November 2026 Mission
An Invitation to Care for Those Who Care
In two days, I’ll be boarding a plane for Armenia.
As I’ve been preparing for this journey, this thought has stayed with me:
Those who spend their lives caring for others also need someone to care for them.
That’s why I’m going.
Over the years, I’ve developed meaningful relationships with many of our pastors and Christian leaders in Armenia.
I’m looking forward to seeing familiar faces, renewing friendships, and meeting new leaders who share a desire to faithfully serve Christ and His church.
Pastoral ministry can be deeply rewarding—and demanding.
Pastors walk alongside people through grief, disappointment, conflict, and uncertainty.
They carry responsibilities that others may never fully understand.
And sometimes, while caring for everyone else, their own spiritual well-being can be neglected.
The Apostle Paul understood the importance of caring for those entrusted with spiritual leadership. Speaking to the elders of the church in Ephesus, he said:
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…” — Acts 20:28 (ESV)
Notice the order of Paul’s instruction.
Pay careful attention to yourselves—and to the flock.
Paul isn’t diminishing the importance of caring for God’s people. He’s reminding these leaders that their own spiritual lives matter, too.
During this mission initiative, I’ll have opportunities to teach, encourage, listen to, and pray with pastors and church leaders.
One of our conferences, Healthy Pastors—Healthy Churches, will focus on the relationship between the spiritual health of leaders and the health of the congregations they serve.
We’ll be considering an important conviction that has increasingly shaped my ministry:
We must not neglect Christ’s work within us while attending to Christ’s work through us.
Our desire isn’t simply to provide more information.
We want to encourage pastors and leaders to remain attentive to their relationship with Christ, even amid the responsibilities and demands of ministry.
And when these leaders return to their churches, the encouragement they receive can extend into the lives of the people and communities they serve.
Your prayers are appreciated.
Would you pray with me for our pastors and leaders in Armenia?
Pray that our conversations will be guided by God.
Pray that God will strengthen and encourage these men and women who so faithfully care for their communities.
If you’d like to learn more about the Armenia Mission Initiative and how you can participate, I’ve included a QR code below.
You Can Travel with Me!
I’ll be sharing frequent updates, photographs, and reflections on Facebook throughout the journey.
I invite you to follow along and see what God is doing among these pastors and ministry leaders.
Thank you for walking with us in this ministry. Your prayers and encouragement mean more than you may realize.
May God strengthen those who shepherd His people, renew their joy in Christ, and remind them that they, too, are deeply loved and cared for by their Shepherd.
May you have a blessed week.
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