For Ministers about to Start...or about to Give Up

Travis Collins

Description

"From Moses and the Israelites to Paul and the Corinthian Christians to all who have served the church since then, this thing called spiritual leadership has been thorny." In For Ministers about to Start ... or About to Give Up, Travis Collins lays bare the realities of church leadership while affirming the call to ministry. Stories of his many years of experience as a senior minister, a missionary, and a church consultant are laced with practical tips on treating burnout, wrestling with divisive matters, and recapturing the hope, the faith, and the joy in the call to vocational ministry.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Christian Board of Publication
• Date de parution: 31 octobre 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780827210974
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

“Travis Collins has provided pastors a gi through his honest, transparent, and authentic disclosure of the incredible joy and despair of serving congregations. He takes us on a journey through the heartbeat of a pastor. A must-read for clergy whose energy for ministry needs a booster.” —Steven N. Scoggin, President of CareNet, Inc.

“Collins presents the sharp and pressing realities of the challenge of ministering in today’s church and world. A careûl reading offers deep assurance that God is with us in the tough days and the times of celebration as leadership and ministry unfolds in distinctive ways in a variety of ministry contes.” —Edward H. Hammett, Author of Recovering Hope for Your Church

“A compelling compendium of leading a church or organization, tending to personal growth, giving high priority to soul-care, and learning personal disciplines, all through many years of experience from the author.” —Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent, The Wesleyan Church

“Travis Collins has written a fine antide to the illness of lethargy that seems to plague modern ministry. Mixing powerûl ques, excellent biblical application, and a wonderûl array of real-life stories from a career in ministry, he speaks the language ministers can hear. Reading these pages is like reading a working pastor’s diary, and you will be blessed by the insights he has gleaned along the way.” —William G. Wilson, President, The Center for Healthy Churches

“Ministry is hard. It always has been, and always will be. But most things that are worthwhile are hard. Travis Collins learned how to thrive in ministry, and he wants to share his story with those who are just starting out, or just about to pack it in. Read this book, meditate on its stories and practical advice. It might just save your life in ministry.” —Stan Graham, Founding Pastor, Pathways Church, Forest Hill, Maryland

is Director of Mission Advancement and Virginia Regional Coordinator for Fresh Expressions U.S., a movement to help churches engage postmodern culture by establishing new creative communities of faith. His twenty-five years of ministry include serving as Senior Pastor of Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, as well as missionary service in Venezuela and Nigeria. He is the author of

“It’s always been hard to be a pastor, but that call feels more daunting than ever in this time of cultural change. Collins’ insights into how to balance the polarity between caring for yourself and caring for a congregation are rooted in his own deep experience. Pastors will be encouraged by his words of encouragement, because they come from his heart.” —J im K itchens , A uthorof T he P osTmodern P arish

“With candor and incredible transparency, Travis has shared lessons learned from his pilgrimage in ministry over more than 25 years. Seeing each experience as a learning opportunity, he offers suggestions, exposes vulnerabilities, and encourages clergy and lay church leaders to work harder at developing healthy relationships. I encourage you to read the book and recommend it to other ministers as well as key church leaders who can make a difference.” —c hArles c hAndler , e xecutive d irector , m inisteringto m inisters

“A compelling compendium of leading a church or organization, tending to personal growth, giving high priority to soul-care, and learning personal disciplines, all through many years of experience from the author. Stop the chase of talking to people and asking the questions. All the questions and answers are found inFor Ministers about to Start...or about to Give Up.Reading this will give new oxygen and hope no matter the step of the journey you may be trodding.” —J o A nne l yon , g enerAl s uperintendent , t he W esleyAn c hurch

“Travis Collins has written a îne antidote to the illness of lethargy that seems to plague modern ministry. Mixing powerful quotes, excellent biblical application, and a wonderful array of real-life stories from a career in ministry, he speaks the language ministers can hear. Travis has lived the day-to-day life of a minister with grace and skill, and he brings that wisdom to these pages. Reading these pages is like reading a working pastor’s diary, and you will be blessed by the insights he has gleaned along the way.” —W illiAm g. W ilson , p resident , t he c enterfor h eAlthy c hurches

“Travis Collins’ latest book blends practicality with reality. It is a must-read for ministers and lay leadership to understand the complexities of one of the most demanding occupations.” — m Aurice g rAhAm , f ounderAnd e xecutive d irector , s hepherd ’ s s tAff m inistry

