Publisher's Synopsis
Living Out the Call is a new four-volume guide for pastors that draws on the author's 43-year career in ministry, much of it spent turning around two declining churches and developing them into the vibrant congregations they are today. Intended for both the seasoned minister and the novice about to enter ministry, the books combine a lifetime's experience on the front line of ministry with reflections on the views of other Christian thinkers as well as biblical exposition. The result, an imposing but accessibly structured 240,000-word compendium, is a treasury of advice for ministers and future ministers that is fundamentally practical in approach while rooting itself firmly in Scripture.
The first volume, Living for God's Glory, tackles the themes of professionalism and spirituality, arguing that pursuit of professionalism in ministry is a form of spirituality. Leading God's People deals with issues relating to leadership, such as vision and passion, maintaining that the team leader must also be a team player; it also deals with the challenges of managing people and ourselves. Reaching Out to God's World brings together effective preaching with the Gospel in view and leading a missionary congregation through developing a wide variety of appropriate strategies. Serving God's People has a particular focus on the relationship between new rites of passage and the exercise of pastoral care. These books combine theological reflection with practice, and are packed with insights and suggestions, recognising that there is no one pattern of ministry.
