People in ministry often say they don’t have time to unravel the complex pastoral issues that come their way. There are too many people to visit, too many meetings, there are sermons to plan, ministries to lead, contacts to follow up – and none of these fit neatly into organised blocks in the schedule … it never ends and it never seems to get better.

What tends to happen is that because we’re so time poor, when we sense there are complexities bearing down upon us, we’ll often push them out of our immediate awareness by just keeping busy and trying to get it all done.

The stress of all this will often work its way out in some other way: frayed nerves, short temper, irritability, a drink too many, other escapist behaviours …

This is why I love pastoral supervision.

Supervision provides a welcoming and courageous space where pastors can reflect on their work to learn how to do it differently and better.

Supervision is welcoming because it’s an intentional interruption to ministry’s constant demands. As I step into a supervision session, I have permission to pause, to breathe, to relax, and settle into a time of intentional reflection. I will meet with a friend (my supervisor) who comes beside me with an open heart, an accepting attitude, and a non judgemental spirit.

Supervision is courageous because I can wade into whatever is weighing me down as honestly as I can. I will be encouraged to see wider perspectives on the issues and on how I might move forward more effectively. My supervisor will encourage me to see what I really need to know, as opposed to what I merely want to hear. So supervision is a place for me to learn. I will be encouraged to own and address some of the harder lessons I might otherwise avoid. Supervision keeps me honest to myself and to my calling as a minister of the Gospel.

It’s no surprise that some of the most common feedback I receive is that supervision gives greater clarity on complex issues … it to find better ways to move ahead … it open up new perspectives on things that had been significant burdens.

That all sounds pretty positive – but here’s the thing: These are precisely the sort of conversations that pastors rarely have, and yet they are also precisely the sort of conversations they need to have. They bring such value to ministry and pastoral work. They help us bring our ministry practice closer to the theology and values we espouse. They can give new insights into how the Gospel is embodied in ministry – and that can be very transformational!

Where appropriate, I use a redemptive cycle of theological reflection. This method breaks down confusing or complex issues, allowing us to better hear how the Gospel of Jesus speaks to the situation at hand.

I’ll give some detail on the Redemptive Cycle in a future post – but for now, we can all imagine that where pastors can approach their ministry with greater clarity, more insightfully working through Gospel values, they’ll likely be less stressed and working more sustainably. That is a huge win!

Would you like to know more? Email me and we’ll discuss how to take it forward.