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Written by Tim Harlow
I would like to point out that I was not asked to write about deep doctrinal issues, leadership, or how to respond to difficult social problems. No, I was asked to share the benefits of therapy for Christian leaders.
I own it.
I needed treatment. Treatment is required. There have been very few seasons in my life where I’ve had things of my own.
In fact, I would not be where I am today without the occasional counseling help I received, especially from the good folks at Blessing Ranch Ministries.
I’ll give you a specific example of when I reached burnout. (I had heard about this kind of experience, but I thought I wouldn’t experience it until I actually experienced it.)
first sign
I was getting ready to leave to preach at Saturday night’s service, and suddenly I wasn’t sure if I could walk to the pulpit on my own.
It came out of nowhere. It wasn’t a bad season, it was a good season.
We spent 14 years rebuilding and relocating the church, and now the church is finally able to enjoy its mission. But my soul was withering away.As God expected, the next week I was scheduled to go on a fun whitewater adventure in California with a small group of missionary leaders and a counselor.
The counselor was Dr. John Walker, founder of Blessing Ranch Ministries (https://blessingranch.org/). Since 1996, Blessing Ranch has provided professional intensive counseling services to Christian leaders around the world with a mission to help them live better, live better, and finish better. Ta.
Looking back on this, I see that it was an incredibly timely blessing. I shudder to think what would have happened if God hadn’t worked “upstream” and arranged for me some time away with an experienced counselor.
I learned my lesson, so when my wife and I decided to Once a week Counseling about our marriage wasn’t enough, so we signed up for a 5-day stay at Blessing Ranch with John.
It was a game changer and by the time this article is published Dennis and I will be celebrating 40 years. It didn’t save our marriage. We were (and are) devoted to each other and to God. But it certainly helped us in ways that I don’t think regular counseling could ever have helped us with.
round trip
Another time, I had a difficult service issue and went back to the Blessing Ranch for a week. I also occasionally spent time in leadership positions with other pastors at the ranch. Denise and I had actively planned to spend a week with John right after we dropped off our youngest daughter at college and became “empty nesters.”
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the time I spent at Blessing Ranch. We joke that there’s a “wing” there just for Harlow.
I strongly believe that usually counseling and coaching. I think most of us need therapy at some point. To me, not taking advantage of professional psychological help is the same as not taking advantage of professional physical help. We all need a doctor from time to time.
In an environment like Blessed Ranch, the intensity is different. The best way to describe this is: Many of us have medical problems that keep us bandaged, but we know that at some point we’ll need more. We get injections and try over-the-counter medications, but we know that eventually we’ll probably need surgery. Rotator cuff surgery was not fun for me. But I finally got to the point where I couldn’t sleep because of the pain in my shoulder, so I gave it a try. And now I’m glad I did.
However, we do not want to leave the impression that intensive counseling weeks are only for “surgical” procedures. The “empty nest” week we spent at Blessing Ranch was so much fun and so helpful.
It prompted us to make some decisions that would make the most of the final chapter of the ministry in which we find ourselves.
Dennis and I started working in youth ministry 40 years ago. It’s great to have our students together once or twice a week, but if we can get them involved in a camp, CIY, or mission trip, it will make a huge difference in their spiritual direction. I knew right away that it would be.
make an investment
My heart aches for the lonely and anxious people in our culture today, especially those in the ministry. Attrition rates are staggering. I know that many people are enduring this with great desperation. If you are a church leader reading this, I encourage you to spend money on keeping your staff healthy. It’s the best investment you can make. Please keep the roof on for another year. Instead, choose to help ministry officials stay in the game! Counseling is much cheaper than divorce. It’s much cheaper than losing a minister and starting over. And it’s certainly much better than watching them go up in flames.
People in our church don’t know how much their investment in my mental and emotional health means to our ministry. We appreciate that investment.
This article does not endorse any particular location. There are many counselors and counseling centers you can go to. But for us, it was essential to have people who understood mission.
I am very happy to be able to take the burden off my shoulders by retiring from my current ministry and transferring to another ministry.
that . . . was . . . heavy! I am grateful to everyone who continued to raise their arms and bless me when I could not have done it on my own. We need to work together to pass that on to the next generation.
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At the end of October, Dr. Tim Harlow ended his 33-year ministry as senior pastor at Parkview Christian Church, a multi-site church in the Chicago metropolitan area.he is the author ofA Life on Mission: God’s People Finding God’s Heart for the WorldandWhat Made Jesus Angry: Rediscovering the Bible’s Frank, Sarcastic, and Passionate Savior.
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