Helping Those Who Don't Want Help

Warm hearted but hard nosed.

One of the modern myths is that ministers lead sheltered lives. A person who swears in the presence of a pastor will often stop and say, “Oh, excuse me, Reverend,” as if pastoral ears are unaccustomed to such indelicate terms.

If anything, pastors are more acquainted with the effects of human depravity. Each week brings situations of power, conflict, adultery, and abuse. The Seven Deadly Sins are not just sermon topics—they’re daily adversaries.

Some of the toughest situations deal with people who need help but won’t admit it—or won’t accept it. The man, for instance, who takes his wife for granted, puts his marriage on autopilot, and doesn’t notice or care that his wife is starving emotionally. Or the single woman who bounces from one job (or relationship) to the next, never satisfied, always looking for something else.

This book offers real-life stories of ministers who have taken the initiative with people who were not asking for help. It shows the state of the art in “the ministry of taking the first step.”

This is the seventh volume of THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY, a continuing series from LEADERSHIP, the practical journal for church leaders published by Christianity Today, Inc. Others in the series have included Well-Intentioned Dragons and Learning to Lead. More than a collection of theory, THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY provides practical, proven ways to handle the most difficult areas of everyday church life.