BookPastor >> "Old Paths, New Power" (Daniel Henderson)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Feb 8th, 2017.

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TITLE: Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word
AUTHOR: Daniel Henderson
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016, (272 pages).

It's another New Year and time to make new resolutions. It is also tempting to ask ourselves what is the newest, the latest, and the greatest to shore up our work or activities planned for the year. With regard to the Church and the Christian life, it is doubly tempting to incorporate fresh new ideas to renew or revitalize the community. Instead, this book stops us on such a track and forces us to examine old paths instead of seeking new ways. It makes us ponder at the tried-and-tested disciplines instead of relying on the latest and the most novel options available today. Two words sum up the old disciplines needed: Prayer and Bible. It is most timely and timeless. Timely because of the relevance to the needs of today; Timeless because it is applicable throughout the ages. By re-examining the tenacity of the faith and practice of the early Church. While many of us in the modern Church tend to pray in the context of ministry, the early believers minister in the context of prayer. The difference is stark because modern believers treat prayer as a means to an end and practice it only as a department of the overall ministry. This is all wrong. It should be prayer as the context of all ministries. The same applies for the ministry of the Word. This principle is taken from Acts 6:4 which is about how the apostles said: "will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

BookPastor >> "Adoptive Youth Ministry" (Chip Clark)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Aug 29th, 2016.

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TITLE: Adoptive Youth Ministry: Integrating Emerging Generations into the Family of Faith (Youth, Family, and Culture)
AUTHOR: Chap Clark
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2016, (400 pages).

What is adoption? What does "Adoptive Youth Ministry" mean? How is it different from conventional youth ministries? According to the editor of this book, to be adopted means becoming a full member of a nonbiological family. When applied to youth ministry, it means one, more, or even all of of the following "four foundational premises."

1. Recognizing that in every Church and organization, there are insiders as well as outsiders.
2. Reminding that we are adopted into God's family as a child with other children.
3. We are vulnerable but Jesus has his eyes on us.
4. That we as well as outsiders are called to the gathering.

Chap Clark, editor of this book of articles compiled from 20 different contributors says:

"Adoptive ministry is vital because we are witnessing the fact that in Christ God has invited those who 'believed in his name' to 'become children of God' (John 1:12). This is the message of the good news. Therefore our message—in our lifestyle, service, and word—is adoption."

BookPastor >> "Relational Children's Ministry" (Dan Lovaglia)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Feb 12th, 2016.

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TITLE: Relational Children's Ministry: Turning Kid-Influencers Into Lifelong Disciple Makers
AUTHOR: Dan Lovaglia
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, (272 pages).

As far as children are concerned, the Bible has been very consistent. The Bible has said in Psalm 127:3 that "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from Him." We are blessed to have children in our midst. I remember how children light up the mood in any room. At the same time, we need to look at what it means to practice Proverbs 22:6 to "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Even in the New Testament, children are specifically told to obey their parents. That is one main reason for children's ministry. We want to reach children for Christ, to groom them to be God-fearing individuals, and to help them live a life honouring to God and to people. In the words of Dan Lovaglia, author and Director of Leadership Development at Awana International, children's ministry must be relational. He wants to equip leaders to move from "kid-influencers into lifelong disciple makers" and in doing so to help children do the same when they grow up. Such leaders include not only ministry workers, volunteers, and pastoral staff. Most importantly, it is about reaching and equipping parents by coming alongside them, supporting, encouraging, and guiding them. All of these are best done through relationships. With skill and care, Lovaglia helps us through three main stages.

BookPastor >> "Relational Children's Ministry (Dan Lovaglia)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on July 12th, 2016.

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TITLE: Relational Children's Ministry: Turning Kid-Influencers Into Lifelong Disciple Makers
AUTHOR: Dan Lovaglia
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, (272 pages).

As far as children are concerned, the Bible has been very consistent. The Bible has said in Psalm 127:3 that "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from Him." We are blessed to have children in our midst. I remember how children light up the mood in any room. At the same time, we need to look at what it means to practice Proverbs 22:6 to "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Even in the New Testament, children are specifically told to obey their parents. That is one main reason for children's ministry. We want to reach children for Christ, to groom them to be God-fearing individuals, and to help them live a life honouring to God and to people. In the words of Dan Lovaglia, author and Director of Leadership Development at Awana International, children's ministry must be relational. He wants to equip leaders to move from "kid-influencers into lifelong disciple makers" and in doing so to help children do the same when they grow up. Such leaders include not only ministry workers, volunteers, and pastoral staff. Most importantly, it is about reaching and equipping parents by coming alongside them, supporting, encouraging, and guiding them. All of these are best done through relationships. With skill and care, Lovaglia helps us through three main stages.

BookPastor >> "Leading Kids Ministry" (Pat Cimo and Matt Markins)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on June 30th, 2016. 

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TITLE: Leading KidMin: How to Drive Real Change in Children's Ministry
AUTHOR: Pat Cimo and Matt Markins
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016, (176 pages).

How do we drive real change? What does it take to be a change agent in children's ministry? Is it about following the latest trends about children's work? Is it about trying to maintain relevance in a sea of changing expectations? Is it about attractive programs? No. It starts with being a change agent for God. In order to be change agents, we must first be changed. In order to be part of God's ministry to drive change, we must be transformed by God and be renewed in our hearts and minds. In order to lead kids ministry, we must be led. In order to be part of real change in ministry, we must be changed from the inside out. This is the key thesis in this book that aims to encourage and empower leaders and leaders to be in kids ministry.

