OT: I Need Prayer
I know this is the place to talk software and get help. However, many of your names are familiar to me and so many of those names have big hearts and big faith attached to them.
I am a Pastor in a rural, small-ish church (175 or so on Sundays). My job is not in jeopardy or anything of the sort.
Would you please pray for me? God knows my needs; if you would just agree in Jesus' name that His will be done, I would appreciate it. I feel like giving up but I don't think God wants me to leave. The church is doing really well right now and there are no big fights, power struggles, etc. My heart is heavy for many reasons - some I understand and some I don't.
I am not asking for pity, just prayer, and I will surely appreciate it.
Jerry
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
Comments
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Done and doing.
Sarcasm is my love language. Obviously I love you. 0 -
Jerry Bush said:
I know this is the place to talk software and get help. However, many of your names are familiar to me and so many of those names have big hearts and big faith attached to them.
I am a Pastor in a rural, small-ish church (175 or so on Sundays). My job is not in jeopardy or anything of the sort.
Would you please pray for me? God knows my needs; if you would just agree in Jesus' name that His will be done, I would appreciate it. I feel like giving up but I don't think God wants me to leave. The church is doing really well right now and there are no big fights, power struggles, etc. My heart is heavy for many reasons - some I understand and some I don't.
I am not asking for pity, just prayer, and I will surely appreciate it.
Jerry
Brother,
Also a small church pastor, who can relate very well to what you're going through. Am praying for you, even as I compose this response.You are not alone, either in your struggles, nor in your ministry, nor as a sheep called into the task of shepherd. I'm convinced that God is providing all you need to not only make it through this time and in your ministry, but to thrive in them -- not that I know you or your situation; but I do know our God.
If you want to dialogue about this, I'd be happy to share my journey with you via email (richderuiter in the place where that ubiquitous search engine's email is common).
Help links: WIKI; Logos 6 FAQ. (Phil. 2:14, NIV)
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Jerry Bush said:
I am not asking for pity, just prayer, and I will surely appreciate it.
Yes, Jerry! I hear your heart.
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Done. You should consider finding someone you trust to talk openly with about these matters if you have not done so already.
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Been there, done that. And will be praying for you brother. May you find God's grace as you seek His way.
Blessings,
FloydPastor-Patrick.blogspot.com
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Jerry Bush said:
My heart is heavy for many reasons - some I understand and some I don't
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Beloved Pastor Jerry, I have prayed for you,I give what the Lord has put in my heart. 2 Tim 4:17
Blessings in Christ.
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Will do, Jerry.
Mark
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
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Jerry,
Asked God to give you a sense of His presence in and with you, a reaffirmation.
Asked God to encourage you and to give you a renewed sense of His direction.
Asked God to empower you and to utilize you and the gifts He has entrusted to you to make measurable impact on the people around you.
Asked God to open doors of opportunity to share your faith and assurance with those who need Christ and asked God to give many of those folks saving faith and to move them to transfer their trust to Jesus and be born again.
Asked God to give you health and strength, to renew and build up your relationships, to fill you with His Spirit, to open His word to you and give you renewed understanding and new insights to encourage you and share with others, and to draw you close in your walk with Him.
In Jesus' name, amen.
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Jerry,
This heaviness sounds to me as if you are so much doing God's will that the Adversary thinks you're worth attacking - and he has as habit of hitting below the belt. Take it as an encouragement and affirmation!
Nicky
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Thomas, Richard, Joan, John, Floyd, Tes, Mark, Niels, and Nicky...
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Richard - thanks for the offer. You may be sorry you made it; I sent you a LONG email. [:)]
John - I do have another Pastor in town that I can talk to. I need all the prayer I can get, and he has cancer and going through hard treatments so I don't want to dump too much on him right now.
Tes - thank you for the scripture. I printed it and put it up.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and encouragement.
Jerry
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
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Jerry, I am praying for you too. Make sure you are getting an adequate balance of rest and work, as burnout could be contributing to your feelings of wanting to give up. A healthy rhythm of life is one of the hardest things for pastors to maintain, but it is vital or you won't be able to serve others. They must understand that they cannot demand endless availability from you. Take your sabbaths seriously and withdraw to a place of quiet to be renewed and refreshed in the Lord. Jesus himself gave us this model to follow.
