Helping Leaders Rediscover Joy in Serving the Lord
Helping Leaders Rediscover Joy in Serving the Lord
When storms rage, fog gets thick, or darkness descends, sometimes sheep fall off cliffs. So do shepherds.
Pastors (and their spouses!) who are trying to lead flocks in the
storms, fog, and darkness of conflict, confusion, and anxiety
are weary, wounded, and discouraged.
Some of them are on a path leading to the edge
of the cliff - heading to ineffectiveness,
helplessness, and burnout.
We have been there and want to help
pastors avoid the cliff and find
the better path that Jesus,
their Good Shepherd,
has for them.
Pastors (and their spouses!) who are trying to lead flocks in the
storms, fog, and darkness of conflict, confusion, and anxiety
are weary, wounded, and discouraged.
Some of them are on a path leading to the edge
of the cliff - heading to ineffectiveness,
helplessness, and burnout.
We have been there and want to help
pastors avoid the cliff and find
the better path that Jesus,
their Good Shepherd,
has for them.
When storms rage, fog gets thick, or darkness descends, sometimes sheep fall off cliffs. So do shepherds.
Pastors (and their spouses!) who are trying to lead flocks in the storms, fog, and darkness of conflict, confusion, and anxiety are weary, wounded, and discouraged.
Some of them are on a path leading to the edge of the cliff - heading to ineffectiveness,
helplessness, and burnout.
We have been there and want to help pastors avoid the cliff and find the better path that Jesus,
their Good Shepherd, has for them.
House of Gladness wants to be a welcoming home with lights in the windows and a fire in the fireplace that’s on the path to the edge. We offer nurturing hospitality that receives you as you are, encourages you to share your story (with its pain, doubt, and questions), creates emotional space for encounter with Christ through lament, and leads to joyful partnership with the Holy Spirit that empowers you to serve the Lord with gladness.
We help leaders walk through the process of lament (naming our pain, praying our desires, and embracing hope) in a variety of settings (retreats, conferences, workshops, cohorts, or intensives). We love to make our own home available. But we will also come to your congregation or gather with you and a few of your friends at a retreat center in your area. Whatever the setting, our prayer is that leaders find healing and encouragement.
We look forward to hearing from you and to seeing how we might serve you.
We help leaders walk through the process of lament (naming our pain, praying our desires, and embracing hope) in a variety of settings (retreats, conferences, workshops, cohorts, or intensives). We love to make our own home available. But we will also come to your congregation or gather with you and a few of your friends at a retreat center in your area. Whatever the setting, our prayer is that leaders find healing and encouragement.
We look forward to hearing from you and to seeing how we might serve you.
Rediscovering Joy: The Testimony of a Pastor's Wife
I recently found myself in a state of helplessness, anger, and depression due to issues surrounding a broken relationship within our church staff. As the pastor’s wife I had no voice to advocate for myself, but all of the broken and hurt feelings.
I was at my breaking point when we were made aware of Bishop Jim and Shari Hobby's new ministry. Their invitation to sit with us and guide us through a time of lament using Psalm 13 as our guide, was the first sign of hope and healing in our story. We spent 3 days in their care.
It was a truly holy time, a sacred space given for grieving what had been lost, naming what we needed to move forward, and remembering the faithfulness of God in our story. From our first meal together, I felt able to share vulnerably and honestly. They made me feel safe and provided a place and opportunity for the Lord to renew our call to ministry. It was nothing short of a miracle.
I'll be forever thankful for their generosity in sharing of themselves, their time, and their table with us. I arrived feeling hopeless and left with energy to return to the work the Lord has given us to do.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the ministry of House of Gladness. This is an important and necessary work that the Hobbys are uniquely qualified and gifted to do. Their wisdom, reflective listening, and compassionate leadership made all the difference in our healing journey.
I recently found myself in a state of helplessness, anger, and depression due to issues surrounding a broken relationship within our church staff. As the pastor’s wife I had no voice to advocate for myself, but all of the broken and hurt feelings.
I was at my breaking point when we were made aware of Bishop Jim and Shari Hobby's new ministry. Their invitation to sit with us and guide us through a time of lament using Psalm 13 as our guide, was the first sign of hope and healing in our story. We spent 3 days in their care.
It was a truly holy time, a sacred space given for grieving what had been lost, naming what we needed to move forward, and remembering the faithfulness of God in our story. From our first meal together, I felt able to share vulnerably and honestly. They made me feel safe and provided a place and opportunity for the Lord to renew our call to ministry. It was nothing short of a miracle.
I'll be forever thankful for their generosity in sharing of themselves, their time, and their table with us. I arrived feeling hopeless and left with energy to return to the work the Lord has given us to do.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the ministry of House of Gladness. This is an important and necessary work that the Hobbys are uniquely qualified and gifted to do. Their wisdom, reflective listening, and compassionate leadership made all the difference in our healing journey.
Releasing Burdens: The Testimony of a Pastor
I am an Anglican priest in my forties who was recently called to be a Rector [Sr. Pastor]. I reached out to House of Gladness to help deal with the heavy burdens of this new role, and the pressures and anxieties I was facing.
Jim and Shari were extremely patient and listened to me for a long time. They asked probing questions that got down through the layers to the heart of what was really going on in my thinking and in the way I was relating to God. They uncovered some significant errors in the way I was approaching my role, and offered wise and gentle correction. I felt heard, cared for, and loved.
As a result of my House of Gladness retreat, I experienced greatly reduced anxiety in my ministry and became a stronger leader.
I would highly recommend House of Gladness to anyone who carries the burden of a ministry role. Jim and Shari are a wise and godly couple who have experienced the dark and ugly side of the world and have come through with their faith intact. They are very good listeners and have the discernment to discover the root of the problem. I would imagine they could be loving and helpful friends to people in pretty much any situation.
Rev. Jon H. (Tallahassee, FL)
I am an Anglican priest in my forties who was recently called to be a Rector [Sr. Pastor]. I reached out to House of Gladness to help deal with the heavy burdens of this new role, and the pressures and anxieties I was facing.
Jim and Shari were extremely patient and listened to me for a long time. They asked probing questions that got down through the layers to the heart of what was really going on in my thinking and in the way I was relating to God. They uncovered some significant errors in the way I was approaching my role, and offered wise and gentle correction. I felt heard, cared for, and loved.
As a result of my House of Gladness retreat, I experienced greatly reduced anxiety in my ministry and became a stronger leader.
I would highly recommend House of Gladness to anyone who carries the burden of a ministry role. Jim and Shari are a wise and godly couple who have experienced the dark and ugly side of the world and have come through with their faith intact. They are very good listeners and have the discernment to discover the root of the problem. I would imagine they could be loving and helpful friends to people in pretty much any situation.
Rev. Jon H. (Tallahassee, FL)
Contact us for more information:
E-mail: admin@houseofgladness.com
E-mail: admin@houseofgladness.com
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