We first need to get ministry right by recognizing that change is a process. It is not an isolated one-time event. We need to be clear about what we want to happen and what we need to do. It is about gaining perspective and to communicate it clearly to our co-workers. It is about gaining self-awareness. This can be facilitated with various tools to help us find our strengths and weaknesses. Leaders in Kids Ministry need to be empowered by senior leaders, something that this book also describes later. The chapter on "Running Toward Your Problem" is a crucial test of our willingness to face up to our challenges. Are we running away or toward? Are we humble enough to ask for help and feedback? Are we able to partner with other volunteers, senior leadership, parents, and others? Truth is, far too many kids ministry leaders do it alone. In order to reverse this trend, the authors propose nine steps toward healthy partnership.

BookPastor >> "God Dreams" (Will Mancini)

This review was first published on Aug 18th, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: God Dreams: 12 Vision Templates for Finding and Focusing Your Church's Future
AUTHOR: Will Mancini
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2016, (288 pages).

Vision is an integral part of Church. Mission is an outflow of the vision. Both go together but how can we make the process more effective and clear? Without clarity, how can any organization know where to go and how to motivate their members to fulfill the objectives? What is the purpose of its existence? Many people know the importance but lack the necessary tools and processes to clarify their vision and mission. Based on more than 15 years of experience, more than 500 churches, and over 10000 hours of work with church team facilitation, author Will Mancini makes vision sharpening as a key priority in this book. He lists three benefits for reading this book.

1. Leading meaningfully
2. Inspiring the community
3. Focusing on God's vision

By honing on clarifying our Church's vision and direction, Mancini believes that Church Identity; Church Direction; and Church Story can be connected as one. The six parts of the book are:

1. Restart the Conversation: of vision and dreams
2. Discover Visionary Planning: visualizing the future
3. Find Your Future: Adopt templates toward fulfilling the goals
4. Focus Your Long-Term Vision: 
5. Execute Your Short-Term Vision
6. Lead with Freedom: personalizing the vision

(From Will Mancini's "God Dreams" Overview)

BookPastor >> "For a New Generation" (Lee Kricher)

This review was first published on Aug 22nd, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: For a New Generation: A Practical Guide for Revitalizing Your Church
AUTHOR: Lee Kricher
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, (176 pages).

If you are reading this book, there is a good chance that you come from or know of churches trying to address the aging problem. Churches all over the world are constantly being challenged toward leadership renewal, engaging the young, and replacing the old. People don’t live forever and there will be a time in which the baton needs to be handed to the next generation. Provided there is a next generation. Are you doing enough to reach the next generation? Are we doing both church planting as well as church revitalization? Can we put in place a strategy to enable a church toward ‘perpetual church revitalization?’

For senior pastor of Amplify Church, it means developing a new generation church that has “attendees whose average age is at least as young as the average age of the community in which the church exists.” For Amplify Church that was founded in the late 1970s, by 2003 they had such a sharp decline that the less than 200 people in the church could hardly afford its monthly mortgage payment. They even needed to make arrangement with a bank to service only its interest! Most alarming was the rising average age of the congregation. By refocusing their efforts on becoming a new generation church, the numbers not only reversed but the church grew to an average weekly attendance of 1400 people. More encouraging is the average age of the congregation hovers under 35. This book is about the journey of Amplify Church, and how it takes a declining situation and turns it around to be a vibrant new generation church. It comprises five strategies:

1. Adopt a New Mindset
2. Identify the Essentials
3. Reduce the Distractions
4. Elevate Your Standards
5. Build a Mentoring Culture

BookPastor >> "Pastors in the Classics" (Leland Ryken, Rhilip Ryken, Todd Wilson)

This review was first published on Jan 30th, 2012 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: Pastors in the Classics: Timeless Lessons on Life and Ministry from World Literature
AUTHOR: Leland Ryken, Philip Ryken and Todd Wilson.
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012, (192 pages).

This book teaches us to read literary works, with a special focus on learning the portrait of pastors, leaders, and the pastoral calling. Written in two parts, it is different from a typical non-fiction book in the sense that it shows rather than tells us what to do.The authors gently remind us that literary works are firstly to be understood as a presentation of a human experience. This keeps readers patiently mindful and emotionally ready to shake hands with the text. Secondly, literary texts are for readers to appreciate the authors' interpretation of that experience. This enables readers to embrace the author's understanding like a warm hug. Whether the reader agrees or not is another matter. Understanding is key. Thirdly, it is for the enjoyment of the many creative literary techniques, forms, and beauty. This helps readers to look with the original authors, interpreters, and all, to look in the same direction to appreciate life as a whole.

Part One is the major section of the book, drawing a sharp portrait of the pastoral life through 12 classic works. It lists some essential information like author's background, date published, era concerned, book length, setting, and plot overviews. What is helpful is the description of the characters played out. The unique value of this book is the way the authors sieve out the implications for pastors, leaders, and the pastoral ministry, through themes and insights for leadership.  For example, in "The Scarlet Letter," the Rykens summarizes the book with the words, "Hidden Sin and Its Consequences" while at the same time describes the themes of sin, shame, revenge, punishment, salvation, and forgiveness. It is a 'negative example' that can be used to facilitate a life more aware of the potency of sin. There is also the 'positive example' of perseverance in spite of great suffering. In 'Cry, the Beloved Country,' suffering is seen not as something to be despised and hated, but to be endured for sanctified service. Each chapter ends with a pertinent 'reflection or discussion' section that drives home the theme for application. The questions turns a fictional work into a very personal application, for a non-fictional world.

Part Two is like the section of minors, that bring together 58 short reflections and summaries of literary works. The subheadings of each chapter basically condenses the learning points in one short quip. It does not go into similar depth like the 12 works in Part One. Instead, it points readers with handles to appreciate the texts from a ministry and minister perspective. It looks very much like an extended annotated bibliography of books, much like Eugene Peterson's "Take and Read - Spiritual Reading: An Annotated List." Some of the notable works include "The Poisonwood Bible," "Les Miserables," "Father Brown," "The Brothers Karamazov," and even two of Jane Austen's novels!