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Jerry,
I am praying for you as well. I too am a Rural Pastor (coming up on 25 years at the same church) and know the struggles. If i can do anything else let me know, but most of all I will take you before the Throne.
In Christ,
Nord
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Jerry Bush said:
Thomas, Richard, Joan, John, Floyd, Tes, Mark, Niels, and Nicky...
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Richard - thanks for the offer. You may be sorry you made it; I sent you a LONG email.
John - I do have another Pastor in town that I can talk to. I need all the prayer I can get, and he has cancer and going through hard treatments so I don't want to dump too much on him right now.
Tes - thank you for the scripture. I printed it and put it up.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and encouragement.
Jerry
Beloved Pastor Jerry,
What ever the case may be.
John 11:4
Jesus is Lord,
Blessings in Christ.
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My thoughts and prayers are with you Jerry.
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Prayed as requested Jerry.
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Jerry Bush said:
I am a Pastor in a rural, small-ish church (175 or so on Sundays
While much younger I was a second staff person in a church that size.
There were many crisis and difficult challenges that faced the Senior Pastor.
I realize that today there are many mega-churches, But 175 at worship on a sundau is "not" small.
It can produce "many" difficult challenges.
Be assured of my prayers and heart felt concern also.
All the best
Regards, SteveF
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Jerry, I too am a small church Pastor. Our church is not a "mega church" like 175 average on Sundays; rather we average between 30-40. Two weeks ago I was ready to resign. In fact on Monday morning I was going to call the chairmen of our deacons to set a meeting and let him know. But I had no peace in my spirit and knew that it was not God's will. As I opened His word he led me to several different passages but the first chapter of Colossians really jumped off the pages (okay the computer screen[;)]).
I ended up preaching a message last week from verses 27-29 of that chapter and my congregation will never know how much that message was for me. I encourage you brother to let God direct you and comfort you in your time of discouragment and difficulty. Let His word overtake and consume your emotions.
Feel free to email me at fhchap At the standard gmail address.
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Jerry, I want you to seriously consider what Rosie said about burnout. I too have pastored small congregations, as small as 20 - 30 members. Ministry can be demanding. If you need an ear to unload on contact me at lynden_williams at the mail that is hot. I can call you, thus enabling us to pray together.
Heavenly Father, I ask for the presence of your Holy Spirit to be with Jerry. Let him experience your peace. Help him to know that 1 Peter 5:7 he can cast his cares upon you, because you care for him. May he remember that you are there to guide and direct him, Psalm 32:8, and that he is special in your sight. Psalm 139:13-18. May he remember that the work that you have begun in him, you will complete. Philippians 1:6. Keep his heart and mind fixed on the ministry that you have called him to, for if he comes to you, he will in no wise be cast out. John 6:37.
Be encouraged my brother.
Mission: To serve God as He desires.
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Its been a rough summer for me. I've had many thoughts in my mind but this I know; If everyone in the NT who had rough times followed through on some of the thoughts I have had, there would have been no one to write the NT.
I can't say God is or is not calling you to anything other then obedience and His character (yes, that is a vastly simplified list). For the rest of the details I will certainly pray you have wisdom.
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pastor Jerry,
Praying for you for strength and grace. God will make a way.
mac
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Jerry Bush said:
I am not asking for pity, just prayer, and I will surely appreciate it.
I just got home from the hospital. I will have several days of bed rest time so I will keep praying for you. My prayer needs are only physical and pale in comparison to the spiritual burdens many pastors must bear sometimes. I will certainly remember you through the day as God reminds me (--maybe with a personal pain or two for prodding.)
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
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Lynden Williams said:
Jerry, I want you to seriously consider what Rosie said about burnout. I too have pastored small congregations, as small as 20 - 30 members. Ministry can be demanding. If you need an ear to unload on contact me at lynden_williams at the mail that is hot. I can call you, thus enabling us to pray together.
Heavenly Father, I ask for the presence of your Holy Spirit to be with Jerry. Let him experience your peace. Help him to know that 1 Peter 5:7 he can cast his cares upon you, because you care for him. May he remember that you are there to guide and direct him, Psalm 32:8, and that he is special in your sight. Psalm 139:13-18. May he remember that the work that you have begun in him, you will complete. Philippians 1:6. Keep his heart and mind fixed on the ministry that you have called him to, for if he comes to you, he will in no wise be cast out. John 6:37.
