The Heart of a Great Pastor

This book is directed to wards Pastos; however, the content is applicable for anyone. This is my third purchase of this book. I have given it a fruitation for several ministers. I would highly recommend it for meditational purposes and for revival of the spirit.

Every once in a while, pastors need a pick me up. That's what this book is. This book encourages pastors to rediscover the joy of their calling, to have fresh encounters with God by making room for time in the Word and prayer, and by remembering that even the routine tasks of ministry are holy assignments from the Lord. London and Wiseman also remind us of the perks of pastoring: flexible hours, the privilege of being with people during the most tender moments of their lives, and watching people grow physically and spiritually in Christ. They also talk about the importance of being real with God, of cultivating our credibility, and making sure that we ourselves are living holy and pure lives. There is also a chapter where the authors encourage pastors to dream big dreams for their ministries and their lives. This advice is counter to what you hear in other pastoral ministry books, where a minister is often cautioned to keep their expectations and dreams as small as possible so that they will not become disillusioned (I actually read this in "What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary" by Minirth and Meier!). I like how at the end of each chapter, there are devotionals to build up the beleaguered minister and to strengthen those who are struggling with burnout. I've read numerous books like this before, but this is one of the better ones, and it only takes a few hours to go through it. I recommend it!

Just got my copy of The Heart of a Great Pastor! Wow! As a veteran pastor, I know that vision and passion can dim from time to time. Here is a book to re-energize you and restore your love for shepherding. This is a beautiful and significant revision of a classic. I wish someone from my congregation had given me a copy of the original years ago - but I'm glad I bought the updated version. Outstanding!

Neil and H.B. have again challenged the heart of the pastor to become all they can be with God's divine help! Their years of experience and teaching pastors sift through all of the excuses to get down to the real issues of whether or not God is the one who has called the pastor or not. And if He has, then He is more than willing and able to create something wonderful no matter where that place might be. The question always comes down to whether or not the pastor will step up to the plate and trust God for himself/herself AND for the future of the church. This book is a good reminder for every pastor to read on a regular basis.

To be honest, when I first received the book from one of the parishioners, I started the book but did not complete it. But once the church started some transistions then I pickup up the book and could not put it down. In so many words, the book cleared your focus on being a pastor as it relates to personal relationships with God, family, and the flock. The book was also helpful because it gave us common examples with names and faces. Was not an ideology book, but one that gave strenght to the subject and made it real. Would suggest this book to a young pastor, just starting out to help get the right footing.