Closing Thoughts

Even though many of the works are fictional, the experiences and the emotional ups and downs are real and authentic. It shows us the deep struggles and inner angsts of people in the pastoral vocation. There are many things in ministry that cannot be explained through words, or even stories. Some experiences need the help of good literary devices in order to do justice to the nuances of the emotions.

In a world of modern bookstores packed with story books like Chicken Soup series or all kinds of short stories that aim to inspire or create feel-good emotions, books like Pastors in the Classics, go much deeper, wider, and I dare say, richer. Just the table of contents and introduction pages are worth the price of the book. The literary beauty and brilliance that Pastors in the Classics contains reminds us all over again, that good books are hard to come by. Once they do pass by, read it, for we may not know when we will get another chance to read another good book.

This book is a collectable item for leaders, pastors, ministry workers, teachers, students, and all readers wanting to have a  great literary experience.


Ratings: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

BookPastor >> "Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry" (Cameron Cole and Jon Nielson)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on March 17th, 2016.

conrade

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TITLE: Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry: A Practical Guide (The Gospel Coalition)
AUTHOR: Edited by Cameron Cole and Jon Nielson
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016, (176 pages).

Youth ministry is certainly one of the most crucial ministries in any church. Having it is not just a step of faith. It is investment for the future. The purpose of such a ministry is to help cultivate a sense of discipleship with young people about to enter the adult world. This is especially challenging with the rise of the MTD movement, which teaches people to live a life according to a set of do's and don'ts (moralistic); feel-good self-enrichment activities (Therapeutic); and living as if God is far away (Deism). The core message of this book is about centering youth ministry on the gospel. Through the gospel, every other activity, initiative, and discipleship endeavors are done. Seven major foundations are included here:

1. The centrality of the gospel: Where theology drives methodology
2. Discipleship: Where discipleship is the key motif in all youth work.
3. Expository teaching: The importance of biblical teaching and the ministry of God's Word
4. Relationships: Connecting with young people.
5. Community: Helping youths build community in Christ. 
6. Partnering with Parents: Helping parents be a part of the youth ministry
7. Generational Integration: Be inclusive when doing church.

BookPastor >> "A Vision for Preaching" (Abraham Kuruvilla)

This review was first published on Jan 4th, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint. 

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TITLE: A Vision for Preaching: Understanding the Heart of Pastoral Ministry
AUTHOR: Abraham Kuruvilla
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015, (214 pages).

Three words anchor this book: "Preach the Word." The purpose is to let the Word shine in this world biblically, pastorally, amid an "alchemical and distillatory tendencies of this generation." This means not submitting to humanistic desires for newness but to re-tell God's story faithfully regardless of old or new. This means not succumbing to tendencies to reduce to Word to what it is not, but let the Word speak clearly, insightfully, and powerfully. As far as the author is concerned, it involves eight questions based on eight preaching thrusts:

1. Whose words were these words originally? (Biblical)
2. Who said it? (Pastoral)
3. In what context? (Ecclesial)
4. What should these words convey? (Communicational)
5. What is the general thrust of the text? (Theological)
6. Who was the audience? (Applicational)
7. Why was it said? (Conformational)
8. To what ultimate end? (Doxological)
9. By whose power? (Spiritual)

All of these are summarized in one vision statement: "Preaching is biblical (Biblical) - by a leader of the church (Pastoral) - in a gathering of Christians for worship (Ecclesial) - is the communication of the thrust of a pericope of Scripture (Communicational) - discerned by theological exegesis, (Theological) - and of its application to that specific body of believers, (Applicational) - that they may be conformed to the image of Christ, (Conformational) - for the glory of God (Doxological) - all in the power of the Holy Spirit (Spiritual)."

BookPastor >> "The Pastor as Public Theologian" (Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Dec 11th, 2015.

conrade

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TITLE: The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision
AUTHOR: Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015, (230 pages).

What is the primary role of a pastor? One job description I read recently includes the typical duties such as pastoral care, preaching, evangelism, missions, visitation, small groups, office administration, oversee the care of facilities, taking care of Sunday School, and so on. On top of that, it includes a requirement of playing the piano! I smiled at first but soon my smile turned to frowns. How can a pastor be all things to all people, and all things to all work in the Church? If a pastor is going to be a spiritual Swiss knife to do everything in the Church, then only superman is eligible to apply. The tragedy of the Church is how pastors are turned from theologians into administrators; from biblical proponents to management strategists; from biblical preachers to motivational speakers. This book aims to reverse the trend and to instill in churches and pastors the need for theological reflections to be taken more seriously. The Church need more pastors to be deep in the Word and to be the public theologian in the marketplace of ideas. The call is not for less but more theology in churches to be taught.

The authors are passionate about all things theology. Kevin Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan are both professors of theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary respectively. Vanhoozer is the author of numerous books such as Everyday Theology, the Drama of Doctrine, and Is there a meaning in the text while Strachan is a Fellow with the Center for Pastor Theologians. Both of them believe that the vision for theology in the Church must be reclaimed and re-discovered. They show us the problem, the proposal, and the prospect of why they write this book.

BookPastor >> "The Practice of Pastoral Care" (Carrie Doehring)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on July 28th, 2015.

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TITLE: The Practice of Pastoral Care, Revised and Expanded Edition
AUTHOR: Carrie Doehring
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015, (232 pages).