Be encouraged my brother.
Amen
Blessings in Christ.
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Matthew C Jones said:Jerry Bush said:
I am not asking for pity, just prayer, and I will surely appreciate it.
I just got home from the hospital. I will have several days of bed rest time so I will keep praying for you. My prayer needs are only physical and pale in comparison to the spiritual burdens many pastors must bear sometimes. I will certainly remember you through the day as God reminds me (--maybe with a personal pain or two for prodding.)
Brother Matthew ,I am praying for you as well.
Blessings in Christ.
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Jerry Bush said:
I feel like giving up but I don't think God wants me to leave.
I understand just how you feel. More important, as the song says, "Jesus knows just how I feel." Praying for you, brother.
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Fred Chapman said:
Our church is not a "mega church" like 175 average on Sundays; rather we average between 30-40.
Fred -
Thanks for the laugh! I guess it is all perspective. The church I came from (I was the Youth Pastor) was around 500. So 175 seems small to me.But for you, I suppose 175 seems large!
Again, thank you for the smile on a day when I needed it.
Jerry
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
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Everyone who responded...
I started to list everyone by name, but was afraid I would forget someone.
I am overwhelmed with your love and compassion - and you don't even know me. Thank you. Tears are in my eyes as I type this.
Burnout? Rosie and others - that is a wise perception. I am 47 but this is my first lead-Pastor position. I was a Youth Pastor for many years before this. I was not prepared for the pressures, demands, spiritual attack, and temptations. I experienced some of it before - I was full time as a Youth guy - but not at this level, and some of the things are new to me - especially a couple in the temptation category.
I have a friend who Pastors a very large (16,000+) church in a southern state. The church was exploding with growth and success, and one day his brain kind of checked out. He did not know where he was or who he was with. He had to be hospitalized. They made changes in the church and he is great now.
On a much smaller level, I can relate to what happened to him. We have seen many come to Jesus, almost doubled in size, built a new building, changed our worship style, and I am trying to lead the church toward Elder rule. This has all happened in about 4.5 years (Feb. 5th will be 5 years for me here).
God has been good - almost all of the growth have been either people coming to the Lord for the first time or those that have fallen away from church and have not been for many years. We have had a few church hoppers, but not many and I discourage it.
So why would I want to bail out on all of that? Stress, trying to keep up, not enough staff added for the growth, plus all the other stuff every Pastor deals with: cruddy pay, apathetic people, not enough leaders, people that don't follow through, etc.
I am hoping to establish a solid Elder board around me to keep me balanced and accountable. I need help. We hired a Youth Pastor and that has helped some, but the demands are still high .
I love my church family and believe this is where God has placed me. I also know I have messed up along the way, personally and as a leader. I wonder why God leaves me here when I have fallen so short. But I am reminded of Paul the murderer, David the adulterer and abuser of power, Peter the deny-er (not a word, I know), and Mark the deserter among others.
I do try to keep balance. I work around 50 hours per week and am blessed to not have to work outside the church. I take Friday/Saturday off and am pretty good at keeping those as true days off. Sometimes I have to work on Friday mornings, but mostly I stay away from work and the church is good about respecting that.
This year I decided to get healthy and have lost almost 60 lbs. I ride 9-10 miles on a bike every day, rarely missing a day. It's getting colder here so I am going to have to figure out how to exercise in the winter.
Being non-denominational, there is no support that way. I often feel alone. There are no major problems at home; my wife says she is happy but I feel pretty disconnected.
Again, I will ask for prayer. Now you have a little better picture of things. You all have ministries and burdens of your own; please don't pick up on mine - just pray for me.
Thank you so much - all of you.
Jerry
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
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Jerry,
May God richly bless you. at the end of all these thoughts, which I imagine many of us in ministry have shared at one point or another, as weighty as those thoughts are, we are still left in the same place as Peter in John 6:66-69. Having come to know the Truth Tarshish may be a temptation, but it doesn't seem like an option.
