The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast CNLP 385 | Kayla Stoecklein on Handling the Pressures of Ministry, Suicide in Leadership, and How to Help Leaders Who are Struggling
Dec 15, 2020
Kayla Stoecklein, an author and speaker, shares her profound journey after losing her husband Andrew to suicide. She discusses the hidden pressures of pastoral leadership and the challenges of managing a family in ministry. Kayla opens up about anxiety, panic attacks, and the stigma around mental health, advocating for honest conversations about suicide. She emphasizes the importance of community support and outlines how to respond appropriately when someone shares suicidal thoughts. Her heartfelt insights aim to help others navigate grief and leadership struggles.
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Early Love, Fast Ministry Life
- Kayla met Andrew at a tiny Christian college and they quickly fell in love, married young, and dove into full-time ministry together.
- They had three boys and moved into intense leadership roles while navigating illness and grief in Andrew's family.
The Impossible Job Of Lead Pastors
- Leading a church is an 'impossible job' because one person must be CEO, visionary, and primary communicator all at once.
- That role creates isolation, constant scrutiny, and pressure to appear faultless, which erodes leaders' well-being.
Stop Maintaining The Perfect Facade
- Do not hide struggles; create honest boundaries about what you can share while inviting trusted community into hard seasons.
- Show up for people and resist the pressure to maintain a flawless public facade in ministry.