Pastoral care is a critical part of any Church ministry. The word "pastor" is synonymous with "shepherd." Unlike some places that sees the pastor as the leader-CEO, the true biblical basis of a pastor is to shepherd the flock. How we practice pastoral care however have changed, partly because of changing needs. In this book, the way is to adopt a "postmodern approach" toward the practice of pastoral care. Calling it an "intercultural approach," pastoral care in this book means not just listening to the stories of the people but also to create meaning of them. It means learning to piece together the broken pieces of life. It means learning to help people tell their stories. It means cultivating trust. For Carrie Doehring, it is the heart of pastoral care where people are willing to open up their lives to caregivers. It is about creating opportunities for "care conversations" and relating real-life to theological truths and biblical principles. Doehring goes a step further to advocate for a care that brings back individuals from a de-centered sacred bearings due to suffering and painful circumstances. How can one show compassion and understanding toward those questioning their faith and religious values? This calls for a "theological, cultural, and psychological expertise" that can help care for parishioners and people in such need, what Doehring refers to as "the compassionate art of intercultural care." Carers essentially enter into the lives of others, sharing in their pain, walking with them in the valley of questions and celebrating with them in the answers of joy. It is about intermingling one's lives with another so as to build a bridge that aids integrative moments and shared stories. It is collaborative exploration of new and strange emotional territories. The author attempts to use a "trifocal lens" which comprises of a precritical, a modern, and a postmodern approach.  As a first-order language, a precritical lens looks at the world from a divine perspective. The modern lens is a second-order language that adopts "text critical methods" and social sciences to include empirical analysis and rational judgment of knowledge. The postmodern approach is the third-order language that nuances all of these in the light of present contexts. This approach involves the meaning making and the response of individuals to the earlier two orders of language. She summarizes the book's structure in six parts.

Midweek Meditation: "What Does it Mean to Care?" (Henri Nouwen)

"What does it mean to care? Let me start by saying that the word care has become a very ambivalent word. When someone says: “I will take care of him!” it is more likely an announcement of an impending attack than of a tender compassion. And besides this ambivalence, the word care is most often used in a negative way. “Do you want coffee or tea?” “I don’t care.” “Do you want to stay home or go to a movie?” “I don’t care.” “Do you want to walk or go by car?” “I don’t care.” This indifference toward choices in life has become commonplace. And often it seems that not to care has become more acceptable than to care, and a carefree life-style more attractive than a careful one.

Real care is not ambiguous. Real care excludes indifference and is the opposite of apathy. The word “care” finds its roots in the Gothic “Kara” which means lament. The basic meaning of care is: to grieve, to experience sorrow, to cry out with. I am very much struck by this background of the word care because we tend to look at caring as an attitude of the strong toward the weak, of the powerful toward the powerless, of the have’s toward the have-not’s. And, in fact, we feel quite uncomfortable with an invitation to enter into someone’s pain before doing something about it.

Still, when we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not-knowing, not-curing, not-healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is the friend who cares." (Henri Nouwen, Out of Solitude, Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2004, p25-6)

BookPastor >> "Launch Your Encore" (Hans Finzel and Rick Hicks)

Many nations around the world are facing this big issue: An aging population. We need to encourage a re-launching of a person's sense of purpose. This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on May 11th, 2015.

conrade

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TITLE: Launch Your Encore: Finding Adventure and Purpose Later in Life
AUTHOR: Hans Finzel and Rick Hicks
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015, (208 pages).

In America, more than 76 million people are above 60 years of age. Some call it retirement phase. Others call it the golden years or the silver hair period of life. After many years of active working, this phase of life is often marked by slowdowns  physically, mentally, and emotionally. In such later years, what can these people do? They may retire from their jobs but they cannot retire from life altogether. Moreover, with more people living longer and the pace of society getting quicker, it can be very challenging for people in this age group to cope. Rather than to be shoved aside, the authors of this book believe that retirement is more an opportunity rather than an unwelcome phase of life. The premise is this.

"The word retirement should not be an exit sign, but a door into something fresh, new, and exciting." (17)

This "final act" may very well be this particular generation's "greatest contribution." How is it possible, one may ask. The authors frame the process in four parts.

BookPastor >> "Letters to a Young Pastor" (Calvin Miller)

TITLE: Letters to a Young Pastor
AUTHOR: Calvin Miller
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook Publishers, 2011, (256 pages).

This book comprises 35 letters that flow out of the life of an experienced pastor, who personally learned through the school of hard knocks. In discipling a young pastor, he covers five key areas any budding pastor ought to learn, especially at the onset of ministry. The first words in the book, "Walk with me" is an invitation for the young pastor to continue the journey of learning. Graduating from seminary or Bible school does not constitute the end of a theological education. It marks the beginning of how one puts theory to practice, to hone not just the skills needed for pastoral work but to grow as a person. As a wise guide, Miller, a Professor as well as a respected pastor teaches with humour without becoming too "preachy."

First and foremost is the question of identity. Beginning with a story of how one preacher prefers to clothe himself with copied sermons and duplicated mannerisms, one must be authentic. In other words, authenticity means that even after peeling away the layers of a person, the very core inside reflects the same outside. The failure of many pastors begin in the failure to love. In fact, that is what grieving the Holy Spirit is all about, according to Francis Schaeffer. One is called to a congregation regardless of its size. With the call, there is a need for passion. For example, one preaches not because one have to, but because one loves to. The love to preach is a call in itself. Whether one's Church or ministry is significant or not is not how the world sees it but how God sees it. Reputation is key as as it is linked to behaviour. Discouragement, depression, and despondency are the threats to effective pastoral ministry. Learning to be honest and open is crucial. He also addresses the issue of eros and agape warning about temptations of the sexual kind. The role of a pastor goes beyond the Church. It includes being a father-priest at home to one's children.

