This month, August 2015, we are doing something we've never done before, we are presenting hybrid "BEST OF" episodes! These four episodes for August have all new and current beginnings and endings, or "intro's" and "outro's", as we call them - but the conversation in the middle is from four of the very best from our first 130 episodes!
If you've been listening all along, you likely have heard these, but they are the episodes that have had the most traction and impact in the lives of our listeners. This episode is our conversation with Jonny's Dad on the issue of depression, as David Craig shares his own journey with depression, a journey he is still on! David writes about his story, through his novels in the "Buffalo Stampede" series of books he authored. You can access them through his website at www.davidccraig.net. If you are suffering with Depression, two other episodes that might interest you are Episodes 106 and 114.
Until very recently, Paul Kuzma has been on the pastoral staff of New Heart Foursquare Church in Simi Valley, CA. Paul was a staff member for the first twelve years, and lead pastor for the past seventeen years.
Paul is the creator of the PastorForLife.org website. Be sure to visit his website for his complete story, and much encouraging content! Paul is also a listener to our podcast, and has encouraged us on several occasions! Paul's story is the story of many pastors. It's a story of health, burnout, and health again - and a story of faithfulness to the local church and the Lord. A correction: Paul's story is similar, but many pastors don't make it back to the "health again" status. So this episode reveals how Paul, and his church, worked to get him back on track physically, spiritually, and perhaps most importantly, emotionally. Paul is also a ministry representative for Pete Scazzero's ministry, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Paul and his wife are headed to the east coast soon to head up a retreat ministry location for their denomination. That will be the subject of a future podcast episode with him in the fall of 2015. Enjoy this episode with Paul, and our prayer is that you are both encouraged and helped by it, to avoid the burnout that plagues so many pastors!
What a wonderful, hope-filled conversation with a very good friend of small church pastors! Pastor Mike Ferguson, aka Dr. Mike Ferguson, is truly a pastor to pastors, who also has the education and credentials of an experienced psychologist.
While Mike has been a part of the AOG (Assembly of God) Churches for so many years - his heart for pastors knows no denominational boundaries. His heart is to help pastors who are battling a mental health crisis. Because Mike's story is also about battling a mental health crisis. His passion is to remove the stigma, embarrassment, and shame from anyone who struggles with their mental health. Dr. Mike brings a message of hope and healing. His passion is not only to equip pastors, but church leaders and lay leaders at every level. He wants to help churches become places that are friendly to those who experience mental health challenges. My own wife has battled a huge mental health challenge - and by close association (one flesh!) so have I. I (Jeff) have watched her suffer, not knowing why her brain would not align with her heart, wondering when the worry, the anxiety, and the sleeplessness would go away. Years ago, in ignorance, I would encourage her to just "think positive". We both learned the hard way, but we learned. I wish we had a person like Dr. Mike Ferguson in our lives at the time. Well, starting today YOU have a person like Dr. Ferguson in your life - in fact, Dr. Ferguson himself! He is available to you, and you can find him at DrMikeFerguson.com. Mike is also a suicidologist - so if you are struggling to that extent, or know someone who is, then Dr. Ferguson can also help you. We hope you enjoy this longer, hope-filled episode! Find Mike on the web in the links below.
This week we’ve talked about mental health issues and challenges, especially as it relates to ministry. Rick Warren is famous for saying “God never wastes a hurt”. John Maxwell has said something to the effect of, “when you fall down, you might as well pick something up while you’re down there.” And, I think it was Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel who said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” Therefore, I would say, “the more you hurt, the more you care.” The more hurt you experience, the more you will care about those who hurt.
