The Guide Every Church Leader Needs to Read
Mental health is often overlooked in the Christian sphere. As church leaders, it can be very easy to ignore the health of your mind in the name of ministry. For you to run your race well, you need to take care of your mental health just as much as you would your physical health. That is why we created the Mind & Ministry Guide — to help you lead yourself, your team, and your church toward greater wholeness.
Think about it this way. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training your body first. You wouldn’t preach without preparing your heart and studying God’s Word. And yet, so many ministry leaders pour everything they have into the people around them (week after week, year after year) without ever stopping to tend to their own mental and emotional health.
That’s not sustainable. And deep down, you probably already know that.
If mental health matters to God, it should matter to us, too.
The good news? You don’t have to figure this out alone. The Mind & Ministry Guide is a free, practical resource designed specifically for pastors and church leaders — to help you start the conversations that lead to freedom, for you, your staff, and your church family.
- When was the last time you genuinely checked in on your own mental health?
- Are the people closest to you carrying more than they should because you haven’t addressed what you’re carrying?
- What would it look like to lead from a place of wholeness instead of depletion?
You’re Not Alone in This Struggle
Here’s something the Mind & Ministry Guide makes clear from the very first page: the mental battles you’re facing aren’t new. They’re not a sign that your faith is weak or that you’re failing as a leader. They’re part of the human experience — and Scripture doesn’t shy away from that.
David cried out from the depths. Elijah burned out and asked to die. Jeremiah felt isolated and alone. These are the heroes of our faith, and they struggled just like you do.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2 NIV
That renewing is an invitation, not a command to perform. It’s God saying, I want your whole self. Your mind matters to Me. And if it matters to Him, it should matter to you.
Start with Yourself Before You Can Help Anyone Else
One of the most important things the Mind & Ministry Guide does is give you permission to start with yourself. Not your team. Not your congregation. You.
Ministry can be one of the loneliest, most emotionally demanding callings there is. When leaders neglect their mental and emotional health, cracks eventually show up in their leadership, their relationships, and their ministry. You can’t pour from an empty cup. And the people in your church need you to be full.
- Strengthen your mind. Work through the Mind & Ministry Bible Plan on your own or with a few trusted leaders. Let God’s Word be the foundation for how you think about your mental health.
- Find life-giving community. Identify one or two people outside your church with whom you can be fully honest. Create consistent rhythms of connecting with people who really know you.
- Get an outside perspective. A coach or counselor can give you the objectivity you can’t find from inside your own situation.
- Keep growing as a leader. Healthy leaders build healthy teams. Investing in your own development is one of the most generous things you can do for the people you lead.
Equip Your Team to Have Honest Conversations
Once you’ve started doing your own work, you’re ready to bring that same culture of openness to your team. Your staff and volunteers are not immune to burnout, anxiety, or depression. They need the same care you want to provide for your church, and they’re looking to you to create the space for it.
The Mind & Ministry Guide gives you practical tools to establish team norms, create shared language around mental health, and build a culture where people feel safe enough to be honest about what they’re carrying.
Your team needs to know they won’t be penalized for being human. You get to create that culture.
When your team sees you leading with openness and vulnerability, it gives them permission to do the same. And a team that can be honest with each other is a team that can actually go the distance together.
Help Your Church Know It’s Safe to Struggle Here
Most people in your church are waiting for permission to talk about what they’re carrying. And that permission almost always comes from the pastor first.
What you address from the stage, what you resource your people with, and what you make available all send a signal about what’s safe to talk about in your church. The Mind & Ministry Guide helps you take that step — not with a grand program or a perfectly packaged series, but one honest conversation at a time.
- Talk about it from the stage. You don’t need a dedicated mental health series. Work it into your regular preaching, reference it in personal stories, normalize it in passing.
- Start a shared Bible Plan. When your whole church reads the same thing at the same time, it opens the door to conversations that might not happen otherwise.
- Encourage small groups. There is almost no better place for someone who is struggling than in a consistent group of people who know their name.
- Build a referral list before you need it. Identify two or three licensed counselors in your area. Have resources ready to hand off before someone is sitting in front of you in crisis.
Want More Mental Health Resources?
The Mind & Ministry Guide is free, practical, and built specifically for pastors and church leaders. Use it to start the conversation — with yourself, your team, and your church.
What’s One Thing You Can Do This Week?
- Download the Mind & Ministry Guide at open.life.church and read the introduction.
- Identify one person outside your church you can be fully honest with — and reach out to them this week.
- Work through the Mind & Ministry Bible Plan on your own or with a few trusted leaders.
- Think about one way you could normalize mental health conversations in your next team meeting or from the stage.
You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with yourself. Then your team. Then your church. One honest conversation at a time.
You were called to this for a reason. The healthier you are, the further that calling can go. We’re cheering you on every step of the way.
Your success matters to us. When you win, the Church wins. Let’s build the Church together.
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