Helps pastors adopt an approach to ministry that is effective, enjoyable and sustainable.
Being a pastor is not a regular 9-to-5 job. There is an unending list of important things to do as you seek to serve others sacrificially. The demands of ministry make it difficult to find a healthy rhythm of life and work, and can leave you running on empty. How can we develop a sustainable pattern of ministry that both honours the Lord and the people we care for and that will also protect us from burnout?
Ronnie Martin and Brian Croft have each spent decades pastoring churches and supporting ministry leaders. Here they encourage fellow shepherds to embrace a more present-focused, unhurried approach to ministry. They show how this starts with accepting their humanity, pursuing humility and remembering the hope they have in Christ. They also exhort pastors to fuel their ministry with self-awareness, prayer and contemplation of Jesus.
After giving a framework for this approach to ministry, the authors offer lots of practical advice regarding prioritisation, managing schedules and cultivating supportive friendships.
Read this book to deepen your joy, help yourself to serve others more effectively and continue serving God in ministry for many years to come.
Introduction
Part 1: Preparation
Chapter 1: Humanity
Chapter 2: Humility
Chapter 3: Hopefulness
Part 2: Power
Chapter 4: Self-Awareness
Chapter 5: Contemplation
Chapter 6: Prayer
Part 3: Pursuit
Chapter 7: Schedule
Chapter 8: Self-Care
Chapter 9: Silence
Chapter 10: Empathy
Chapter 11: Expectation
Chapter 12: Friendship
Conclusion
Contributors | Brian Croft, Ronnie Martin |
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ISBN | 9781784989583 |
Format | eBook |
First published | May 2024 |
Language | English |
Publisher | The Good Book Company |
What Brian Croft and Ronnie Martin have accomplished for ministers here is astounding—a deeply personal work that sensitively reaches into the humanity of pastoral ministry while remaining rooted in the supernaturalizing ministry of the gospel. Slow down, read it prayerfully, and have your heart strengthened by grace.
This book is much more than a compendium of tips to slow down your life and ministry. It is an invitation to minister not just at the pace of Jesus but also in the presence of Jesus. Written from a trial-and-error perspective, Ronnie and Brian honestly examine how the practices of contemplation, prayer, and silence can work against our ingrained habits of speed and productivity in order to take us deeper into the wisdom of God. More importantly, they repeatedly draw out insight from Scripture to recalibrate our hearts to hum with grace. I hope you’ll read this book and pray as insights land on you in each chapter, so you can be formed on the spot by God’s beautifying word.
The Unhurried Pastor provides a practical and biblical prescription for a healthy and productive pastoral ministry in the face of a discouraging diagnosis and pathetic prognosis of pastoral ministry. With their weathered honesty, authors Brian Croft and Ronnie Martin urge pastors to be about their Father’s business in an unhurried manner. Their work offers fresh, new ways for traditional and nontraditional pastors to reclaim spiritual disciplines that prioritize being over doing while encouraging sustainable pastoral journeys.