Blair Center for Training and Pastoral Health

10/22/2025

There is no shortage of mental health issues in the church. Learning how to help people cope with them is vital.

Nine in 10 Protestant pastors say churches have a responsibility to provide support for those who have experience with mental illness.

08/04/2025

Most pastors say they feel support from other ministers in their communities, but that encouragement is less prevalent in some places. http://lfwy.co/uW6u50WwMrv

02/06/2024

Insights| Church Life & Ministry | Jan 12, 2024 Tuesday Temptation photo | Unsplash As church leaders plan for 2024, they should keep these statistics and trends in mind for their congregation. By Aaron Earls There’s nothing magical about beginning a new calendar year, but it does provide a natural opportunity for reflection and planning. Looking back at recent research can give pastors and church leaders an idea of how to prepare for 2024....

Insights| Church Life & Ministry | Jan 12, 2024 Tuesday Temptation photo | Unsplash As church leaders plan for 2024, they should keep these statistics and trends in min…

01/02/2024

My wife pointed this video out to me, and as we realized that it could be a great resource for Sanctity of Life Sunday for any church, I thought I’d link it here.

My wife pointed this video out to me, and as we realized that it could be a great resource for Sanctity of Life Sunday for any church, I thought I’d link it here. Find more at

10/10/2023

Book Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni In the realm of pastoral work, the dynamics of teamwork can be as intricate and challenging as they are in any corporate setting. Volunteers and ministerial staff must come together to fulfill a shared mission. Pat Lencioni's book, "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team," is an invaluable resource for pastors seeking to enhance collaboration, communication, and cohesion among their teams....

Book Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni In the realm of pastoral work, the dynamics of teamwork can be as intricate and challenging as they are in any corporate setting. Vo…

07/06/2023

Photo by Evan Amos: Public Domain Ok, time for a confession. I love video games. I have played video games on a somewhat regular basis since I first sent Pac-Man flying across the screen gobbling up pellets and power pellets on my Atari 2600. From there, I swung across alligators in Pitfall, moved on the the NES as Mario and Link, eventually spending way too much time between a PC and various game consoles as Kyle Katarn, Master Chief, and various other protagonists across a multitude of games....

Photo by Evan Amos: Public Domain Ok, time for a confession. I love video games. I have played video games on a somewhat regular basis since I first sent Pac-Man flying across the screen gobbling u…

06/01/2023

At one point in my ministry, I ran across an interesting church situation: A quaint country church who couldn't seem to keep a pastor. This church, like many of our SBC churches, was a smaller church outside a small population center. The 30ish congregants were farmers and blue collar families with an average age around 60, however, they could usually only hang on to a pastor for about a year, with lots of itinerant preachers to fill the gaps....

At one point in my ministry, I ran across an interesting church situation: A quaint country church who couldn’t seem to keep a pastor. This church, like many of our SBC churches, was a smalle…

04/21/2023

Candice Picard photo | Unsplash Your ministry will never be stronger than your marriage, so ministry couples should avoid buying into these dangerous marriage myths. By Mark Dance Pastors are the only professionals on the planet who are required to win at home and work. Our biblical job description has been clear about this for more than two millennia (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1)....

Candice Picard photo | Unsplash Your ministry will never be stronger than your marriage, so ministry couples should avoid buying into these dangerous marriage myths. By Mark Dance Pastors are the o…

03/30/2023

Photo by Akin Cakiner on Unsplash Rejecting scarcity thinking and adopting an abundance mentality produces at least four life-changing results as you lead your church or ministry. By Daryl Crouch Will we have enough? If you’ve ever started a church, led in church revitalization, or pastored a local church of any size, that question drives a lot of discussion, prayer, and decision-making....

Photo by Akin Cakiner on Unsplash Rejecting scarcity thinking and adopting an abundance mentality produces at least four life-changing results as you lead your church or ministry. By Daryl Crouch W…

03/17/2023

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash One story that always intrigues me in Scripture is the story of Elijah. No, not that story. We all love to look at the story of Elijah (1 Kgs. 18), standing resolute before the prophets of Baal and Asherah, calling them out for not being able to get Baal’s attention to consume the sacrifice only to demonstrate who the REAL God is as He shows up and consumes the sacrifice and surrounding water at Mt....

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash One story that always intrigues me in Scripture is the story of Elijah. No, not that story. We all love to look at the story of Elijah (1 Kgs. 18), standing resolut…

03/14/2023

Cultivating friendships with those outside of the faith requires vulnerability, authenticity, and patience but can be rewarding in our lives. By Jacob Lewis Photo by Austin Ban on Unsplash Last year, I was struck by a particular set of statistics from Lifeway Research regarding pastors struggling with feelings of loneliness. According to Lifeway Research’s Greatest Needs of Pastors study, more than 1 in 4 pastors (28%) say loneliness or lack of friendship is a mental challenge they face in ministry....

Cultivating friendships with those outside of the faith requires vulnerability, authenticity, and patience but can be rewarding in our lives. By Jacob Lewis Photo by Austin Ban on Unsplash Last yea…