Today we’re talking with Don Follis about his work supporting pastors and preventing ministry burnout.
Kelly and Don also explore how to live mindfully, understanding the natural rhythms of life, the real self-care you need, and the Daily Examen.
The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect the presence of the Divine in each moment and interaction described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. The Examen is an ancient practice that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.
Don walks us through the way he prays, the benefits of quiet time, and awareness.
MEET DON
You may know Don Follis from his regular columns in the News Gazette about faith and religion. But you may not know that he’s a graduate of the University of Illinois. He served as a campus pastor for more than 20 years, then transitioned into administrative work with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and pastoral care at Vineyard Church in Urbana.
Since 2011, he’s directed a small nonprofit called Pastor-to-Pastor Initiatives, supporting pastors, church leaders and congregations through counseling, mentoring, coaching, and spiritual direction. He has open and honest talks about all the “behind-the-scenes” stuff involved with being a human in a spiritual job and basically encourages pastoral leaders to stay the course. Over the years, Pastor-to-Pastor has served more than 200 pastors. He has offered classes on spiritual formation, marriage retreats for pastors and spouses with his wife Jennifer, seminars on emotional health for church staff, classes on grief, and retreats on silence and solitude. In 2019, Soul Care worked with Don to put on a seminar on how to better understand and incorporate the Enneagram in the life of the pastor and church.
Learn more about Don and Pastor-to-Pastor Initiatives at donfollis.com.
Feel free to email him at donfollis@gmail.com.
You can follow Don on Facebook, Twitter (@donfollis), and Instagram (@dondfollis).
RESOURCES
- Eugene Peterson, The Message (modern wording Bible) https://messagebible.com/
- 5 Steps of the Examen
- Taking a Pause
- Learn more about The Examen and how to practice it at a Mini-Contemplative Prayer Retreat offered each week at Soul Care
DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
Please drop a comment below or leave a review on iTunes to let us know. We value knowing what you think and this helps other east-central Illinois folks find the podcast as well.
- Sign up for the Soul Care Insider weekly email
- Follow Soul Care on Instagram @soulcare.experience or Facebook @soulcareexperience
- Join the Soul Care Book Group to read books about faith, religion, or spirituality and a monthly guided discussion.