Working the Angles

Author: Eugene Peterson
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467419184
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description
American pastors, says Eugene Peterson, are abandoning their posts at an alarming rate. They are not leaving their churches and getting other jobs. Instead, they have become "a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches." Pastors and the communities they serve have become preoccupied with image and standing, with administration, measurable success, sociological impact, and economic viability. In Working the Angles, Peterson calls the attention of his fellow pastors to three basic acts--which he sees as the three angles of a triangle--that are so critical to the pastoral ministry that they determine the shape of everything else. The acts--prayer, reading Scripture, and giving spiritual direction--are acts of attention to God in three different contexts: oneself, the community of faith, and another person. Only by being attentive to these three critical acts, says Peterson, can pastors fulfill their prime responsibility of keeping the religious community attentive to God. Written out of the author's own experience as pastor of a "single pastor church," this well-written, provocative book will be stimulating reading for lay Christians and pastors alike.

Pastor as Person

Author: Gary L. Harbaugh
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 9780806621159
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
Harbaugh captures your interest with dramatic stories of the inner lives of working pastors, weaving these stories into patterns of meaning from his own reflection and research. An excellent study guide for the individual pastor, the pastor's support group, or the seminary class that really wants to come to grips with the dilemmas of being a person who is also a pastor.

Integrity of Pastoral Care

Author: David Lyall
Publisher: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
ISBN: 9780281050260
Category : Pastoral counseling
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Lyall presents a study of pastoral care as the central pastoral ministry of the church, relating it to other functions of Christian ministry. The theological importance of pastoral care is explored, and other pastoral activities.

Tend My Flock

Author: Kate Litchfield
Publisher: Canterbury Press
ISBN: 1848253559
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Book Description
A companion and guide for ordained and lay ministers seeking to live their pastoral ministry well, amid all the complexities and pressures of contemporary society. It addresses issues which often remain unspoken, inviting dialogue, reflection, honest self-examination and the courage to share struggles and dilemmas with others.

The Care of Souls

Author: Harold L. Senkbeil
Publisher: Lexham Press
ISBN: 1683593022
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Book Description
Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again. Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful adviceâ€"born out of his five decades as a pastorâ€"that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit. In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church

Author: James L. Killen
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 0687343267
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 115

Book Description
An introduction to pastoral care for pastors of small membership churches. "If you spend your whole life serving small membership churches and doing it well, yours will have been a life well spent." Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. These churches and their pastors have an opportunity for excellence in this area, and should make the most of it. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.From getting acquainted with your congregation, weddings and funerals, picking up on subtle cues in a conversation to not-so-subtle conflicts, Killen shares insights from years of ministry in a small membership church setting. James L. Killen, Jr. is a retired elder of the Texas Conference, contributor to Circuit Rider, and author of Who Do You Say That I Am? A Personal Reader.

Spiritual Dimensions of Pastoral Care

Author: John Swinton
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 1846422183
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
Written by significant researchers and practitioners within the field, this unique collection of key texts introduces the reader to practical theology. It critically explores the way in which the spiritual dimension of pastoral care has entered into constructive dialogue with other disciplines and ways of thinking, including: psychiatry, psychology, counselling, intercultural studies, educational methodology, narrative theory and political studies. Set within this multidisciplinary context, the individual contributions (a selection of articles from a leading journal of pastoral theology, Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Studies) cover a wide range of practical and theological issues that alert the reader to the spiritual dimension of pastoral care, such as bereavement, sexuality, ethics, learning disabilities, infertility, the meaning of pain, sickness and suffering and the nature of theology as a practical discipline. The book is an invaluable resource for practitioners, researchers, students and all who have an interest in the ways in which a spiritual dimension can enhance caring practices within a multidisciplinary context.

Ethics for Christian Ministry

Author: Joe E. Trull
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493411519
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 421

Book Description
This one-of-a-kind resource in professional ethics helps today's Christian leaders maintain a high moral character and lifestyle and sharpen their personal and professional decision-making skills. Two experienced teachers and pastors address both current and perennial ethical issues and offer guidance for developing a personal code of ethics to maintain integrity in the work of ministry. The authors address the nature of ethical decision making as well as practical areas where integrity can be compromised, including issues raised by the use of smartphones and social media. Appendixes include codes of ethics from various denominations.

A Primer in Pastoral Care

Author: Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 9781451410839
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Book Description
Based on her twenty years of teaching and on her own experience in pastoral care, Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner has written a basic pastoral-care text to assist in the emotional and spiritual preparation of pastoral caregivers. Stevenson-Moessner expands on her key notion of pastoral care as seen through the interconnection and interplay of love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. Her brief book is meant to engender "confidence and caring" in the initiate, and to assuage the fear and anxiety that naturally occur when one accompanies people in life-changing pain and travail. Through skilled use of the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Good Shepherd, along with stories from her own experience, Stevenson-Moessner imparts genuine wisdom and meaningful support to those who courageously dare to offer caregiving ministry in whatever situation or through whatever method or paradigm. Her work unfolds in six chapters: 1. Introduction: The One-Room Schoolhouse 2. Pointers and Precepts: The Grammar of Care 3. The Prism of Pastoral Care: Scripture Refracted 4. Paradigms in Pastoral Care: The Community as Classroom 5. The Open Classroom: Places of Care 6. Conclusion: An Alphabet of Grace

Pastoral Care

Author: Dr. John Patton
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426723474
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Book Description
The essentials of pastoral care involve the pastor's distinctive task of caring for those who are estranged--the lost sheep. Taken from the biblical image of the shepherd, the pastor by virtue of his or her professional calling cultivates wise judgment in order to hear the hurting and offer guidance, reconciliation, healing, sustaining presence, and empowerment to those in need. This book will outline the quintessential elements pastors need to wisely minister in today's context by discussing four major kinds of lostness: grief, illness, abuse, and family challenges. The purpose of the Abingdon Essential Guides is to fulfill the need for brief, substantive, yet highly accessible introductions to the core disciples in biblical, theological, and religious studies. Drawing on the best in current scholarship, written with the need of students foremost in mind, addressed to learners in a number of contexts, Essential Guides will be the first choice of those who wish to acquaint themselves or their students with the broad scope of issues, perspectives, and subject matters within biblical and religious studies.