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# "The Care of Souls," with Dr. Harold Senkbeil
- URL: https://mereorthodoxy.com/care-souls-dr-harold-senkbeil/
- Published: 2020-04-28T07:00:47.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-20T19:33:43.000Z
- Description: "The Care of Souls," with Dr. Harold Senkbeil
- Author: Mere Orthodoxy
- Tags: Caleb Wait, Culture, Theology, Church, pastoring, Mere Fidelity, ministry

Amidst life's demands and pastoral burnout, how does a pastor care for a soul? Dr. Harold Senkbeil joins Matt and Derek to discuss his recent book, [*The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart*](https://lexhampress.com/product/169227/the-care-of-souls-cultivating-a-pastors-heart?ref=mereorthodoxy.com), where he invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

**Timestamps:**

How do pastors care for souls? \[0:00 - 6:21\]

How to pastor without burning out, and how to discern what ministry “tools” lead to burnout \[6:21 - 13:14\]

The pastoral *habitus* \[13:14 - 18:02\]

How do pastors cultivate this sense of *habitus* with so many demands on their life? \[18:02 - 24:00\]

How does a pastor learn how to listen well? \[24:00 - 28:40\]

How to know when to apply certain doctrinal teachings in counseling \[28:40 - 34:44\]

Sanctification in the life of the pastor \[34:44 - 37:30\]

How the laity can respond when they don’t feel that they are receiving the right kind of care + Conclusion \[37:30 - 46:36\]

**Resources mentioned:**

Amazon link - [*The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart*](https://www.amazon.com/Care-Souls-Cultivating-Pastors-Heart/dp/1683593014/ref=sr%5F1%5F1%5Fsspa?crid=1325R1MCZ89AE&dchild=1&keywords=harold+senkbeil&qid=1588044145&sprefix=harold+senk%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExWkJCMEg1VU5KVTZJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzQ0MTAxQVU3RVIySlNPQ1ZIJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0ODc2OTYzTFpaMDJNOUNHV1g5JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==&ref=mereorthodoxy.com)

If you’re interested in supporting the show financially, you can check out our Patreon [here](https://www.patreon.com/merefidelity?ty=h&ref=mereorthodoxy.com).

Finally, as always, follow [Derek](https://twitter.com/dzrishmawy?ref=mereorthodoxy.com), [Andrew](https://twitter.com/ajwtheology?ref=mereorthodoxy.com), and [Alastair](https://twitter.com/zugzwanged?ref=mereorthodoxy.com) for more tweet-sized brilliance. Thanks to [Timothy Motte](https://twitter.com/biotrom?ref=mereorthodoxy.com) for his sound editing work. [And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.](http://www.noisetrade.com/thejoyeternal/a-sweet-and-bitter-providence-single?ref=mereorthodoxy.com)