This is a space for clergy in need of support to do the work they are called to do. A place of rest and renewal, honesty and transparency. Subscribe to hear from our Founder, Rev. Kinsie M. Tate who is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and clergy spouse.
What meaning do you make from struggle?
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The image of the suffering Christ and suffering for one's faith is foundational in many Christian traditions. I consider this concept often in my work: the idea of what is enough suffering to help us grow? I talk to the people I work with about finding their "growth edge" - the limit to push through so you can continue to grow in the ways you want, while also identifying when to stop, or pause for rest. That balance between suffering and relief is important, but it is also important to consider what we make suffering mean. What is the meaning you make from struggles in your life? Do you see struggle as holy and good? Does struggle feel like failure or weakness? Maybe it depends on the situation. I would argue that the interpretation of our suffering matters in how resilient we currently are and become in the future. The philosopher David Rondel wrote in A Danger Which We Do Not Know (2024), "We humans are fearful, worrying creatures. Seeking out knowledge is a natural response to being afraid. And so … when anxiety rises up, we instinctively go hunting for answers. Having more information sometimes helps to quell the fear." We can also fall into doom scrolling in the search for understanding and meaning for the pain and suffering we experience or see around us. It is an individual task to know and understand what is enough and what is too much. If suffering causes us to feel like a cog in the machine to be ever more productive and effective, we erode our humanity and make the necessary rest that allows us to think creatively and grow somehow lazy and potentially shameful. This is a tragedy and leads to ever increasing experiences of suffering that are unhelpful and potentially traumatizing. I focus on helping people better understand how the lenses that they see the world through and their perceptions impact wellness, resilience, and leadership. This is the work I love and feel privileged to be able to do. If you too are curious about this and want to move toward restoration and sustainable ministry, I invite you to join us for our next 1 hour Wellness Insight: Running on Empty: The Hidden Costs of Depletion in Ministry happening NEXT WEEK Wednesday, June 10, 2026 @ 10am PT/ 1pm ET. It's an opportunity to pause and contemplate how you are doing. You'll get a CEU for attending, and maybe find some community and connection that helps you remember that you are not alone and what you think and do really does matter. If you are unable to make this, we have 2 more Wellness Insights happening later this year: Creating Culturally Responsive Faith Communities co-facilitated by Carolina Fuentes, LCSW on August 12 @ 9am PT and What Happens When Leaders Grieve? co-facilitated by Rev. Dr. Rae Karim on November 5th @ 1pm PT. And if you are interested in a deeper practice, Leading From Abundance is happening the five Tuesday's in September starting 9-1-26 @ 10:30 am PT/ 1:30 ET. I am updating the curriculum to help clergy identify their unique giftedness, how they can act from that in their ministry setting, and what causes them to act from a place of scarcity rather than abundance. It incorporates nervous system and stress response information, to give you practical application to embody the concepts. More on that to come! You don't have to go at it alone. We are here to help.
Take Care, Rev. Kinsie M. Tate, LPCC Founder and Executive Director Restore Clergy |
Restore Clergy
This is a space for clergy in need of support to do the work they are called to do. A place of rest and renewal, honesty and transparency. Subscribe to hear from our Founder, Rev. Kinsie M. Tate who is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and clergy spouse.
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Creating Culturally Responsive Faith Communities A Continuing Education Session with Rev. Tate and Rev. Carolina Fuentes, LCSW What does it actually mean for a congregation to be trauma informed? It's more than a phrase we borrow from the clinical world and tape onto our ministry language. It's a posture — a way of noticing pain, honoring history, and building spaces where people don't have to leave parts of themselves at the door to belong. In our upcoming continuing education session, Rev....