You & Your Pastor

This book shows how church members and leaders, pastors, and personnel committees can work together to fulfill God's mission for their church. It answers key questions such as: How can we better understand and support our pastor's call to ministry, as well as his or her personal, spiritual, and professional needs? How can we work together to create a global strategy for our mission? How can we transform our often boring church committees into vital communities of faith? How can we deal with "clergy killers" and troublemakers who constantly disrupt our church?Also, churches seeking a new pastor will find this book an invaluable resource to guide their search committees as they study their task. Personnel committees will find it helpful as they evaluate the performance of their pastor in a constructive and non-threatening way. Any church member will find the book a helpful tool in understanding and working with their pastor. Pastors themselves will profit from reflecting on their own experiences in ministry.Each chapter features "Talking Points" that provide discussion material for church members and pastors to deepen and enrich their understanding of the particular subject.Written by a pastor who served five southeastern churches and who also taught ministry in a theological seminary for sixteen years, this book is anchored in his pastoral experience and theological reflection. Thus the author promotes a much better understanding of the life and work of a pastor even while it strives to cultivate a church member's discipleship. Through the entire book runs the recurring theme that pastor and members are partnering to carry out God's mission in their community and to the uttermost parts of the earth. As a result they will more likely renew their commitment to this task.