Pastors spend much of their lives helping other people carry burdens.We walk with people through death and grief. We sit with families in crisis. We counsel marriages that are falling apart. We deal with conflict. We receive criticism. We celebrate people's victories. We carry the weight of decisions that affect an entire congregation.And sometimes, after we've spent the week helping everybody else carry their burdens, we go home carrying our own.So today we're talking about The Shepherd's Heart: Caring for the Pastor's Emotional Health.

Notes: Jim Ramsey Ministry to Pastors mentioned in the episode. For more information go to his website jimramsey.carrd.co

Also at Metro we do provide help with counseling. So if you are struggling and looking for some help. Reach out to me and we can get you set up with a counselor.

• (00:00:06) - Introduction and Guest Introductions
• (00:03:23) - Unanticipated Emotional Weight of Ministry
• (00:08:16) - Understanding Pastoral Grief
• (00:12:48) - Personal Stories of Loss and Grief
• (00:19:22) - Staying Tender Hearted vs Cynicism
• (00:25:06) - Loneliness in Ministry
• (00:28:39) - Building Pastoral Friendships and Not Pastoring Alone
• (00:38:47) - Self-Awareness and Emotional Accountability
• (00:41:37) - Rest, Sabbath, and Preventing Burnout
• (00:46:48) - Hobbies and Holistic Health Pillars
• (00:52:04) - Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

In this episode we begin a series looking at Pastoral Health and we begin with the Spiritual Health of the Pastor.

Before God calls us to shepherd His people, He calls us to abide in Christ. Healthy ministry flows from a healthy soul—not the other way around.

• (00:00:06) - St. Louis Metro Podcast
• (00:00:53) - The Spiritual Health of a Pastor
• (00:01:36) - What Do You Expect Your Spiritual Life To Be Like In 20 Years
• (00:08:45) - Paul on the Discipline of Ministry
• (00:14:45) - Sam Harris: Preparation Time for Sermons
• (00:18:19) - How Do Other Pastors Maintain Their Devotional Life?
• (00:18:57) - How to Read the Bible Regularly
• (00:20:26) - Bishop Sam on Devotional Life
• (00:26:18) - Mixed Thoughts on Prayer
• (00:32:56) - The Real Talk About Prayer
• (00:34:08) - spiritual habit that you've developed in your 30s
• (00:37:23) - The Most Important Thing a Pastor Can Do to Protect His Spiritual Health

In this episode we will talk about the process of the Executive Director Search and meet our new Executive Director.

• (00:00:06) - among the lampstands
• (00:00:37) - St. Louis Metro: Among the Lampstands
• (00:01:30) - The Search for the Next Executive Director of the St. Louis Metro
• (00:05:18) - The Executive Committee's Prayer
• (00:07:43) - St. Louis Metro Alumni on the Confidential Meeting
• (00:12:13) - What Prompted Me to Have Personal Thanksgiving and Praise
• (00:13:49) - A Little About the New Executive Director
• (00:18:06) - What Has Shaped You Most as a Pastor?
• (00:19:47) - Marathon on the Call to Lead Metro
• (00:25:55) - What kind of culture do you hope to build in the St.
• (00:29:30) - Michael Bird on the Association's Future
• (00:33:01) - Steve Martin on Being Surprised By People's Knowledge
• (00:33:58) - Among The Lampstands: A message for pastors

this Introductory Episode explores the meaning behind the name and why we chose it.

• (00:00:06) - Among the Lampstands
• (00:00:39) - Among the Lampstands
• (00:02:27) - Lampstands
• (00:04:33) - Christ is present in the midst of his churches
• (00:06:35) - Jesus Validates the Lampstands
• (00:08:30) - Lampstands of the Kingdom
• (00:11:24) - March: Among the Lampstands

This podcast will fully launch in the Fall of 2026.

• (00:00:02) - He's Walking Among the Lampstands
• (00:00:49) - Pastors: Among The Lampstands