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A visit to three congregations around Austin, Texas

I recently did a stint as an interim pastor. Here are a dozen things I learned—or relearned—about pastoral ministry:

1. It is through pastoral care that pastors earn credibility, acceptance, and therefore authority—or not. 
2. Listening is perhaps a pastor's most important tool. People are not likely to remember anything you said to them when they were in crisis; they will remember that you spent time listening to them.

Helping people think differently in changing times