It’s funny how my wife and I move quickly toward people who suffer with panic or anxiety. Interesting how I care about those who have alcoholism in their family. With each added hurt, we gain a new ability to care. In some of my research this week I passed over a Google search item that said, “What pastors can learn from Depression”, or something like that. I did not want to read about all the good things that can come from Depression. I did not even click on it. I thought it would be a pile of spiritualizing dither, attempting to invalidate someone’s pain. Yet today I find myself thinking about the upside of suffering. I mean, nobody ever signs up for it. Suffering, that is. No one wants it. It comes normally out of the blue, unwanted, despised even. We want to have a good year, a nice day, or a fine time – yet here comes Suffering, strolling down the street toward us, in all its hideous glory. Like Jesus speaking to Nicodemus, Suffering says, “I am coming to your house today!” Mental illness holds its own special brand of suffering. It’s one thing to have to bandage a wound, put a cast on a limb, or take antibiotics for infections. It’s another thing altogether to not be able to trust how your brain is processing information, or establishing any of a range of emotions. We lose trust in ourselves, our ability to discern and/or understand the reality in front of us. If you as a pastor have experienced this, then great – you have a special ability to now care for others who deal with it! If you are having to help and/or counsel people dealing with mental health, and you haven’t suffered with it, consider talking to someone who has, to gain at least a second hand understanding of it. If you’re always “having a great day!” as a pastor, you won’t be able to come alongside people who are hurting. You have to hurt, to help those who hurt. So if your hurt is in the mental health area, then, well, you might as well pick something up while you’re down there. Yes, don’t waste that crisis or that hurt. Finally, I came across a FANTASTIC article written by two pastors who have experienced burnout and depression and lived to write about it. The article is over 7,000 words long and really covers every angle of the topic completely. The link is below – you will really enjoy it, learn from it, and be encouraged by it. It’s also a great resource for helping yourself or others struggling with either burnout, depression, or both. Coming Out of the Dark: Two Pastors’ Journey Out of Depression There is a companion article for Pastor's wives right here: Coming Out of the Dark: Two Pastors’ Wives Share in Their Husbands’ Journey Out of Depression This weekend, spend a few extra minutes looking some of your folks in the eye, and listening to their hurts, fears, and problems. Take the time to get to know your people, then love them, then feed them… and only then, can you lead them. Remember, don’t completely despise hurt and suffering. Because, the more you hurt, the more you care. Have a wonderful weekend!
On our blog post for Monday, September 15, 2014 Jeff shared his story of walking through the valley of anxiety and panic with his wife, Debbie. He talked about how they didn't know what was going on, why she would have panic attacks, and why anxiety was her daily companion. It took them ten years before they found help... in their doctor's office.
On today's podcast, episode 88, Jonny's father recounts his virtually life-long experience with depression. As a pastor for forty years, he has been in the depression management business the entire time. Wait until you hear when he finally began to talk about it and reach out for help! (hint: you'll only need the fingers on one hand!) Our desire is for YOU to find help and hope a lot sooner than Jeff and his wife did, or than Jonny's father did. In our day medicine has figured out so many of the mental health mysteries. There's more discovery to be had for sure, but we are so much farther than we were in the 60's... or 90's. Jonny's Dad, David Craig, has written a book about depression, the first of a trilogy. You can find his book, The Birds Sang A Sad Song, here on Amazon, or at his website at DavidCCraig.net. Are you suffering with challenges related to mental health? Please get help! You don't have to face it alone. That is the LIE that so many people with mental health problems face - "no one cares, you are all alone". People do care about you, you are NOT alone. RESOURCES TO HELP YOU First, if you feel that you have no one, try us! Email us at jeff@200churches.com or jonny@200churches.com. Here are a couple websites that offer help. We cannot vouch for everything on these sites, we're just small church pastors, after all! But, they are a place for you to get started:
I thank God that nonaddictive medication is available. Medication for depression is not like sleeping pills or Valium. Antidepressants are nonaddictive. They are taken until one’s body learns to produce enough serotonin again and a person is able to get proper rest. When a person breaks his arm, he wears a cast until it heals. It is a similar process with serotonin. When I pastored, I frequently worked with ministers who were in severe depression. I recommended they visit a Christian psychiatrist or psychologist, get on antidepressants, and get balanced out. It is okay to get help. Antidepressants are a great gift. They are like insulin for a person with diabetes. What would we do without insulin? |
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