We understand that even with four years of post-graduate education, you may feel unqualified or poorly prepared to perform the demands of your profession. In addition, research shows that you be in a job that ranks in the top 10% of the population in terms of educational requirements, but is 325th out of 432 in terms of compensation. And finally, we are fully aware that your vocation typically leads to severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation. We know how you feel. 

Pastor360 empathizes with you about your feelings and how you may be rather pessimistic about your chances of future success. Pastors are in a dangerous occupation and most Christians have been totally unaware of this dilemma...until now.

…and so many other areas that are critical for you to be successful in leading your congregation AND living a healthy and well-balanced life! There are two sides of your Pastoral role. On the one side, you need to preach, provide Pastoral care, and be sound in theology and in teaching the Word. To better understand the other side of your Pastoral role (that is not generally taught), consider these questions:

1. How do you develop relationships with many people who come from a variety ofbackgrounds and bring with them a multitude of ideas and attitudes?
2. Where do you get the experience and wisdom so critical for properly and professionally performing the numerous responsibilities that accompany your Pastoral office?
3. Where do you obtain the necessary training and development to grow the Kingdom while enjoying less stress and achieving more balance in your life?
4. How do you avoid and overcome your feelings of frustration and move forward in tackling the ongoing challenges of your ministry?
5. How do you continuously expand your leadership qualities and measure your impact in leading your staff and congregation?

I’m Lila Larson. Dad was a United Church Minister in Canada and I saw the struggles he went through growing up as a Pastor’s daughter.

It was really in later years that we got to spend more time [with Dad] because in the summers he would take his 4-weeks of study leave and his 2-weeks of vacation and go study some more to add to his skills. Not just about the Church but adding to his skills on how to work with people and how to build systems that would work. All the things never included [at the seminary]. He paid for all of those things himself, which meant that there wasn’t a lot of money to do things.

What I’m sad about is those kinds of situations still exist. Pastors are given the theological base and there is more that's been added to their training. But they’re not given the skills in how to manage what God has prepared them to do…and the pain for the Pastor, for the Pastor’s wife, for the Pastor’s children is gut–wrenching because we were not supposed to show that Dad wasn’t fully equipped. Pastors need more, they need more support, and they need more training. They need more skills in areas other than just serving God.

Dad was a lifelong learner, I know that what is being offered through Pastor360, he would embrace whole-heartedly, he would be the strongest supporter, and he would be the first learner. And as he prays over all of us now from being with God he is rejoicing and his great thundering laugh is celebrating that there is such a resource as Pastor360!

I’m Pastor Ben Braun. PK’s have a good idea of what their fathers are going through in the parish, but it is always a filtered view. Having been in this a year and a half, I’m starting to realize just how much I was protected from, in terms of Dad not bringing it home. Things like taking on other people’s anxiety. Whether you brought on the anxiety from someone going through a divorce, or whether you are bringing on anxiety watching a ten year old go through cancer. If you don’t take care of it, it just builds up. I saw this happen as a PK. No one likes to see his or her father broken.

Now he and I are very close because we went through that brokenness as a family. But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder what could have been taken care of to help him. He does not have to go through those kinds of things alone and I think Pastor360 really offers up opportunities for that. It offers up opportunities for any age Pastor, whether you are starting off or you’re in transition to your second call, or whether you’ve been at this for thirty years.

It was great hearing about how this [Pastor360] was started up and how it came from someone sitting in the pew that really cares about what their Pastors go through and wanting to make sure that it is being taken care of and thought of. Whether you are an elder, on the board of governance, or church council, you’re in a place of responsibility to care for your Pastor. You are there to encourage your Pastor and say, ‘You need to grow too, because you’re not going to be any good to us if you crash and burn.’

Research shows that Pastors face more issues, deal with more conflict, more anger, and higher expectations than ever before. Not only that, your Pastor may be expected to work long hours for little pay, little reward, and be absent from his family because of the demands of ministry. And, in most cases, research shows that Pastors may not be adequately trained to meet the expectations of their parishioners. In addition, many Pastors have not learned to balance time and responsibilities of family and ministry or to deal adequately with the massive demands and expectations of the ‘job.’

Providing practical advice,  proven leadership guidance and spiritual support for Pastors and their ministries, Pastor360 is where Pastors come to gain the right resources, ideas, strategies and tools to enjoy more balance, greater effectiveness, less stress, supportive accountability, and a sense of hope and joy in Pastoral ministry. Pastor360 delivers its vital educational, practical and spiritual support for Pastors and their ministries through live collegial events, “MasterMind” gatherings, video conference private coaching calls, group coaching calls, and our online 24x7 Pastor360 Academy.

Pastor360 is not a “cookie cutter” approach to the issues of ministry. Our team is committed to providing specific solutions to specific challenges. In many cases having dealt with and overcome many issues personally and professionally, we know what to suggest as the right way for your pastor to deal with these matters in his own life and ministry.  We provide the right solutions in a collaborative, collegial environment. With over 100 years of cumulative Pastoral leadership experience, Pastor360 has assembled a team of mentors and coaches who work as a team to address how your Pastor can:

1. Expand outreach and mission impact
2. Improve staff development and capacity
3. Grow as a leader who develops other leaders
4. Create a culture of generosity in your congregation
5. Improve team performance and motivation for volunteers
6. Improve alignment and purpose for churches with schools
7. Feel a sense of rejuvenation and revitalization for ministry
8. Be appropriately compensated for the great work being done
9. Enjoy personal and professional time balance and effective time management
10. Gain strategic insight for major transitions for themselves and your congregation
11. Bring particular expertise to the issues of leading large, growing, multi-staff churches
12. Leading and developing congregations that seem to be stuck in a rut to become healthy, vibrant congregations

and so much more!