The second theme is about one's parish. In terms of size, is it the small Church or is it like what John Wesley famously said: "The world is my parish?" In administration, pastors need to learn to look at ministry as a team. Some things are best learned by serving, like changing diapers. One serves not hooked on the narcotic of success. One serves together as a community in spite of failure. Take time to differentiate between putting resources into building up a fragile image versus creating and building a vision for the future. The chapter on "never resign till Tuesday" is a fascinating chapter about limiting one to a six-day workweek. Use Mondays to process Sundays. If there be any drastic activity, do it on a Tuesday instead. It is also important to get rid of "safe and sameness" mentality. In relationships, Miller shares about a very difficult time when he was planning to resign. A wise counsel from a friend was a act of saving grace that enabled his parish to grow in the pastor-parish relationship.

The third theme is about discipleship and to learn to work in teams. He gives tips about how to avoid getting stuck in the rut; avoiding the success syndrome; and building trust, even with the most difficult people.

Section Four touches on the preparation, the delivery, and the homiletics of sermons. Telling stories, tailoring brevity, and cultivating listen-ability are the three hallmarks of a good delivery. He provides tips on avoiding potholes that can stumble a young pastor.

Finally, the key to spiritual health is to be conformed to Christ. The problem with conforming to the world or human preferences is the restrictions that come with it. He addresses four demons that hem us in. The demon of ignorance tempts one to look for answers in all the wrong places. The demon of heredity locks one into an archaic view of self. The demon of age lets our youth gets in the way of maturity. The demon of inferiority keeps us from taking a bold step of faith.

The 35 short letters are written with wit and wisdom. Readers will find a lot of frank comments as if Miller is speaking directly to us. The humour within and the personal stories make this book up close and personal. Though some of the ideas are unconventional, it reminds me of 1 Timothy 1:5.

"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." (1 Timothy 1:5)

That is the spirit of the letter, from a wise pastor to a young pastor. In fact, one does not need to be a pastor to benefit from the book. One can simply be an apprentice to learn about ministry and the unique challenges that come with it. Maybe, it can help readers learn how to pray for their pastors.

Great book!

conrade

BookPastor >> "Adventures in Churchland" (Dan Kimball)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on September 8th, 2012.

Let me share a quote from the book that is particularly helpful in looking at Church.

"It doesn’t matter what size our church is—tiny, small, medium, large, mega, multimega — they all are messy. For those who say that we need to get back to the pure, New Testament house church model, we find that there were some big messes there as well. Just read the New Testament letter of First Corinthians and you’ll find prejudice, sexual immorality among family members, drunkenness, pride, and false teaching. It can seem romantic to go back to another time and envision the church then as the perfect church, but the fact is the church has always been messy in all of its forms. We make mistakes because we are fallible human beings. Every time Christians point at the church and say it is messed up, we point at ourselves. are part of the problem because are the church." (Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland, Zondervan, 2012, p192-3)

conrade

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TITLE: Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion
AUTHOR: Dan Kimball
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012, (224 pages).

This book is a personal journey of the author's trip to Christianity. Before his eventual discovery of grace in the Christian faith, he has to navigate the treacherous terrains of "organized religion" and negative perceptions of Church.The author's key dilemma is that he like Jesus but not the Church. Like the musical plays, much of Christianity in churches appear to be play-acting, artificial, or does not manifest the true spirit of Christianity the way Jesus has represented from the beginning. There is a messy spiritual climate in churches simply because people are messy. Worse, many are simply content in the present state of mess. Kimball is determined to change that, and to use his own personal journey to do something about it, and to bring hope and encouragement to those who may be traveling the same paths he has trod. In a nutshell, it is POSSIBLE to find grace in Jesus even in messy organized religion. Kimball shows us the way, several ways. His passion is as follows:

"I wrote this book to offer them hope that there is more to the church and Christianity than they have seen or experienced. I wrote this book to encourage them not to give up on the church. I will be encouraging you to join in (if you haven’t already) and be part of the change so that we can truly represent Jesus to the world with passion, integrity, humility, creativity, and love." (14)

Written in three parts, Kimball works through his reactions to popular versions of Church and Christianity. He begins with a humourous retelling of his experience in a church musical, how he get embarrassed about the play-acting scenario. He shares plainly how uncomfortable and weird he feels in his first encounter with an evangelism experience, where the focus seems to be on hell, salvation, and avoiding punishment. The strong sense of judgmentalism continues to haunt his perception of certain strands of Christianity. His core dislike happens to be in the Church itself. His three main peeves surround the way Church is presenting, or misrepresenting the gospel of Jesus. Firstly, new people feel a sense of being a misfit when they are not able to fit into the subcultures of evangelical churches. Secondly, many of the practices appear "weird" to people unfamiliar to church. Thirdly, and most disappointingly, churches tend to avoid tackling the difficult questions of life, even the Bible. From "creepy pastors" to difficulties in understanding the ancient cultures in biblical texts, there are many things that are downright uncomprehensible. If only churches and Christian people are able to address them honestly and intentionally.  Despite his discomfort, Kimball offers us a way forward, that the church despite all its flaws, is still worth our time and attention, and our love.  

