How to Avoid Being Sick, Dead or Broke by 62 - If You Work for God!
Dear Pastor,
I’m Nancy Leport and as a busy, overworked, full time pastor I realized that I had a choice to make. Did I want to be broke, sick or dead by age 62 or did I want to be fully engaged in life, healthy and whole by that age? The answer wasn’t difficult and getting the results I wanted was possible, doable and sustainable. Is this a choice you are facing in your life?
Let me ask you…
Have you ever reached for that afternoon chocolate fix and cup of coffee to keep you going through the next meeting until you get home at 9 pm for supper?
Has your board ever cut your salary in a budget deficit because after all “there are fixed expenses that have to be paid”?
Have you ever spent your day off on church work…more than once a month?
Have you missed more than one of your child’s or your own bedtime because of meetings that go on and on without accomplishing anything?
Have you ever been so tired you wished people would die when you had a free moment and not when your calendar was full?
Do you sometimes secretly wish for a “little cold or flu” just so you could stay in bed and rest?
Have you considered leaving your church or the ministry in the last 3-6 months?
Have you put off prayer and private devotions because you are too busy?
Answering yes to any of these is a good indicator of the stress and strain of today’s pastorate. Living with all that stress is not good for your body, your sense of well being, your peace of mind or your congregation! Being a pastor requires you to be on call 24/7. And often your sense of call drives you to sacrifice yourself - and many times your family in service to the church. The end result, however, isn’t stronger churches. Instead, the end result is weaker pastors who are often sick, dead or broke by age 62. I know because I was headed that way myself
By age 40 I had an ulcer, was in the middle of a major church conflict and had just seen my salary cut by budget conscious trustees. And did I mention I was newly divorced? I paused and took a deep breath. My future didn’t look too healthy or financially sound if I continued at this pace. To be fully truthful my spiritual life was in the pits as well…except for an occasional, “Oh, God, what now?”
I decided that I had to take some steps to turn this around before another year went by. What did I do? I hired a life coach.
What’s a life coach?
• A life coach helps you to identify what a fulfilling and balanced life would look like and holds your goal and visions in front of you as you navigate the waters of your life.
• A coach will work with you as you gain insights and conquer challenges that will allow you to create the life you want, eliminate the energy drainers and develop new habits that will enliven your life.
• A coach will keep you focused, motivated and accountable is the job of the coach while at the same time being your cheerleader, champion, and consultant
After working with my coach, I found new ways of living out my call that I had never even considered, freed myself from unrealistic expectations, and developed boundaries that allowed me to live by design and not by default. Coaching became an investment in my future, a future that I plan to take well beyond 62! Now, I am a trained life coach myself and working with clergy is my passion.
Coaching is for you, if...
- you are ready to make a change in how you are functioning
- you have one hour every week or two to work with your coach
- you have a phone (coaching is done by phone so you don’t have to travel)
- you want to get more out of everything you do
- you want to have supper at home more than once a week
- you want to avoid burnout
- you want to kiss your kids goodnight and tell them a story
- you want a sound life plan focused on what is important to you
- you want to be healthier than you are now
- you want to recharge your spiritual batteries
Coaching is not for you, if…
- you want to be sick, broke or dead by the age of 62
- you are not interested in a less stressful life
- you like being on call 24/7
- you think taking care of yourself is selfish
- you like being tired, grumpy and out of sorts every day
- you find working at minimum wage delightful
- you think there is nothing you can change
- you only want to see your family after they are sleeping
Coaching focuses you on the future not the past. Coaching is meeting you where you are and moving you toward where you want to be. That is what makes coaching different from counseling. It is not necessary to dig up the past.
Just as I know that being a pastor isn’t easy, I also know that change isn’t easy. Setbacks can occur. Limiting beliefs may surface. Through our coaching you will discover how to overcome any challenges that may arise, enabling you to continue steadily forward as you create and live a more fulfilling, balanced and fun-filled life.
Why not call today for a free consultation? Just think you could become the headline that reads “Healthy, Financially Sound and Fully Alive by age ____! (You fill in the blank.) The future can be a well balanced one for you. The first step in investing in that future starts with coaching.
Looking forward to hearing from you and stepping into an exciting future with you.
In Christ’s service,
Nancy