A Practical Guide for Life and Ministry: Overcoming 7 Challenges Pastors Face

by Horner, David

• ISBN13: 9780801091957
• ISBN10: 0801091950
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-03-01
• Publisher: Baker Pub Group

Summary

Many books focus on how to grow a church and "succeed" as a pastor, but few help clergy cope with the daily pressures they face in juggling the demands of ministry, family, and personal ambitions. David Horner overturns the notion that pastors must accept disobedience in some aspects of life to thrive in others. Examining his thirty years of pastoral ministry, Horner mines seven key challenges that pastors must face well in order to restore and maintain a healthy balance.Church leaders and those who love them will find this book a practical and biblical guide that reinvigorates their calling.

Author Biography

David Horner (MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) serves as senior pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. He planted the church in 1978 and has watched it grow from 12 families to more than 2,500 weekly worshipers. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 9
Introduction: Serving without a Safety Net	p. 13
Juggling the Demands of Your Calling
Are You Driven or Called?	p. 25
Discovering Counterbalances in Ministry	p. 32
Sharpening the Focus of Your Vision
Running with Your Eyes Closed: Ministry without a Godly Vision	p. 53
Developing a Balanced Vision: When God Shows the Way	p. 68
Gaining Balance by Building Teams
More Shoulders, Lighter Loads: God's Design for Team Ministry	p. 85
The Character of a Balanced Team: Keys for Building an Effective Team	p. 99
Cultivating Genuine Humility
The Indispensable Quality of Humility	p. 119
Fighting to Maintain a Humble Perspective	p. 128
A Life Rooted in Humility	p. 143
Learning to Grow Through Your Troubles
Owning My Mistakes: Trouble I Bring on Myself	p. 157
Seizing Teachable Moments: Failure Can Produce Growth	p. 168
When Your Character Is Under Fire: The Withering Effect of Personal Attacks	p. 180
Preparing a Wise Response: Seasoned Maturity in Action	p. 194
Facing the Inevitability of Change
"Something Has Got to Change!" Knowing When Transitions Are Right	p. 213
Leading the Charge for Change: Your Role in Making It Happen	p. 226
Combating Spiritual Dryness
Recognizing the Symptoms of Spiritual Dryness	p. 245
How Did I Get Here? Factors Contributing to Spiritual Dryness	p. 256
Coming Out of the Desert: He Restores My Soul!	p. 271
Concluding Thoughts	p. 282
The Weights and Counterweights of Your Calling	p. 285
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