Ten Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation

by Farris, Lawrence W.

• ISBN13: 9780802821287
• ISBN10: 0802821286
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co

Summary

The opening months of a new pastorate are decisive for how that ministry will unfold, so great care should be taken to begin wisely and well. Simply transplanting programs and habits that worked elsewhere, ignoring the specific dynamics of the new congregation and its people, making too few significant changes or making too many insignificant changes will create problems for the new pastor that may never be overcome. Ten Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation offers specific, down-to-earth principles, and guidance on how to make a good beginning, one that will lay the foundation for years of fruitful ministry.

Author Biography

Lawrence W. Farris, who has served three pastorates in Maryland and Michigan, is a consultant on preaching, spirituality and ministry, and he teaches comparative religion at Glen Oaks Community College, Centreville, Michigan

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Thou Shalt Be a Cultural Historian	p. 1
Thou Shalt Spend Thy Blue-Chips-for-Change on Changes that Matter	p. 13
Thou Shalt Attend to Thy Preaching	p. 23
Thou Shalt Be Certain the Church's Financial House Is in Order	p. 32
Thou Shalt Not Create Expectations Which Cannot Be Met in the Long Term	p. 40
Thou Shalt Take Care of Thyself from Day One	p. 48
Thou Shalt Be Aware of the Chronics	p. 59
Thou Shalt Limit Thy Activities beyond the Congregation That Has Called You	p. 70
Thou Shalt Remember What Thy Job Is	p. 75
Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery	p. 85
Afterword: The Eleventh Commandment	p. 92
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