{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Church Answers","provider_url":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com","title":"What to Do When Ministry\u2019s a Mess . . . | Church Answers","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xeJ05rqzZ4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/what-to-do-when-ministrys-a-mess\/\">What to Do When Ministry\u2019s a Mess . . .<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/what-to-do-when-ministrys-a-mess\/embed\/#?secret=xeJ05rqzZ4\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;What to Do When Ministry\u2019s a Mess . . .&#8221; &#8212; Church Answers\" data-secret=\"xeJ05rqzZ4\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ministry-Sign-With-Wooden-Cubes.png","thumbnail_width":1200,"thumbnail_height":628,"description":"I pastored a church for 14 years before I became a seminary professor more than 29 years ago. I loved pastoring, and I miss some part of it every day. I miss preaching to the same people each week, baptizing new converts, serving the Lord\u2019s Supper, officiating weddings, overseeing child dedications, and honoring believers and their Lord at funerals. I miss celebrating victories and sharing heartaches with other believers. On the other hand, my role as a church consultant has also reminded me that pastoral ministry is tough. Our congregations are likely not as messy as the church at Corinth, but they\u2019re still messy. People still sin. Undiscipled people\u2014including some who\u2019ve never become believers in the first place\u2014are still in our congregations. At the same time, our enemy aims his arrows at churches in hopes of turning believers against each other. So, what do we do when ministry\u2019s a mess? I make no claim that I\u2019ve always been successful in working through the mess, but here\u2019s a response that has helped me recurrently for several decades: return to your call."}