Pastors are tasked with the incredibly demanding job of caring for the spiritual, emotional, and, at times‚ physical needs of their people. While seminary is helpful preparation for many of the challenges pastors face, there’s far more to pastoral ministry than what can be covered in the classroom. Designed as a reference guide for nearly every situation a pastor will face, this comprehensive book by seasoned pastors Kent Hughes and Doug O’Donnell is packed full of biblical wisdom and practical guidance related to the reality of pastoral ministry in the trenches. From officiating weddings to conducting funerals to visiting the sick, this book will equip pastors and church leaders with the knowledge they need to effectively minister to their flocks, both within the walls of the church and beyond.

Of all the titles which have been minted for the envoys of the Son of God, that of "shepherd" is the most popular, the most beautiful, and the most ample. Bishop, presbyter, preacher, priest, clergyman, rector, parson, minister, all of these have been long, and are still, in use, but not one of them is so satisfying or sufficient as "shepherd."--Page 1.

More and more pulpits are occupied by motivational speakers rather than preachers. Church congregations are not being given a comprehensive, biblical understanding of the faith. Drawing on his own experience as a pastor in Zambia, Conrad Mbewe tackles issues such as the content of pastoral preaching, how pastoral preaching relates to church life, finding the time to prepare pastoral sermons, and dealing with discouragement. Throughout the book, it is clear that the author’s conviction is to see preachers grow strong churches, to build a people for God.

When are you going to do something about pastoring our people? When he heard that cry, Dr. Melvin Steinbron realized that the centuries-long traditional roles of the clergy and laity - with the clergy doing the pastoring and the laity receiving it - is woefully inadequate to care for all the needs of people in our churches today. So he decided to do something about it. Believing that lay people also have ministry gifts, he, along with a team of church members, initiated a program to enable the laity to share in pastoring the congregation. You, too, can form a lay pastoring ministry which will benefit both pastor and congregation. This book will show you: -how to reach out on a continuing basis to every member of your church -how God gives pastoring gifts to lay people -how to prepare your congregation for a lay pastoring ministry -how to get organized -how to choose lay pastors -how to conduct a 15-hour equipping seminar -seven commitments lay pastors must make -seven common ministry problems and how they can strengthen rather than weaken your program -how to evaluate your program This is much more than a how-to book. It's a how-it's-being-done-and-you-can-do-it-too book. The lengthy track record of scores of lay people doing effective pastoring assures you that lay people can indeed do the pastoring.

Focusing on pastoral leadership within local churches or groups of churches, Derek Tidball provides a comprehensive survey of the variety of ministry models and patterns found in the New Testament with applications for today's ministry.