Download or read book Preparing the Pastors We Need written by George A. Mason and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012-11-06 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amid the widespread discussion about 'the future of the church,' an important point is sometimes overlooked: tomorrow's church will depend to a great extent on the new pastors of today who will serve and guide our churches in the years ahead. George Mason's Preparing the Pastors We Need: Reclaiming the Congregation's Role in Training Clergy makes a timely intervention, asking us to redefine pastoral leadership by analyzing how, in fact, pastors are made in the first place. The book highlights an exciting development in the training of pastors: pastoral residency programs and mentoring. Mason demonstrates that these programs work best when the congregations themselves, not just leadership or staff, are an active participant in the training. In this way, churches begin to reclaim their rightful role in the formation of the ministers that will serve them. And, at the same time, they become healthier and more effective churches. Mason gives us the analogy of physician training. Medical school produces graduates with extensive knowledge of the body, but a practicing doctor will require several more years of internship and residency. Similarly, our seminaries and divinity schools produce men and women with good biblical knowledge, but they might not prepare a graduate for the task of helping a bereaved parishioner cope with the sudden loss of a loved one. Moreover, such areas as finances, budgets, personnel management, and vocational identity are also not well suited to seminary study. Mason shows that congregation-based mentoring and residency are excellent ways to bridge this gap.
Download or read book Can the Pastor Do It Alone written by Melvin J. Steinbron and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2004-12-14 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When are you going to do something about pastoring our people? When he heard that cry, Dr. Melvin Steinbron realized that the centuries-long traditional roles of the clergy and laity - with the clergy doing the pastoring and the laity receiving it - is woefully inadequate to care for all the needs of people in our churches today. So he decided to do something about it. Believing that lay people also have ministry gifts, he, along with a team of church members, initiated a program to enable the laity to share in pastoring the congregation. You, too, can form a lay pastoring ministry which will benefit both pastor and congregation. This book will show you: -how to reach out on a continuing basis to every member of your church -how God gives pastoring gifts to lay people -how to prepare your congregation for a lay pastoring ministry -how to get organized -how to choose lay pastors -how to conduct a 15-hour equipping seminar -seven commitments lay pastors must make -seven common ministry problems and how they can strengthen rather than weaken your program -how to evaluate your program This is much more than a how-to book. It's a how-it's-being-done-and-you-can-do-it-too book. The lengthy track record of scores of lay people doing effective pastoring assures you that lay people can indeed do the pastoring.
Download or read book Fight for Your Pastor written by Peter Orr and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2022-10-31 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical Ways to Support and Care for Your Pastor Do you pray for your pastors? Do you encourage them? Do you have realistic expectations for them? The office of pastor is simultaneously a rewarding and draining position. Pastors today have immense pressure on their shoulders and they need the support of their congregations. Peter Orr has written Fight for Your Pastor as an exhortation for church members to stand behind their pastors through the difficulties of ministry. Orr specifies ways in which congregations can be intentional in caring for church leaders, including prayer, encouragement, generosity, and forgiveness. Featuring stories from current pastors about their struggles, this book is perfect for thoughtful church members eager to understand the weight of their pastors' positions and support leaders in their important ministry. For Thoughtful Christians: Specifically those wanting to know more about their pastors and how to care for them Current: Features insight from pastors about their personal experiences in ministry Applicable: Gives practical examples of how to love and care for pastors, including specific prayers for church leaders and the best ways to encourage them
Download or read book The Sacred Wilderness of Pastoral Ministry written by David Rohrer and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2012-03-07 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastors often find themselves struggling to survive in the wilderness of the contemporary church scene. How do they remain faithful in light of the marginalization of organized religion, denominational strife, rapid demographic change, falling numbers and a general malaise among church members? Many pastors feel helpless, others hopeless. Sociologists and pollsters diagnose the problem but can't seem to come up with a solution. Is there hope? Author and pastor David Rohrer believes there is. John the Baptist also lived in the wilderness, yet crowds journeyed there to hear him. Why? Because John "affirmed what people already knew: that they were in desperate need of something more than the mundane practices of a religion that had been cut off from its source of life." John called people to remember their covenant relationship with God, which was established in the wilderness, and to let God guide them once again across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. Pastors, says Rohrer, "don't primarily exist to build and maintain the institution of the church. We exist to do a particular work through the church. In short, we don't simply have an institution to create, refine or maintain; we have a gospel to preach." John's prophetic voice prepared hearts to be receptive to Christ's work among them, to be transformed by the power of God. Herein lies hope! Using illustrations from everyday church life and decades of ministry experience, Rohrer carefully crafts a lively and realistic pastoral theology for ministry in the sacred wilderness. If you are a new pastor you have a sure guide here. If you are a veteran preacher you'll find just the refresher course you need to invigorate your ministry.