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Jerry Bush said:
and you don't even know me
Pastor ,we are members of the Body of Christ.We don't see one another,but to your surprise I don't have this kind of feeling.I feel as if I know every body ,specially with those , who are active in the forums I consider as if I can call them by their name when I see them in the street.You are our brother, we have the love which we have all shared from our Lord Jesus.We have one Father ,our country is heaven,where we will live there eternity.I wish I could say some more,but the limitation of my English language doesn't allow me farther the thread "we have become friends through the forum", has a big meaning for me, it helps me to see through my mind where and who is ,that is a kind of contact for me.So,beloved I am praying and will pray until the Lord wills.
Blessings in Christ.
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Many praying hands can lift the weight of a heavy burden. Nobody could say it any better than Tes in any language:Jerry Bush said:You all have ministries and burdens of your own; please don't pick up on mine - just pray for me.
Just remember Elijah after Mt Carmel and the promise in Hebrews 13:5Tes said:Pastor ,we are members of the Body of Christ.We don't see one another,but to your surprise I don't have this kind of feeling.I feel as if I know every body ,specially with those , who are active in the forums I consider as if I can call them by their name when I see them in the street.You are our brother, we have the love which we have all shared from our Lord Jesus.We have one Father ,our country is heaven,where we will live there eternity.I wish I could say some more,but the limitation of my English language doesn't allow me farther the thread "we have become friends through the forum", has a big meaning for me, it helps me to see through my mind where and who is ,that is a kind of contact for me.So,beloved I am praying and will pray until the Lord wills.
You are not alone.Logos 7 Collectors Edition
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Jerry Bush said:
Being non-denominational, there is no support that way. I often feel alone. There are no major problems at home; my wife says she is happy but I feel pretty disconnected.
Jerry, I hear this frequently from pastors, even those within denominations. I hear it as a call to pastors to reach out to fellow pastors. Yes, God is always with us, and Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, and the Spirit is within us. But sometimes we need someone with skin on. It's not good for the pastor to be alone. I have come to firmly believe that it takes a pastor to pastor a pastor.
To my other pastor colleagues on this forum, I encourage you to reach out to other pastors in your community. Become friends. Pray together. Share your lives. Study together. You may not be in a place of need now, but a fellow pastor might be -- and you may have need of a friend somewhere down the road. (Been there. Done that.)
Yes, I know this is a bit off-topic for these forums. So extend a little grace for a pastor who's heart is often broken for his fellow pastors.
Help links: WIKI; Logos 6 FAQ. (Phil. 2:14, NIV)
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Richard DeRuiter said:Jerry Bush said:
Being non-denominational, there is no support that way. I often feel alone. There are no major problems at home; my wife says she is happy but I feel pretty disconnected.
Jerry, I hear this frequently from pastors, even those within denominations. I hear it as a call to pastors to reach out to fellow pastors. Yes, God is always with us, and Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, and the Spirit is within us. But sometimes we need someone with skin on. It's not good for the pastor to be alone. I have come to firmly believe that it takes a pastor to pastor a pastor.
To my other pastor colleagues on this forum, I encourage you to reach out to other pastors in your community. Become friends. Pray together. Share your lives. Study together. You may not be in a place of need now, but a fellow pastor might be -- and you may have need of a friend somewhere down the road. (Been there. Done that.)
Yes, I know this is a bit off-topic for these forums. So extend a little grace for a pastor who's heart is often broken for his fellow pastors.
I second this suggestion (for Jerry, for whom it might be hard to start up now when already in the midst of a crisis, and for anyone else in pastoral ministry as a preparation for when -- not if -- these kinds of struggles occur). Ask around among other pastors in your community to see if they'd be interested in starting a group to meet together and support each other mutually in prayer. There will of course be theological differences across different denominations, but as we're learning here on these forums, we can still uphold each other in prayer and not major on what separates us but what draws us together, which is our common sense of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and a shared sense of call to shepherd others in their spiritual journeys.
My church is a lay-run congregation so we have no pastor, but I'm our church's representative to the neighborhood ministerial group. It's been a blessing to be able to have other pastors to collaborate with on three joint ecumenical worship services per year as well as minister to each other and pray for the neighborhood. I feel more like a pastor than I really am (I have no MDiv and am not ordained), just by being part of this group.
