I’m excited to tell you about a project I’ve been working on! This month, The Focused Pastor published How Not to Get Lost and Lonely in Your Husband’s Ministry, a free eBook written for pastors’ wives.
Here’s a bit from the introduction:
“This friend treats me like a normal person,” Megan explained. “She goes to the store, gets a great deal on shoes, and texts me a picture!” As a senior pastor’s wife, Megan’s accustomed to women reaching out with prayer requests and for counsel, and it’s a privilege to serve her church family in these ways. A congregant who texts a picture of her new shoes or cute haircut, though, stands out.
Why is that? In Megan’s words, “She values me as a person with lots of interests. A normal girl. One girlfriend to another.” Megan is a fellow pastor’s wife and a pastor’s daughter, and she’s also one of several pastors’ wives I’ve become friends with over the years. Talking with these friends has shed some light on our common experiences.
While ministry life has been a privilege for us, it brings unique challenges. Being seen and treated as a person— as a friend—can make a big difference.
On the flip side, pastors’ wives can feel lost and lonely in their husbands’ ministries. Church expectations play a part. So do season of life and family responsibilities. Sometimes it’s circumstances (think of a pastor’s wife in a smaller, rural church), but other times our own poor attitudes get in the way (do you know someone who isn’t on-board with her husband’s pastoral work?). When husbands are overwhelmed and their priorities fly out-of-whack, families are impacted. Added to all this, ministry life itself, often busy and full of surprises, can make it hard to connect with others. In this eBook, I reflect on my own experiences and those of my fellow pastors’ wives as we try to think biblically and work through some of these challenges. …
I’m grateful to all the women who contributed their stories and insights to this project, and I hope and pray How Not to Get Lost and Lonely in Your Husband’s Ministry is an encouragement to many ministry wives. You’re welcome to share it with others!
Katie Faris 