Pastoring Difficult People, with Craig T. Owens (ep 82)

Sometimes pastors are our own worst enemy, so we need to recognize that God chose us for this work.

August 1, 2024

by Karl Vaters

Probably every pastor (certainly every long-term pastor) can relate to the title of Craig T. Owens’ latest book, When Sheep Bite: Help for Shepherd Leaders Who May Have Felt the Painful Bites.

In this conversation, I talk with Craig about what those bites mean, where they come from, and what to do about them. Then we spend the bulk of the episode covering the chapters that make up the meat of his book:

When the Sheep Flatter You
When the Sheep Criticize You
When the Sheep Gossip About You
When the Sheep Slander You
When the Sheep Question Your Authority
When the Sheep Abandon You

Links from this Episode

When Sheep Bite: Help for Shepherd Leaders Who May Have Felt the Painful Bites
Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics that Really Matter
craigtowens.com
Listen to our previous podcast, Church Metrics that Really Matter, with Craig T. Owens (Ep 043)
Follow Craig on Facebook or X

Bonus Content

Navigating Your Way Through Good Stress And Bad Stress, with Craig Owens

An interview with Craig T Owens about the two kinds of stress that we all face:

Unbalanced, unhealthy stress, which we call distress
Balanced, healthy stress, which is known as eustress

In life, as in ministry, it’s essential to know the difference and be aware of how to reduce the negative, while embracing and growing with the positive.

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Credits

Producer
Veronica Beaver | [email protected]

Editor
Phil Vaters | [email protected]

Music
Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins | JackWilkinsMusic.com

Logo
by Solomon Joy

Correspondence
Shelley Vaters | Shelley@KarlVaters.com

Author

Karl Vaters

Karl Vaters produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.
Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context. He has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience.
You can follow Karl on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, or Contact Karl to inquire about speaking, writing, and consultation.

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