The second part begins his path of recovering from his weirdness and confusion through finding the beauty of Christ amid all the mess. Being judged by others is a horrible feeling. Seeing hypocritical behaviour among Christians is equally horrible. Yet, the Bible speaks out against such things and behaviours. What makes all the difference is to be able to recognize that we fall short ourselves, and we need forgiveness more. If we are to judge, we need to be up in arms against any forms of hypocrisy. More importantly, church people need to judge themselves first and foremost, before any criticisms from outside the church. When this is addressed, the Church is ready to be a positive agent of change for the world beyond. Instead of condemning the church practices, Kimball offers a different path, an alternate way to see the church. In his take about "organized religion," Kimball plumbs the Internet audience about perceptions of organized religion. The common strand is the church being seen as a place that tries to control people. Such a thinking is more often a misunderstanding of church people. Kimball does some research and points to differences between the early church and the modern church. In fact, the biblical church has a rich history and diversity. The modern flavour of the church does not necessarily represent the biblical church. This will immediately dispel concerns from people that to be a Christian, means to follow exactly all the modern church dictates. No. Being a Christian is in following Jesus according to what the Bible says, not what the church subcultures or the worldly culture dictates. If churches are able to continue to let the Bible influence their subcultures, there is hope. Some of these influences include:

• Freeing people in worship
• Not segregation but unity and beauty in worship
• Not judgment but forgiveness and grace
• Humility in theology and practice
• Boldly confront pet answers for the purpose of seeking truth
• Good "organized religion" serves God through people.
• Good "organized religion" extols the hope of God in Jesus.

Part Three expands on this renewal of "organized religion." There is no substitute for reading the Bible and practicing it from the inside out. We need to substitute the negative perceptions of churchland with the positive renditions of graceland. In order to avoid being trapped in churchland, we need to constantly manage our time with one another. Make sure that we spend adequate time with non-church people too. We need to grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus, and not simply being content with superficial readings of Jesus. We are not to put our faith in ideas about Christianity. We put our faith in the person of Jesus.  After working through the fantasies and fallacies of churchland, Kimball begins to piece together a hopeful picture of a Church living in the grace of Jesus. Church is a gathering of God's people. It is impossible to "go to church." Instead, we become a church as we come together in the name of the Lord. He makes it clear through a comparison on page 184 about the differences between "go to church" and "be the church."

My Thoughts

Kimball has done the church a favour by taking the church to task first.  Having Christians admonishing fellow Christians is far better than having non believers judging and condemning Christian people. We are called to bring out the best of fellow believers, and in the process, also become a witness to the world. The way Kimball does it is admirable because he does not come across as a "fire and brimstone" preacher who speaks down on us. He shares his own personal story and battle. He invites us to see from his point of view. He offers us hope and a different perspective to see Church. Most of all, learns to see "organized religion" and "judgmental" churches from the eyes of grace. That is something we can all learn from. It is far too easy to condemn and to criticize churches and the way they practise their Christianity. It is more difficult to admonish them in grace and in humility. The church is messy because people are messy in the first place. We are hypocrites by nature. We are judgmental by nature. It is only when we allow ourselves to be changed from the inside out by the Holy Spirit through the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we are able to be the church that God has called us to be.

For many, this book may be an excellent opportunity for some of us to re-think the way we do church. It is also a reminder for us not to insert modern concepts or to modify the Church into a Hollywood facade. It is an invitation for us to go back to the Bible, to build the church from biblical ways. Let that be an adventure of grace.

Ratin: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Zondervan and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Regent College Pastors Conference 2014

This is a publicity for the annual Regent College Pastor's Conference. The theme this year is "Transformation the Gospel Way." As usual, there are lots of marketing about the topics, the speakers this year, and the attractions of just coming away to a place called "under the green roof." That said, I ponder again why anyone ought to consider attending the conference. After all, is it just another conference?

Admittedly, sometimes I feel that there are way too many conferences. Maybe I have attended one too many myself. I remember going for every pastors conference during my four years at Regent. That said, there are three reasons why leaders and pastors in particular ought to consider going.

First, there is the opportunity to network and to know other pastors and workers in the ministry. Many pastors minister alone in different ways. It is an opportunity to take a break from the routine and to mingle with like-minded people working the field, on the same cause. I find this very life giving just to hear stories of different pastors in their ups and downs of ministry work. While there are complaints, there is also gratitude, showing us the reality of working among God's imperfect people. Pastors need friends and spiritual colleagues to be encouraged too. At the same time, they can learn from one another, and to go back to an environment in which they are able to reach out to each other and form new friendship networks.

Second, pastors need encouragement. The single biggest barrier to joy in the ministry is discouragement. It is only a matter of time for any one pastor to face this monster drainer of joy and zest for ministry. Self-care is critical for any healthy minister. The pastor's conference is one such opportunity where pastors will find out that they are not alone in their struggles.

Third, pastors come together in like-minded worship. Personally, I feel that is the highlight of the whole conference. While the conference markets the popular speakers, the interesting topics, and the gospel focus, it is the worship that humbles all of us to acknowledge that it is God's ministry and God will certainly provide and take care of His Church. I remember how the group of pastors and leaders pack the chapel and to bring the whole house down with unison in singing, in praying, and in loud praising. The very participation in this atmosphere is worth the price of the entire conference.

Dates: May 6th to 9th, 2014 (Tuesday to Friday)
Schedule: Details available here
Place: Regent College, Vancouver, BC
Cost: $340 until Friday March 14th. (After which it will be $380 per person).
Speakers: Mark Buchanan, Mariam Kamell, Rikk Watts, Ross Hastings, Rod Wilson, Jonathan Wilson, Soohwan Park, and Kevin Boonstra.


Go if you can. Bring a friend too.

conrade

BookPastor >> "Attentive to God" (Charles M. Wood and Ellen Blue)

TITLE: Attentive to God: Thinking Theologically in Ministry
AUTHORS: Charles M. Wood and Ellen Blue
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2008, (138 pages).

