Slideshow image

Imagine you are piloting a steamboat.

What happens when the boiler fire burns low?

The boiler produces less steam. The engines lose power. The vessel slows—and without enough power, it begins to drift.

Now imagine the fuel supply is nearly gone. The only thing left onboard that will burn is the furniture. Tables are broken apart. Chairs become kindling. Valuable things are sacrificed just to keep the ship moving.

Ministry can feel like that.

Sometimes the power to move forward seems barely sufficient. You are still serving. Still preaching. Still leading. Still answering calls. But somewhere inside, the fire is burning low.

Have you ever been there?

I have.

It was frustrating, taxing, and at times even embarrassing. Yet God brought me through that season. I am grateful that when exhaustion affected my ability to steer, He never surrendered the helm.

And there were lessons in that season—valuable lessons.

Did we leave port with enough supplies for the journey?

Did we manage those resources wisely once we were underway?

Did we recognize the warning signs early enough?

Those are excellent questions to ask before setting sail. But once the ship is far from shore and the supplies are running low, preparation becomes much more difficult.

Now consider another possibility.

Everything looks fine above deck, but somewhere below, the ministry has sprung a leak.

“No problem. We’ll get to it when we have time.”

But busy pastors rarely seem to have enough time.

The water slowly rises in compartments no one sees. Worship continues. Meetings continue. Sermons are preached. People may even say, “Pastor, everything is going great.”

Meanwhile, below deck, the water has reached the boiler room—and the fire is beginning to go out.

Again, less power means more drift.

If only the leak had been addressed when it was smaller.

That is part of the burden behind The Pastor’s Challenge: Triumph ● Rescue ● Safer Shores.

This book was written to help pastors and ministry leaders recognize what may be happening below deck before the situation becomes a crisis. It offers biblical insight, lessons drawn from ministry experience, wisdom from seasoned pastors, encouragement for difficult seasons, and direct self-examining questions that invite us to look honestly at ourselves and the ministries we lead.

There is no need for sugarcoating when a vessel is taking on water.

Sometimes we do not need another affirmation.

We need truth.

We need perspective.

We need proven wisdom.

And sometimes we need a lifeline.

The Pastor’s Challenge also addresses what can happen when ministry encounters severe storms—and even what recovery can look like when the vessel has been damaged, pushed off course, or seemingly capsized.

Here is more good news.

We have worked out an improved publishing strategy that will allow us to offer the book at a reduced cost. That matters to me because from the beginning, my desire has been to make this resource accessible to as many pastors and ministry leaders as possible.

We prayed about it. We asked. And God opened another door.

Thank You, Jesus.

So when your copy arrives, do more than place it on a shelf.

Keep it nearby.

Put it in the captain’s quarters.

Mark it up. Wrestle with the questions. Revisit the Scriptures. Use it as a navigation aid when ministry waters become difficult.

Prepare well.

Watch for leaks.

Protect the fire.

Stay alert at the helm.

And by the grace of God, sail well.