Sturtz Stuff

I believe that being a local church minister is, hands down, one of the most complex, stressful, joyful, and totally bonkers positions one can hold. There is no educational degree that one can undertake to be considered fully prepared for ministry.  The late Eugene H. Peterson in his book The Pastor: A Memoir says “A job is an assignment to do work that can be quantified and evaluated. It is pretty easy to decide whether a job has been completed or not. It is pretty easy to tell whether a job is done well or badly. But a vocation is not a job in that sense. I can be hired to do a job, paid a fair wage if I do it, dismissed if I don't. But I can't be hired to be a pastor, for my primary responsibility is not to the people I serve but to the God I serve.” I think that most folks in church ministry would agree with Mr. Peterson’s sentiment. Folks often go into church ministry seeking to follow God and make a difference in the lives of others. At the same time there have been many...