WHAT PASTORS TOLD US ABOUT SURVIVING AND THRIVING
BOB BURNS, TASHA D. CHAPMAN AND DONALD C. GUTHRIE
An imprint of InterVarsity Press
Downers Grove, Illinois
P.O. Box 1400
Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
World Wide Web: www.ivpress.com
E-mail: email@ivpress.com
© 2013 by Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman and Donald C. Guthrie
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.
InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707–7895, or visit the IVCF website at www.intervarsity.org.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
While all stories in this book are true, some names and identifying information in this book have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
Design: Cindy Kiple
ISBN 978-0-8308-6461-4 (digital)
ISBN 978-0-8308-4103-5 (print)
2: The Five Themes of Resilient Ministry
3: Evaluating Spiritual Formation
4: Pursuing Spiritual Formation
5: Burning On, Not Burning Out
7: Understanding Emotional Intelligence
8: Developing Emotional Intelligence
9: Exploring Cultural Differences
10: Improving Cultural Intelligence
12: More Marriage and Family Stressors
15: 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
What does it take for pastors not only to survive but to thrive in fruitful ministry over the long haul? With the alarmingly high rate of people leaving the pastorate, the church has a great stake in the answer. Unlike other vocations, ministry work has no formal arrangement for ongoing learning and development and no requirements for continuing education. So how do pastors pursue learning and growth? Where do pastoral couples receive mentoring and pastoral care? How do pastors stay current in our rapidly changing world?
This book, based on seven years of research, seeks to answer these questions. Our research focused on gathering pastors and their spouses into peer cohorts, which met repeatedly in multiday ...
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About Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and ThrivingWhat 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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