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Jerry Bush said:
Being non-denominational, there is no support that way. I often feel alone. There are no major problems at home; my wife says she is happy but I feel pretty disconnected.
Jerry, I am praying for you, I am having difficulty putting my thoughts into words here.
It is good to cultivate friendships with other pastors. Unfortunately, we must exercise care here. Some pastors have loose lips. Early in my ministry, I confided in a fellow pastor more than 50 miles from the church I was serving. Soon afterward, I received a call from the Association's Director of Missions who knew the details of my confidential conversation. I already knew that he was the biggest gossip in Southside Virginia. That was more than 35 years ago, but I have had difficulty confiding in another pastor.
I don't want to discourage you from seeking support from other pastors in your area. I just want to encourage caution. Perhaps, God sometimes makes us restless so we do not become too comfortable, which can lead to complacency.
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Hey Jerry! --I, too, am amazed at the love and prayers of the community, and I also had a great laugh at Chapman's quote. Our church is nearer his, too, so 175 would be bustin' at the seams!
Are you familiar with the Pastors Retreat Network? do the www search by that name dot org, to find some fantastic respite for your soul. I have been to Valley View and Cedarly retreat centers. Both are just what the doctor ordered. Such a 1-week visit may be just one building block in what will refresh you, but it will be refreshing indeed. You have all the time you need just to pray, take a spiritual journey, read, laugh, and eat healthy and fantastic food. The scenery is great. Valley View is in the middle of Amish country. Cedarly is in beautiful WI, just a couple blocks from Nashota House, a conservative Episcopal Seminary. I went to morning and evening prayers at their chapel (stone arches and all, along the way).
Btw, I think you are experiencing the effects of the evil white squirrels that populate Olney. They mess with your mind. [:S]
I like Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.
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I thought they were black squirrels in Olney. It's been too long since I've been.
Dan, like you and Chapman - my church is nowhere near 175, in fact the building won't even hold that many. Maxes out at about 120.
Sarcasm is my love language. Obviously I love you. 0 -
Thomas Black said:
black squirrels in Olney
i've seen them in Toronto. But it is white squirrels in Olney. Unless it's halloween.
I like Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.
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On the light side, Olney is indeed The Home Of The White Squirrels. They are true albino squirrels and pretty interesting to see. Go here for info.
Back to the original serious subject...
I agree that it takes a Pastor to Pastor a Pastor. I found that good friend. It took me a year to trust enough to open up totally to him.Confidentiality is not the issue at this time; cancer is. He has pretty advanced cancer now and I hesitate to lean on him too much. I am trying to be there for him right now. I tell him some, but not all. We are going to try and meet tomorrow.
A brother that responded early to this thread has been giving some very helpful words via email. I really appreciate Richard D. and all the time he is giving me. It is helping.
I really don't want to keep this going, as this is for Logos and not ministry problems. However...
Would Logos consider adding a section for this type of stuff? Prayer requests and support, etc. No theological debates. People could choose if they went to that section or not. If not, I understand.
Thank you again for praying, everyone. I suggest not carrying this on, to respect Logos' purpose of these forums. If you would like to write me - I will be glad to pray for you, too - then put these three words together in all lower case: pastor jerry bush, and then add atgeemaledotcom, except spell it right.
Thank you again, everyone. I am doing much better but still appreciate any continued prayers.
Jerry
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
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Dan DeVilder said:
Are you familiar with the Pastors Retreat Network? do the www search by that name dot org, to find some fantastic respite for your soul. I have been to Valley View and Cedarly retreat centers.
Jerry, first of all, I'm praying for you as well. Second, I highly recommend Pastor's Retreat Network. My wife and I spent a week at their Cedarly retreat house and it was "just what the doctor ordered." At the time, the retreats were free. I believe there's a cost involved now. But, still well worth it.
Dell Studio XPS16 / Win 7 64bit / i7 Q720 @ 1.60GHz (2.80GHz Turbo) 6MB Cache / 4GB RAM / 500GM Hard Disk @ 7200 RPM / ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 4670 – 1GB
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Thanks for the retreat suggestions, everyone. We went to one a couple of years ago. Looking into the ones you listed.
THANKS!!!
Jerry
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
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