Download or read book The Pastor s Book written by R. Kent Hughes and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2015-10-14 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastors are tasked with the incredibly demanding job of caring for the spiritual, emotional, and, at times‚ physical needs of their people. While seminary is helpful preparation for many of the challenges pastors face, there’s far more to pastoral ministry than what can be covered in the classroom. Designed as a reference guide for nearly every situation a pastor will face, this comprehensive book by seasoned pastors Kent Hughes and Doug O’Donnell is packed full of biblical wisdom and practical guidance related to the reality of pastoral ministry in the trenches. From officiating weddings to conducting funerals to visiting the sick, this book will equip pastors and church leaders with the knowledge they need to effectively minister to their flocks, both within the walls of the church and beyond.
Download or read book Brothers We are Not Professionals written by John Piper and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Piper pleads with fellow pastors to abandon the professionalization of the pastorate and pursue the prophetic call of the Bible for radical ministry.
Download or read book The Heart of the Preacher written by Rick Reed and published by Lexham Press. This book was released on 2019-10-09 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You can teach the craft, but you must first form the heart. Many preachers want to preach better, but they don't always know how to go about improving, and most books on preaching focus on the mechanics of the craft. But preaching involves more than the steps from a text to a sermon, because every time a preacher stands up to preach, their character shines through—for better or for worse. In The Heart of the Preacher, Rick Reed focuses on the personal heart preparation required before any preacher is ready to preach. He explores issues preachers often wrestle with—like discouragement, insecurity, and pride. He then offers practices to fight these challenges and form a heart that carries the fruit of the Spirit into the pulpit. It takes more than a good speaker to preach. It takes a Spirit-filled person. This book will help you check your heart and cultivate the most important aspect of preaching: your character.
Download or read book A Pastor s Toolbox 2 written by Paul A. Holmes and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2017-06-29 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The remarkable success of the book A Pastor’s Toolbox: Management Skills for Parish Leadership has demonstrated that the demands of time and financial challenges continue to impact the work of today’s parish leaders. The need has become even greater for practical tools to assist in the many aspects of temporal administration, leadership, and church management. This follow-up volume provides all new information, insights, and practical tools that pastors need to handle the complexities of parish management in the twenty-first century. Sixteen contributors from across the country deliver key content that focuses on promoting excellence and best practices in the areas of management, finances, communications, and human resources development. A Pastor’s Toolbox 2 provides: leadership tools for the pastor and his team; help for working with the parish’s pastoral and finance council; intercultural competence and complex pastoring situations; suggestions for time management and effective meetings; human resources, change management, and canon law; tools for parish stewardship, communications, and Catholic schools. The book is an outgrowth of the Toolbox for Pastoral Management, a nationally recognized joint project of Leadership Roundtable and Seton Hall University. Learn more at www.LeadershipRoundtable.org.
Download or read book Prepare Your Church for the Future written by Carl F. George and published by Revell. This book was released on 1991-07-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By analyzing the present-day church and examining societal trends, Carl George presents a model that can mobilize your church for outreach.
Download or read book Church Marketing 101 written by Richard L. Reising and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 90 percent of all Christian churches in the United States have fewer than 200 members. While they vary in shape, size, ethnicity, and denomination, they have one thing in common: the desire to grow. So why is it that some churches fail to grow for years, while other congregations in the same community increase exponentially? The problem, says church marketing authority Richard Reising, is that most churches should not be doing promotion. Instead, they should focus on the preparation that will make members eager to invite others. In ChurchMarketing 101®, he demystifies basic marketing principles for the church, evaluates them against biblical principles, and illustrates how simple changes can remove roadblocks that hinder members from reaching out. Reising's simple yet insightful approach will be invaluable to pastors and ministry leaders from churches of all denominations and styles.
Download or read book Next written by William Vanderbloemen and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Packed with new research, new interviews, and practical solutions, this updated and expanded edition of Next will equip pastors, ministry teams, and Christian organizations to navigate leadership changes with wisdom and grace. While there is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution to the puzzle of planning for a seamless pastoral succession, Next offers church leaders and pastors a guide to asking the right questions in order to plan for the future. Vanderbloemen, founder of a leading pastoral search firm, and Bird, an award-winning writer and researcher, share insider stories of succession failures and successes in dozens of churches, including some of the nation's most influential. The authors demystify successful pastoral succession and help you prepare for an even brighter future for your ministry. Includes a foreword by John Ortberg and an introduction by Eric Geiger and Kenton Beshore.
