# New Pastor help



## passingpilgrim

Hey everyone,

Can you give me recommendations on what a new pastor should read in terms of the the duties and office of the pastor. I would like some newer and older publications.

thanks


----------



## westminken

Reformed Pastor- Richard Baxter 
Work of a Pastor- William Still
The Shepherd Leader- Timothy Witmer
The Trellis and the Vine- Colin Marshall and Tony Payne

And of course, the Pastoral Epistles 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.

If you can get a good grasp of the epistles, then you should be doing fine.


----------



## fredtgreco

Here's an outline from John Owen's volume 16. It is very helpful for the pastor.


----------



## LawrenceU

To the above I would add The Art of Pastoring by David Hansen Amazon.com: The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers


----------



## Marrow Man

_Shepherding God's Flock_ by Jay Adams


----------



## LeeJUk

Well when I started on the enquiry for the church of Scotland ministry one of the recommended books is Ministry in Three Dimensions: A Theological Foundation for Local Church Leadership by Steven Croft. It actually is quite a nice read and quite scriptural and really made me think about my different roles if I were to be ordained. It was written by an evangelical not a liberal in case your worried about that.


----------



## C. M. Sheffield

_The Christian Ministry_ by Charles Bridges

This book is worth reading every year. Bridges is eminently quotable. Its easier and less troublesome to underline the parts you don't think much of. Otherwise you'll end up underlining most of the book.


----------



## Theoretical

C. M. Sheffield said:


> _The Christian Ministry_ by Charles Bridges
> 
> This book is worth reading every year. Bridges is eminently quotable.* Its easier and less troublesome to underline the parts you don't think much of. *Otherwise you'll end up underlining most of the book.


 
Now _that's_ a book recommendation.


----------



## Romans922

Thomas Murphy's Pastoral Theology


----------



## Austin

"Why Johnie Can't Preach" is a must read. I would also suggest Tim Keller's "Ministries Of Mercy: The Call Of The Jericho Road." Susan Hunt's stuff o women's ministry is also a must read.


----------



## Romans922

Huh? Susan Hunt for Pastoral Ministry????


----------



## LeeD

Austin said:


> I would also suggest Tim Keller's "Ministries Of Mercy: The Call Of The Jericho Road."



I wanted to point out that Tim Keller's book (in audio format) is FREE this month at ChristianAudio. Download here.


----------



## Austin

Andrew: Dude, women are recipients of pastoral care, too. 

If I may be so blunt: there's a whole lot more to pastoring people than will be covered by the puritans' books. In my opinion, after about 10 years of ordained ministry, & several years before that in unordained service & seminary, I have come to the iron-clad conviction that two of the greatest weaknesses of our Reformed world are addressed by Dr. Keller & Mrs Hunt. Namely, the vitally important roles of the deaconate & women's ministry in the local parish. 

In our (P&R) system, deacons are, for the most part, sitting around wondering what the heck they're supposed to do. And women's ministries are in too many cases gossip clubs, continual drippings to the elders, or well-intended but ineffectual. 

In the face of this, the minister has a vital role in equipping those saints for their work of ministry. Women's ministry, as Mrs. Hunt describes it so well, is the vital "ezer kenegdo" to the Kingdom work of the deaconate. The paracletic work of a well-run women's ministry, paired to the life-transforming works of "mercy, piety, & necessity" of a healthy deaconate, will make the difference between Reformed & Presbyterian churches being "holy huddles" or self-righteous theology clubs on the one hand, and fountainheads of a Third Great Awakening on the other. 

Shalom.


----------



## Romans922

Rev'd Olive,

1) I am not a 'dude'.

2) Women's ministries are not the center and life of the Church, nor are diaconal ministries (of which Tim Keller is helpful but not the greatest authority, no more comment on this). However, those which are are the means of grace (Word, Sacraments, Prayer). These lived out will touch areas of women and physical needs and equip for such work towards them. That needs to be the focus of any one entering the Pastorate. Besides, I believe the puritans give adaquate attention to women and diaconal ministry.


----------



## Marrow Man

Moderator Warning: Austin and Andrew, you have both made very valid points: the diaconate and women's ministries are sorely overlooked in many Reformed circles, but the sufficiency of the means of grace can be easily overlooked as well. Since both points have been made, let's make sure we return to the substance of the OP and not let this deteriorate into who likes Keller and Hunt and who does not.


----------



## Austin

Well said, Tim. Thank you. Apparently Keller & Hunt are somewhat controversial on PB. I wasn't aware of this. 

Andrew: no need to take umbrage at my comments. You're 28. Don't take yourself so seriously. You're still a young man. I meant no disrespect. 

Shalom, y'all.


----------



## C. M. Sheffield

Austin said:


> Andrew: no need to take umbrage at my comments. You're 28. Don't take yourself so seriously. You're still a young man. I meant no disrespect.
> 
> Shalom, y'all.


 
These kind of _ad hominem_ remarks are certainly _umbrageous_. Pointing out a man's younger age will invariably be taken as an under-handed jab. Just my .


----------

