“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10
Recently, the Cabinet received an update from The Duke Endowment’s work in clergy health. One piece of new information that has stayed with me is about the behaviors of clergy who are flourishing. It’s linked (see button below)
Flourishing refers to people who regularly experience high levels of positive mental health. 2/3 of clergy report that they are flourishing! Good news! However, we want all clergy to experience flourishing. We know that positive mental health is an essential buffer in dealing with the negative emotions we invariably experience as we respond to congregants and congregations in crisis.
Here are the four habits of flourishing clergy:
- focus on working in alignment with God (an internal sense of alignment with God rather than relying on praise from the pews, which may be fleeting)
- proactive in taking care of physical, spiritual, and mental health
- intentional about setting boundaries around work and personal life
- regularly nourish friendships and mutual relationships
You can read the full version, along with strategies for increasing these behaviors in your own life, at https://clergyreligionresearch.duke.edu/.
I want you to flourish in ministry! I want you to honor who you are in God, who you are as a human being with physical, spiritual, and emotional needs and limits, who you are outside your pastoral role, and who you are in relationships with people who do not “need” you to be their pastor but who really covet time with you as a friend or family member.
As we come off of Charge Conference season and head into Advent and Christmas, when we as pastors often feel obligated to make holidays meaningful for others, I want to encourage you to receive the gift of flourishing, especially if you feel you are languishing. If you can not honestly say you are flourishing, I encourage you to read through this information and see what one step you might take to incorporate flourishing behaviors into your life. Not to give you one more thing to do, but so that you might be able to serve in ministry in ways that allow you, yes, you, to experience life abundantly.
As we approach the season of consultation (most will occur in January, but a few may occur in December), I invite your self-reflection on flourishing in ministry.
Grace and Peace,
Claire