Download or read book The Disciple Making Pastor written by Bill Hull and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2007-10-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christ commanded the church to make disciples, to produce people who love and obey God, bear fruit, and live with joy. The crisis at the heart of the church is that we often pay lip service to making disciples, but we seldom put much effort behind doing it. For the pastor who is ready to put words into action, The Disciple-Making Pastor offers the inspiration and practical know-how to do so. Bill Hull shows pastors the obstacles they will face, what disciples really look like, the pastor's role in producing them, and the practices that lead to positive change. He also offers a six-step coaching process to help new disciples grow in commitment and obedience and practical ideas to integrate disciple making into the fabric of the church.
Download or read book Law and Gospel written by Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A theological guide to understanding the bible and how to read it.
Download or read book Holy Noticing written by Charles Stone and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does your life ever feel like one series of rushed moments after another? Do you want to feel more present and connected to those you love? Do you want to be able to listen without thinking the whole time of what you’re going to say next? Do you want to feel less distracted, less busy, and more whole? Most of us spend our distracted lives longing to get to the next, better moment and fail to notice the present one. We lack space between one task and the next, one thought and the next, one email and the next. Social media, TV, work deadlines, and family stress steal our enjoyment and engagement in the moment. Holy Noticing will teach you how to: become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and environment recognize Christ’s presence in the moment reduce your stress by developing the ability to focus on God and people rather than tasks Many today think mindfulness is dangerous, unchristian, or associated with Eastern religions—and often it is! But Dr. Charles Stone reveals that the art of holy noticing—purposefully paying attention to God as he works in us, our relationships, and our world—is a spiritual discipline Christians have practiced for millennia. Holy Noticing explores the historically Christian and biblical roots of this lifestyle, as well as Dr. Stone’s BREATHe model, which teaches you to be more engaged with Christ in the everyday moments that too often slip right by us. Discover the lost spiritual discipline of holy noticing today and learn to engage the world like Christ.
Download or read book Stop Taking Sides written by Adam Mabry and published by The Good Book Company. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Love and wrath. Sovereignty and responsibility. Victory and suffering. Some of the truths we read in the Bible seem to be in opposition to each other. We naturally tend to gravitate towards a side, but when we lose sight of one truth in order to protect the other, we are in danger of becoming proud, creating division, and diminishing our faith. In this compelling, inspiring, and at times provocative book, Adam Mabry urges us to stop taking sides and refuse to participate in tribalism by mapping out a way to hold in tension truths that we so often divide over. You’ll discover how our joy and our witness rest on us learning to hold to all that the Scriptures teach and growing in virtue as we do. You’ll learn how to wrestle with all that the Scriptures say, to embrace mystery, to listen closely, and to speak with clarity.
Download or read book Sex Dating and Relationships written by Gerald Hiestand and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2012-02-29 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Considering the pervasive immorality and high divorce rate of our contemporary Christian culture, we evidently need a biblically based, theologically compelling, practical understanding of sex, dating, and relationships. Pastors Gerald Hiestand and Jay Thomas counteract this problem with their paradigm-shifting view of purity and relationships—a view that challenges even the basic assumptions of evangelical subculture. Unlike most books on dating, this one cuts straight to the heart of dating relationships, asserting with confidence that the line must be drawn at "no sexual activity" whatever. Few have dared to define and apply the Bible's understanding of purity in premarital relationships to this degree, but Heistand and Thomas have done it. Furthermore, both authors are vocational pastors who communicate regularly with the target audience and have a proven ability to express biblical truth in a winsome and compelling manner. Sex, Dating, and Relationships adds a new, almost provocative voice to the conversation that, with straightforward theological insight, pleads with Christians to get serious about honoring Christ with their sexuality.
Download or read book Kiss the Wave written by Dave Furman and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2018-01-16 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” What does it mean to “kiss the wave?” These words, attributed to nineteenth-century British preacher Charles Spurgeon, speak to the Christian’s only hope for perseverance in suffering. What if we can learn to experience the nearness of God in the midst of suffering? What if God intends to work through our trials rather than simply take them away? After living for more than a decade with a debilitating nerve condition in both arms, Dave Furman shows us that God, in his grace, always designs trials for our good—not minimizing the pain, but infusing significance into our suffering. Furman demonstrates that, even when tossed to and fro by stormy waves, God is near . . . and that makes all the difference in the world.
