Written by Jeff Murphy – co-author of “The Solution for Marriages: Mentoring a New Generation”
“…behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” ~Luke 22:31
We all know of pastors and leaders of prominent, growing ministries whose failings ended up as the lead story on the evening news. Sadly, some in our culture gloated over the fallen leader’s hypocrisy and felt even more self-righteous while remaining lost in their own sin. In each of these situations, the reputation of Christ was tarnished and the Church at large lost some of its cultural influence and integrity.
As a saddened observer, I had a desire to help provide a “hedge of protection” around the pastors and leaders that I served with and cared deeply for. As the ministries I was a part of began to grow, I had a growing concern that they also would become attractive “targets” for the enemy’s attack. As a result of my interactions with these pastors and leaders, I saw their struggles firsthand and developed the Pastoral/Leadership Team Check-up
It is recommended that this guide be used 2-4 times a year, to trigger discussion in areas that have the potential for undermining a leader and their ministry, and which may not otherwise be discussed or addressed.
Your Schedule
1. Is your schedule overloaded, to the point of constant weariness?
2. Do you have an effective ministry back-up support system in place?
3. Are you taking adequate time to get away for refreshment, renewal, and rest?
4. How are you protecting your personal time from intrusion by others?
5. Could you benefit from training in time management, strategic planning/prioritization or delegation?
Your Personal Life
1. Are you experiencing confusion, fear, conflict or spiritual attack?
2. Are you struggling or experiencing personal sin or failure?
3. How much are you in a “Do as I say, not as I do.” mode?
4. Do you have a personal accountability partner, outside your family and church?
5. Do you have written short/intermediate/long term goals for your personal development? How are you doing vs. them?
6. Are you feeling inadequate in any areas of responsibility?
Your Marriage Relationship
1. How is your relationship with your spouse? How has it changed over the past 1-3 years?
2. How is your spouse doing spiritually? Emotionally? Physically?
3. Is your spouse under attack by anyone in the church currently or have they been recently?
4. Is there anything ongoing, which is draining your spouse’s enthusiasm for your ministry?
5. Is your spouse experiencing any confusion, fear or conflict?
6. Does your spouse have an emotional outlet for the stresses they face, other than you?
7. Does your spouse also have someone they can confidently confide in?
8. Does he/she have another person mentoring/encouraging them in his/her role as a leader’s spouse?
9. Has your spouse attended any conferences, retreats or seminars specifically designed for encouraging and equipping a pastor’s/leader’s spouse, in the past 1-3 years?
10. How can this church better serve and uphold your spouse?
Your Family Relationships
1. How is your relationship with your children?
2. Have you been taking sufficient time to spend with your children, as needed for this stage of their
lives?
3. How are your children doing spiritually? Emotionally? Physically?
4. How can this church better serve and encourage your children?
5. Is your individual and family privacy being adequately protected and respected?
Your Ministry
1. Do you feel a strong sense of security in your ministry?
2. Are you encountering any intolerable or overwhelming adversity?
3. Are you being undermined by excessive negativity or non-constructive criticism by others? Are you receiving sufficient support from your leadership team in dealing with these people?
4. Are you experiencing a praise-criticism “roller coaster” from the feedback you are receiving from those you minister to?
5. Do you have a ministry mentor/prayer partner/encourager(s) with whom you are meeting regularly? Are they proactively and reactively upholding you?
6. Do you have written short/intermediate/long term goals for your ministry? How are you doing vs. them?
7. Where are you overburdened with ministry? Do you have adequate load sharing with your team and/or congregation?
8. In what other areas are you being overly taxed – physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually?
9. Do you feel complete liberty to preach/teach/minister as you feel led by the Holy Spirit? In what areas do you feel restrained? Who or what is causing that?
10. Are you feeling inadequate in any areas of your ministry responsibilities? How can we help you?
Your Physical & Material Needs
1. Do you feel fairly and adequately compensated for your work?
2. Is your compensation adequate for meeting your:
a. Current financial needs?
b. Longer term needs?
c. Security in later life?
d. Special family needs?
3. Are you spending any personal resources for ministry expenses that are not being reimbursed?
4. Could you benefit from training or support in financial planning and/or management?
5. Do you and your family have adequate medical, life and disability insurance coverage?
Next Steps:
a) Select some peers outside of your ministry and those further along in their spiritual journey. Most importantly, select only those who are led by the Spirit of God as evidenced by the spiritual fruit of their own lives.
b) Meet quarterly for an open, honest look at your life and ministry.
c) Treat the feedback you receive as a priceless gift and address the areas needing attention.
Jeff Murphy is a member of Family Church at Abacoa in Jupiter, Florida, where he currently serves with his wife Glynis in their marriage mentoring ministry. Prior to moving to Florida fulltime, he was an elder for twelve years, and active in marriage
ministry for over twenty five years. He has been a personal coach for several pastors and a mentor to men in several states. In 2011, Jeff fulfilled one of his dreams by co-authoring a widely acclaimed book on marriage mentoring, The Solution for Marriages: Mentoring a New Generation. You can learn more about the book, his ministry and his passion for helping others at http://thesolutionformarriages.com and on Twitter as @marriagementor
You can download this free document to email to a friend or to make copies. If you used this information on your website or blog please credit Jeff Murphy and provide link to his website – http://thesolutionformarriages.com
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