Theology is about being attentive to God, to others, and to ourselves. That is what thinking theologically is all about. Combining their expertise, knowledge, and experience about many aspects of "knowing," "doing," and "being," two seasoned professors and practitioners of Christian ministry come together to offer us a powerful resource for the practice of Christian ministry. The "knowing" gets the ball rolling. The "doing" comes from the authenticity of the "being" and the awareness of all three working together in an integrated fashion is the task of all theologians, Christian thinkers and ministers. From a philosophical angle, the authors begin with Isaiah Berlin's famous phrase: "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." After comparing the fox's attention to details and its fascination to details (vision), with the hedgehog's focus on one big thing (discernment), they conclude that we all need a combination of both. Thus, Wood and Blue weave together a multi-threaded perspectives and integrate them under one whole. Working in many triads, they see attentiveness as being God-centered, companions-sensitivity, and self-awareness. They view Wesleyan quartet (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience) through three conditions of authenticity, truth, and "fittingness." They consider Martin Luther's classical three aspects of theological study (oratio, meditatio, tentatio) as a "central organizing insight." One should not let details cloud out one's care for individuals. Neither should one carelessly sacrifice individuals for the sake of the big picture. There is also the three kinds of responses that exemplify Church Ministry: Word, Sacrament, and Order. The "Word" seeks to determine the truth and how the truth can be shown forth. The "Sacrament" seeks to overcome faults so as to bring about reconciliation in Christ. The "Order" looks to bring about the most benefit for people in the light of the redeeming work of God. With that, the authors come up with two sets of triad questions. The first set is a practical set with the student being an outside observer. The second is more personal with the self being an active participant.

Practical Triad of Questions

1. What is going on in this situation?
2. How is God involved in what is going on?
3. What is a fitting response to what is going on?

Personal Triad of Questions

1. What is going on with you as you consider this situation?
2. How is God involved in what is going on with you in this process?
3. How might you respond to what is going on with you?

They put these questions to 19 case studies, believing that while the cases are fictional, they are remarkably similar to several real cases in their ministry encounters. Such a method is a way of believing that life happens when we are making other plans. There is the case of Henry the homeless man whose presence outside a Redeemer Church is splitting up the Board's opinions on what to do. There is the example of a couple who wanted so badly to have their child go through infant baptism even when they are agnostic. The practice of putting money on the rails after Communion is also another case that pits pastor against leaders. Other interesting cases include estate and building logistics; questions about God's Will; relationships with Church members; and even offering a gay man a room in Church are examples of how the most ordinary decisions can become extremely complex.

The various case studies allow readers to put into practice both triad of questions. What will they do as a distant observer? What would they do if they are direct participants of the case studies. Being attentive to God means putting into practice the love of God and neighbour. It means learning to live with the constraints of today with the promises of tomorrow. It means that having all the right answers is not the point. It is in working through the best process with the understanding that it is God who is in control. Obedience to God is primary. Following human principles is secondary. Let me close with this thoughtful paragraph.

"What informs our attentiveness? What shapes our capacity for attending to God, and guides us when we are in particular need of guidance? In keeping with Christian conviction, we should say at the outset that it is ultimately God who does so - that our learning and practice of theology, along with everything else that is good in our lives, has to do with our participation by grace in the life of the triune God, and with our being brought to understand things in the life of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit who is at work in us and all creation. When we speak of more proximate resources, these themselves must finally be understood in their God-relatedness, as means by which God is at work on and in and through us." (9)

For the authors, "theological discernment" is about asking the question, "Where is the Lord?" While that may be way too brief for those of us with more sophisticated requirements, it marks a good start to our path of thinking theologically in ministry.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

BookPastor >> "Measure of Our Success" (Shawn Lovejoy)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on October 4th, 2012. Highly recommended for pastors and leaders of churches, para-churches, and any Christian organization.

conrade

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TITLE: Measure of Our Success, The: An Impassioned Plea to Pastors
AUTHOR: Shawn Lovejoy
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012, (192 pages).

How do we measure success in ministry? This question is answered in three ways. Firstly, Lovejoy gets up close and personal with the "standard measurements" of ministry success. Things like high activism and drivenness among ministry workers; the strong need for affirmation; the numbers game; the program focus; the three unhealthy Cs of comparing, of copying, and of condemning ministry work. Over time, if not understood properly, one will not only fail to keep up with maintaining the standard measurements, one will even fall badly. Secondly, the author works on redefining true success in terms of:

1. Spiritual, emotional, relational, intellectual, and physical vitality
2. People are our ministry; Loving them is our tapestry.
3. Teamwork with people of character, care, clarity, conviction, and culture
4. Willingness to pay the price to obey God rather than human preferences
5. Dealing constructively with all kinds of criticisms
6. Preventative measures to avoid casting the quitting card.

Thirdly, the author focuses on what really matters, and what needs to be the true measure of success in ministry. Instead of numerical growth, focus on conversion growth. Do not stuff oneself with spiritual meat without the corresponding fruit. Leaders need to spend time meaningfully with leaders or leaders to be, instead of aimless superficial mingling with crowds. Christology is first, not ecclesiology. In other words, we cannot kid ourselves by thinking that the Church is the vehicle of salvation for the world. It is Christ alone. Knowing when to step down is not a mark of failure. It is a mark of wisdom and spiritual success.

My Thoughts

This is a necessary book for those of us interested in learning how to measure success in ministry. Personally, I do not like the word 'success.' It has too many connotations with worldly metrics. That said, the use of this word connects very well with all people. Moreover, I think it is basically used in a "for lack of a better word" sentiment. I appreciate the real world application aspect that comes at the end of every chapter. Prominent leaders like Larry Osborne, Mark Batterson, Steven Furtick, Tony Morgan, Chris Seay, Pete Wilson, and many more, provide helpful insights into the chapters offered by Shawn Lovejoy. It is like a book led by one central author, supported by contributors toward the same goal: moving away from false measurements toward true measurements of ministry success. Let me close with this wonderful words of Lovejoy.