“With keen encouragement and practical insights, Travis Collins offers the young (and experienced) parish minister an honest and challenging ‘inside look’ into what it means to follow God’s call and minister in the local church. This experienced pastor offers candid, at times confessional, descriptions of what a minister will or does encounter in ministry, adding to it a solid measure of the privilege, trust, and responsibility involved in the sacred work of shepherding. The section on pastoral leadership is by itself worth the reader’s time.” —d An B AgBy , B Aptist t heologicAl s eminAryAt r ichmond

“Ministry is hard. It always has been, and always will be. But most things that are worthwhile are hard. Travis Collins knows this because he’s been there and back again. Along the way Travis learned how to thrive in ministry, and he wants to share his story with those who are just starting out, or just about to pack it in. If only I had such a mentor when I was just starting out, my own path might have been much smoother. Read this book, meditate on its stories and practical advice. It might just save your life in ministry.” —s tAn g rAhAm , f ounding p Astor , p AthWAys c hurch , f orest h ill , m ArylAnd

“Travis Collins has written a book that is ideal for both new and seasoned ministers. I înd that I fall in both categories, having served in ministry positions for 35 years, and now having begun my îrst pastorate. The phrase ‘keep watch,’ from Acts 20, is a recurring theme in the book and one that I will return to time and time again. As I face new experiences as a pastor, that phrase will remain in the forefront of my ministry. Thank you, Travis, for the challenging reminder.” —J Ane h ull , p Astor , u nion c hristiAn c hurch (d isciplesof c hrist ), W AtKinsville , g eorgiA

“Travis Collins has provided pastors a gift through his honest, transparent, and authentic disclosure of the incredible joy and despair of serving congregations. He takes us on a journey through the heartbeat of a pastor. A must-read for clergy whose energy for ministry needs a booster.” —s teven n. s coggin , p residentof c Are n et , i nc .

“Collins presents the sharp and pressing realities of the challenge of ministering in today’s church and world. His seasoned perspective allows him to write with transparency, realism, and extreme passion and hope for ministers. I commend the book to you as a companion for the spiritual journey of leadership, mentoring, discipleship, and self-care. A careful reading offers deep assurance that God is with us in the tough days and the times of celebration as leadership and ministry unfolds in distinctive ways in a variety of ministry contexts.” —e dWArd h. h Ammett , A uthorof r ecovering h opefor y our c hurch

Key Leadership Resources fromwww.TCPBooks.info

George W . Bullard Jr. Every Congregation Needs a Little Conflict FaithSoaring Churches Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation

Richard L. Hamm RecreatingtheChurch

Edward H. Hammett Recovering Hope for your Church: Moving beyond Maintenance and Missional to Incarnational Engagement Making Shifts without Making Waves: A Coach Approach to Soulful Leadership

Reaching People under 40 while Keeping People over 60: Being Church to All Generations Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age: Building Bridges Instead of Barriers

Gregory L. Hunt Leading Congregations through Crisis

Cynthia Woolever and Deborah Bruce Leadership That Fits Your Church: What Kind of Pastor for What Kind of Congregation

The Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Peer Learning Team So Much Better: How Thousands of Pastors Help Each Other Thrive

Larry McSwain The Calling of Congregational Leadership: Being, Knowing, Doing Ministry

For more leadership resources, see www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org www.TCPBooks.info

 For  MinisTers àbOut tO sTarT ...OR àbOut tO Give UP

TRàVIS COllINS

Copyright ©2014 by Travis Collins. All rights reserved. For permission to reuse content, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], www.copyright.com. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Bible quotations marked NRSV are from theNew Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NASB is taken from theNEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. Biblical quotations marked REB are fromThe Revised English Bible copyright© Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press 1989.The Revised English Bible with the Apocryphaîrst published 1989. Quotations marked Message are fromThe Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Cover art: ShutterStock Cover design: Scribe, Inc.

www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org www.TCPBooks.com

Print: 9780827210950 EPUB: 9780827210967 EPDF: 9780827210974

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Collins, Travis. For ministers about to start... or about to give up / by Travis Collins.  pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8272-1095-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Pastoral theology. I. Title.

BV4011.3.C65 2014 253--dc23  2014030292

To the vocational ministers alongside whom I’ve served.

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Contents

Editor’s Foreword The Leadership Dance  1 What You Do Is Hard  2 There and Back  3 Keep Watch “Keep watch over yourselves…”  4 All the Flock “…and all the flock…”  5 The Call “…of which the Holy Spirit has made you…”

 6 Overseers with Authority “…the Holy Spirit has made you overseers;”  7 Shepherds vs. Hired Hands “Shepherd the Church of God…”  8 The Church of God “…the Church of God which He bought with His blood.” Notes Bibliography

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