Ministry can be a satisfying but sometimes exhausting profession. Delve into stories about pastors and faith leaders who've discovered the power of nurturing their well-being (physically, mentally, and spiritually) with the help of our trusted research.
HOW DO YOU SERVE WELL?
In this video from United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy in North Carolina, we get to see what sustains them in their sacred but stressful calling—and how their laity love and care for them in the midst of it. In fact, our research on clergy well-being has identified that feeling “loved and cared for” by congregants is strongly associated with better clergy mental health.
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR WITH LOVING KINDNESS: A MEDITATION FOR A DIVIDED WORLD
Ours is a perilous and polarizing time. Loving Kindness Meditation can help heal the divide. In one study, we found that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (of which Loving Kindness Meditation is one practice) was the only intervention to increase spiritual well-being and Heart Rate Variability, i.e. the body's ability to recover well after a stressor. It turns out blessings not only bind us together but can help heal ourselves, and our world.
HEALING FOR THE HEALERS: STRESS-REDUCTION PRACTICES FOR MINSTRY
The truth is, clergy stress is all too common in the world of ministry. In these videos, three clergy talk about the toll it can take on their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The good news? They also talk about how practices from our Selah Stress Management Trial—Mindfullness-Based Stress Reduction, the Daily Examen, and Stress-Proofing—are giving them new life amid the familiar challenges of their calling.