Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and Thriving
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
What does it take to have fruitful ministry over the long haul?
The stresses of pastoring are well known and can be a match for even the best-prepared, most experienced in ministry--multiple tasks, long hours, taxing responsibilities and, yes, some challenging personalities. Too often the results can be burnout, being run out or just feeling worn out.
To find out how pastors can thrive as well as survive, the authors undertook a five-year in-depth research project among working pastors. Here in this ground-breaking book is the distilled wisdom of dozens of pastors who have been on the front lines of ministry. We hear from them what works, what doesn't and what distinctive issues people in ministry face.
The authors uncover five key themes that promote healthy, sustainable ministry that lasts--spiritual formation, self-care, emotional and cultural intelligence, marriage and family, leadership and management. These themes are unpacked from the vantage point of ministry on the ground. Questions for personal evaluation and reflection are included throughout the book to bring home the significance of each section.
This is the perfect companion for a peer cohort of pastors to read together. It can also be of value to church boards and others who want to better understand how to help sustain their pastors in ministry.
In short, this is a book pastors can't live without.
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- Sheds light on the challenges of vocational ministry
- Suggests other books and media that will heighten the understanding of the issues begin explored
- Examines issues that are especially relevant to church ministry, but that will also be applicable to Christian leaders in parachuch ministries and other vocational contexts
- Life in Pastoral Ministry
- The Five Themes of Resilient Ministry
- Evaluating Spiritual Formation
- Pursuing Spiritual Formation
- Self-Care: Burning On, Not Burning Out
- Self-Care: Pacing Our Lifestyles
- Understanding Emotional Intelligence
- Developing Emotional Intelligence
- Exploring Cultural Differences
- Improving Cultural Intelligence
- Marriage and Family: Stressed by Ministry
- More Marriage and Family Stressors
- Leadership Poetry
- Leadership Plumbing
- Concluding Insights and Next Steps
- Appendix A: Research Methods of the Pastors Summit
- Appendix B: Questions for Personal Evaluation and Annual Reviews
- Appendix C: Emotions Checklist
- Appendix D: Constructing and Interviewing a Family Diagram
- Appendix E: Best Practices for Forming Peer Cohorts
Top Highlights
“CQ involves engaging in cultural discernment and biblical wisdom in order to understand the ‘other’ culture as well as our own.” (Page 147)
“After much discussion, we concluded a better measure was found in the idea of fruitfulness.[3] We came to believe that Christian leaders are to bear fruit by sharing their faith and nurturing the fruit of God’s grace in their own lives and in the lives of others. Fruitfulness includes a measure of faithfulness and a measure of success—valuing both but preferring neither.” (Page 13)
“Differentiation is the capacity to hear and empathize with parishioners’ frustrations while not necessarily agreeing with their analyses or taking the attacks personally. It is the ability to care for church members while not taking responsibility for them or their emotions.” (Page 74)
“First, ministry leaders should maintain the disciplines of their own personal relationship with Christ as distinct from their ministry responsibilities.” (Page 69)
“A second step that ministry leaders can take for healthy role/person distinction is to develop friendships outside of their ministry context.” (Page 69)
Resilience is a trait of gifted leaders, clergy and laity alike. In this wise, insightful and intensely practical book, Burns, Chapman and Guthrie draw on extensive interviews and research to illumine traits and practices that nurture resilient ministry. Read, discuss and practice Resilient Ministry for yourself and with colleagues in community.
--L. Gregory Jones, professor of theology and senior strategist in leadership education at Duke Divinity School
Isolation, relentless demands and little nurturing result in many ministry leaders abandoning their posts. The authors have exposed much of this to the light along with a solid understanding of what is needed for pastors to thrive as faithful servants. This book is also a call to the church to care for its shepherds.
--Diane Langberg, Ph.D., psychologist
Highly practical, spiritually substantive and rich with examples and suggestions, this book offers much-needed insight into factors that are crucial for long-term flourishing in pastoral ministry.
--Christine D. Pohl, professor of Christian social ethics, Asbury Theological Seminary