Military chaplains are highly trained professionals with multiple graduate degrees and varying civilian pastoral experience. They enter the chaplaincy after a rigorous selection process and military courses, which all must verify their calling to military ministry. Throughout a chaplain’s career, he or she will attend many continuing education seminars, civilian education graduate programs, and conferences, all provided by the military. However, chaplains are challenged with the rigorous multitasked environment of this ministry. Multiple deployments into combat have negatively impacted the personal lives of those seeking to care for the souls of the soldier. This book encourages the importance of spiritual resiliency in the lives of leaders, both military and civilian. Leaders who regularly practice spiritual disciplines will be less likely to suffer personal and professional failure, or burnout. Second, the leader’s practice of spiritual disciplines is essential to fostering positive modeling and mentoring for young chaplains and those wishing to serve. Third, practicing historic Christian spiritual disciplines will benefit those who strive to lead congregations and especially military installations in the free exercise of their faith.

Military chaplains are highly trained professionals with multiple graduate degrees and varying civilian pastoral experience. They enter the chaplaincy after a rigorous selection process and military courses which all must verify their calling to military ministry. Throughout a chaplain's career he or she will attend many continuing education seminars, civilian education graduate programs, and conferences, all provided by the military. However, chaplains are challenged with the rigorous muilti-tasked environment of this ministry. Multiple deployments into combat have nagatively impacted the personal lives of those seeking to care for the souls of the soldier. This project encourages the importance of spiritual resiliency in the lives of leaders. Leaders who regularly practice spiritual disciplines will be less likely to suffer personal and professional failure. Second, the leader's practice of spiritual disciplines is essential to fostering positive modeling and mentoring for young chaplains. Third, practicing historic Christian spiritual disciplines will benefit chaplains as they strive to lead congregations and military installations in the free exercise of religion.

In Off-Road Disciplines, Earl Creps reveals that the on-road practices of prayer and Bible reading should be bolstered by the other kinds of encounters with God that occur unexpectedly—complete with the bumps and bruises that happen when you go “off-road.” Becoming an off-road leader requires the cultivation of certain spiritual disciplines that allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to arrange your interior life. Earl Creps explores twelve central spiritual disciplines—six personal and six organizational—that Christian leaders of all ages and denominations need if they are to change themselves and their churches to reach out to the culture around them.

Today's spiritual leader cannot succeed at ministry and leadership until they succeed at the disciplines necessary to build a strong spiritual base. Expertise and elevated skill levels can take a leader only so far—still short of God's design. Before they can effectively lead others, they have to lead themselves in the spiritual disciplines from which the revelation of God's plan for their lives and ministries come.

Churches and groups around the country have asked for a short, flexible introductory Companions in Christ resource. Here it is! This six-week study, Exploring the Way, provides an orientation to the Christian spiritual life. Use it with members and those seeking spiritual growth. This resource will encourage participation in your church's spiritual-formation groups. This Leader's Guide provides all the tools needed for leading groups on this transforming six-week journey: Detailed explanation of spiritual formation, A complete list of materials needed for each weekly meeting, Weekly outlines with full content for brief opening worship, sharing of insights, information, about each practice, time to experience that practice together, and closing worship, The Companions in Christ Leader's Guides are the most complete and user-friendly guides available. Book jacket.

Forming the Leader's Soul: An Invitation to Spiritual Direction encourages Christian leaders to recover the much-needed ancient discipline of spiritual direction as a pathway to nurture spiritual and emotional health amid the challenges of leading a ministry.Many Christian leaders are finding the nature of ministry to be unsustainable in today's culture, and are searching for help. They realize their initial enthusiasm and ministry training are simply not enough to reach the finish line. Leaders are discovering spiritual direction as a proven pathway to recover spiritual life and the sustainable ministry that follows.Several years ago spiritual direction was almost unheard of in the Protestant world. Today, this ministry is referred to in articles and books as well as highlighted at conferences. This book seeks to give the reader a starting point from which to explore the ministry of spiritual direction. It offers an inside look at the history, theological foundation, and the praxis of this spiritual discipline creating a desire for further exploration and participation.The author seeks to strengthen the reader's appreciation of spiritual direction by drawing upon the his own experience as a pastor for over three decades. He uses his personal journey into spiritual direction (both as a directee and director) as a window and an invitation to discover more. Each chapter ends with a short, real-life story from a leader who participates in spiritual direction.

The need of the church in America today is holiness. When lives are transformed, wholeness and holiness result. Scripture provides the basis for transformation to take place, and addressing this must include spiritual disciplines. Prayer, confession, Bible study and other spiritual disciplines need to be practiced to build every believer s relationship with God and grow into His likeness. In this way, individuals and church leaders each become more effective in their spiritual lives. The more disciplines are practiced, the more effective leadership marks become apparent among the body of believers. As a result, the church becomes healthier. When its leaders are transformed, the whole church benefits. This book intentionally addresses four groups in the church. First, all people attending church will be challenged to practice spiritual disciplines. It will also challenge those who are training for Christian leadership, as well as pulpit committees, to stress that spiritual disciplines need to be found in a Christian leader. Finally, pastors will be challenged to personally incorporate spiritual disciplines into daily life to an even greater degree than before and urge the people they shepherd to do the same. Spiritual disciplines supply the supportive structure for the transformation of Romans 12:1-2 to take place. More than ever before, leaders are searching for answers in order to move the church in the right direction. Short-term success appears to be more popular among God s people than long-term effectiveness. The practice of spiritual disciplines will build and deepen spiritual lives. Core spiritual disciplines are foundational to build effective leadership marks in the lives of believers. Gary s desire in ministry is to be out of work to train and develop spiritual leaders in the church who can do the work of the ministry. Paul s final words to the elders in Ephesus were, Guard yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood (Acts 20:28). He then followed up with his benediction; Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace. Feeding on the Word and maintaining an intimate, trusting relationship with God are the keys that Gary emphasizes in this fine book. As my pastor, I have often heard him comment, That s not a hill worth dying on. There are many projects and programs that could be pushed in the church some good, most not worth dying for. But the one thing that is lacking is the development of men and women of God who consistently practice core spiritual disciplines. Character counts. Mark Anderson, technical consultant in media ministries with Pamir Productions