The Supporting Cast: A Guide for Church Staff

This book aims to assist those contemplating a church ministry role in avoiding burnout and maintaining their shine, even in the arduous environment that can be church work. For 25 years, I’ve served on church staff, including two decades in executive and lead pastor roles. The privilege of working alongside incredible people with unique strengths and unfailing passions has largely characterized my ministry. Yet, I know firsthand the toll that ministry can take on someone, not just on their profession but also on their health and relationships—if they go into it without a clear sense of purpose and who knows what else. With more and more people going into ministry, or wanting to, a number of them will need to know ways to withstand the rigors of the calling and come out on the other side healthy and re-energized.

At the end of each chapter, you’ll find what I call “Mentor Moments.” These are conversation guides intended to foster meaningful dialogue between new staff members and their supervisors or mentors. My hope is that these guides will be a valuable resource for pastors, executive or assistant pastors, and human resource professionals as they support and develop their ministry teams.

Dr. Anthony Cobbs is a certified church consultant with over 25 years of ministry experience. He is the founder of Breakthrough Ministry Consulting and the creator and host of the Church Unfiltered Podcast. He has served as a youth pastor, senior pastor, church planter, and executive coach, and he is a contributing writer for Our Daily Bread International. He earned his Masters in Christian Ministry from Wayland Baptist University and a Doctorate in Leadership Studies from Creighton University. He currently serves as the Executive Pastor of Resurrection Church, a multi-campus, multi-cultural church in San Antonio, Texas.

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