help, contact our Web Editor at
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| PK's and Clergy Spouses! | |
Part of the mission of PCC is to serve clergy and their families - that means you!
Send our web editor an email or connect on our facebook group and let us know how we can keep and touch and what you'd like to see from us in the future!
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Upcoming Event?
Do you have an event or continuing education opportunity that is related to Pastoral Care and Counseling? We might be able to help!
Contact our Web Editor at
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Looking for Covenant Groups? | |
Covenant groups serve to hold one another accountable, provide support and encouragement, and foster community among pastors.
Find one here:
or connect on our
and create your own! | |
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