Over the past three months I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with fourteen pastors on this blog, all of whom are in the midst of raising kids. Some are nationally known and pastors of large churches. Some are lesser-known or pastors of small churches. I’ve asked them about their greatest hopes and the most difficult challenges of raising PKs. All of them share wisdom worth reading.
I wanted to do this because I wanted people to see the heart of pastors for their kids and be able to learn from their difficulties and their conscientious parenting. I also did it because I wrote a book about being a PK, and I wanted to share some of the “other side,” to not only share what it’s like to be a PK but what it’s like to raise one. I asked each of the pastors the same 3 questions:
What is your greatest hope for your children?
What is the greatest struggle you face in parenting as a pastor?
How do you help your kids manage the expectations placed on them as PKs?
As you glance through their responses the similarities are striking and encouraging. Each of them expresses their deep desire that their children find joy, identity, and hope in Jesus. Each of them has a plan, of some sort, about how to ease the burden on their kids. And each of them expresses these things in their unique way. If you haven’t had a chance, go back and look through the interviews. They are mostly brief and each one shares some helpful insights.
First Interview: Darrin Patrick
Second Interview: Eric Geiger
Third Interview: D.A. Horton
Fourth Interview: Justin Buzzard
Fifth Interview: Jud Wilhite
Sixth Interview: Derwin Gray
Seventh Interview: Stephen Miller
Eighth Interview: Kevin Peck
Ninth Interview: Josh Moody
Tenth Interview: Matt Carter
Eleventh Interview: Ed Stetzer
Twelfth Interview: Cole Brown
Thirteenth Interview: Dan Kimball
Fourteenth Interview: Matt Chandler
photo credit: amboo who? via photopin cc
