[.ca] Surviving Your First Year as Pastor: What Seminary ... (ISBN 0817013008)

A Useful Resource:
Angie Best-Boss has written a useful resource for seminarians looking ahead to their first ministry. As you might expect from the title, the focus is entirely practical. Don't expect any deep theological reflections. Collected here, you will find the prevailing wisdom about virtually every aspect of ministry. While no subject is covered in any great depth, the breadth of the material in this short book is impressive. Topics include: setting intial priorities, organizing your office, visiting, preaching, counseling, rites of passage, balancing your own family life, maintaining your spiritual life, church conflict, and getting support from colleagues. Don't expect any "Aha!" moments. I've read or heard elsewhere just about everything found in Surviving Your First Year as Pastor. However, collecting all that advice in one place serves as a useful set of reminders. While I doubt that this will be of enduring value throughout a ministry career, I am glad that I purchased the book. It has helped point out a few blind spots and reminded me about what is really important.