PLR: We Are Better Together

For my ten years prior to entering ministry, I was the lone Director of Nursing at an assisted living/dementia care facility. I was surrounded by nursing caregivers, residents, and families, but nobody knew the trouble I’d seen. Or the joys. Or the challenging daily decisions. I didn’t have a peer. I had no one with whom to share ideas, problem solve, or help in return.

When I entered ministry as a solo pastor, I feared the same would be true. But PLR had a solution – an antidote to going it alone. The PLR retreats linked me with peers in ministry. They created an interconnected web where someone is always available to laugh with me, cry with me, discern with me, and pray with me.

At the retreats, I bonded with my peers over stained-glass crafting, burnt marshmallows over an open fire, light-filled new worship experiences, and sharing the Lord’s Prayer in a way that still makes my heart weep with joy.

We preach to our congregations on a weekly basis that our Triune God never meant for us to be alone. PLR lives out that calling by giving us time and space to partner with pastors who know the troubles we’ve seen. And the joys. And the challenging daily decisions. We truly are better together.

Author: Sharon Rees