"We must not seek to please people. We must please God.
We must not seek to fill auditoriums. We must fill heaven.
We must not seek fame. We must make Jesus famous.
We must not seek our agenda. We must proclaim his agenda.
We must not quit if we are called. We will quit if we are not.
The measure of our success is clear. It is laid out for us in Scripture. If we muddy the waters with our own desires and expectations, we will ultimately fail in the very thing we have given our lives to: our ministries." (180)

Can we do both? That is, both worldly success as well as spiritual success? I like to think we can, but the principle behind Matthew 6:24 seems to indicate only one way. Everyone likes to be a part of a growing church. The key question is not the numbers or the experience of being part of a vibrant body, but whether the Church is glorifying God. Beware of churches that shoot up quickly, but when the elements and the trials of life appear, members leave and that church wilts away.

This book may very well save you from falling into the treacherous potholes of ministry.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Baker Books and Graf-Martin Communications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

How to Show Your Appreciation to Your Pastor

October is Pastor Appreciation Week. How do we show our appreciation to our pastors? Yes, I know. It is the end of the month. I should have published this piece earlier. Having said that, appreciating your pastor need not be limited to October right?

In several places, if you do a search on Google, offers can be found about gifts and special things to do for your pastor. As a pastor, I feel privileged to be able to serve a small church here in Vancouver. Many people have been gracious and encouraging to me and my family. As October comes to a close, I like to offer my thoughts about how best to show your appreciation to your pastor. Let me call them the seven habits of highly appreciative congregation members.

#1 - Encourage your pastor 

The biggest challenge of any ministry worker is discouragement. This is something that WILL happen. The basic question is 'when?' Many things the pastor do remain confidential to the general congregation. It is a sacred trust that pastors hold to ensure that privacy and confidentiality is maintained. This is a very heavy burden to carry. Knowing the need and not being able to share the burden with someone else lest the pastor breaks confidence. Prayer is often the only way to find comfort and solace. This also means that there needs to be a high level of trust between pastor and the rest of the church. Encouragement can come in many ways. In our electronic day and age, a short and simple email can often work magic in the world of encouragement. Think of special quotes, or bible verses to share with your pastor once in a while. I tell you, they will be most encouraged.

#2 - Show restraint when praising your pastor

From my interactions with people, it is common to have individuals praising their pastors in front of others, especially guests. Sometimes, it can make the pastor uncomfortable. Not only will the praising set unnecessarily high expectations on the hearers, the pastor can be tempted in two ways. First, he may start to think erroneously how great he is. Second, he may be tempted to take the credit and the glory that rightly belongs to God. You can praise your pastor, but do it gently and show restraint. Better still, speak with your pastor one on one if you are intending to praise. 

#3 - Send Short Notes /Feedback after each sermon

Too many people think that giving sermons is the pastor's responsibility. Not necessarily. The pulpit ministry can be a multi-directional ministry. Hearers can feedback. Preachers can listen. God can speak. Pastors who preach regularly can also feel a sense of fatigue. While preaching the Word of God is a calling and also a privilege, pastors are human too. They cannot maintain a high octane level preaching every week. Sometimes, they will preach very mediocre sermons despite their best efforts. If there is cooperation, to see the pulpit ministry as a community activity, it can be life-giving. Preachers speak the Word of God from the pulpit. Congregation members give short and honest feedback about the sermon. The goal is to help the whole Church grow as they feed on the preaching of the Word. Faithfully. Congregation members, you are critical to the success of every Sunday service.

#4 - Don't give lavish gifts

This is something I feel is important. Buying expensive gifts will make most pastors very uncomfortable. Keep the gift very small. Gift cards of a small value will suffice. Make sure it is very small. A $5 coffee card is one example if you know your pastor loves coffee. If you feel you need to buy something more, I recommend a good book. Personally I am biased toward books. However, since I am a frequent book reviewer, many publishers send me their new books for free. If you are afraid that the book you buy may be something your pastor already own, one good strategy is this. Do not write anything on the new book. Attach a simple card to it so that if your pastor already has that book, he can give away that new book to some other persons.

#5 - Volunteer without being asked.

One of the biggest encouragement members of the congregation can contribute is to volunteer without being asked. Doing ministry in the Church is a marathon. Volunteers can come and go. When the need is there, and if there is no one else to volunteer, very often, the paid staff of the Church will have to double-up or triple-charge themselves to take up the slack. This leads to staff often doing many things at one time, at the expense of quality. Sometimes, staff can become so fixated on getting things done that they can be deemed impersonal, as they have no time to interact with people. Give them a break. Help them out. Volunteer. With church services being held at least once a week, 52 times a year, the demands are great. Week in, week out, there will be needs for people to fill in the empty slots of all ministries in the Church. From refreshments to Sunday schools, from ushering to organizing the worship teams, there are lots of opportunities to encourage your pastor. Volunteer with a cheerful heart. In blessing others, do not be surprised to find yourself being blessed too.

#6 - Grow and demonstrate a desire to discipleship

There is no greater joy than to see the flock demonstrating a desire to grow, and having done that, to grow. It makes all the preaching, all the teaching, all the caring, and all the sharing, totally worth it. Pastors are most encouraged when they see fruits in the growth of their congregational members. Personally, when I see people taking initiative to learn, to grow, and to challenge one another to become better persons in Christ, I am super charged!

#7 - Pray for your pastor (and let him/her know!)

Last but not least, pray for your pastors. They need God's help more than any other. They need the unction of the Holy Spirit. They need the grace and love of God to continue in this spiritual marathon. Prayer is food for the soul, fuel for the ministry, and fodder for overcoming the daily challenges of people, relationships, and programs.

Practise any of the seven things above all year round. Remember. The Church ministry belongs not just to the pastors. You have a big role to play too.


conrade