How to Thrive as a Small-Church Pastor
by Steve R. Bierly
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Book Summary Information
Author: Steve R. BierlyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-03-01
ISBN: 0310216559
Number of pages: 187
Publisher: Zondervan
Book Reviews of How to Thrive as a Small-Church Pastor
Book Review: A Humorous Homily on Helping the Small Church Pastor Thrive
Summary: 5 Stars
Steve Bierly is pastor of the American Reformed Church in Hull, Iowa, and God has given him a gift for being able to minister to the small church as well as to the small church pastor. With an infectious sense of humor, he discusses the things that can cause a small church pastor to become frustrated or stressed out, then he gives compassionate counsel on how to be good to yourself as you are being the best you can be for God.
He talks about how small churchaholics often think about their churches and their ministries all the time, often plaguing themselves with guilt along the way. He gives some telltale signs in chapter one: Wanting to isolate yourself from others, getting burned out from being around people, temptation to think more or less of yourself than you ought, and the temptation to get upset with God over the powers of darkness that people face in their lives.
Bierly also mentions how small church pastors feel like failures when their ideas are not embraced right away, and how they often get frustrated that they visit the same people over and over again who tell the same old tales over and over again, and how it often appears that our ministries are not making a difference in peoples' lives.
But help is on the way! Bierly reminds the small church pastor that it is God's church, that megachurch paradigms won't always fly in the small church, and that God is at work behind the scenes in peoples' lives and we need to stop focusing solely on the negative.
Bierly also recommends having outside hobbies, getting proper rest, eating right, and spending regular time with family and friends. In short, he suggests that as pastors, we need to pastor ourselves.
He also says that small church pastors often feel guilty because they weren't able to do everything they had planned out in their schedule books. He says that everytime we are called to make unscheduled hospital calls or attend unplanned meetings, or counsel someone that wasn't scheduled in advance, to write these things down in the planner and check them off as a reminder that we are getting done the things that God would have us to do that week, even if we didn't plan it to be that way ourselves.
He also says to be true to yourself. It doesn't say anywhere in the Bible that you have to have a regular quiet time first thing in the morning every single day. He even suggests (horror of horrors) that your exegetical and sermon preparation time can be incorporated as part of your quiet time with God. After all, why punish yourself and make you feel guilty for not having an 'official' quiet time when you have been studying and meditating upon His Word all week long?
Finally, Bierly reminds us that small church pastors are not Messiahs, that we need partners in ministry, and that we are to put bugs in peoples' ears, and let ideas simmer rather than trying to ram our agendas through.
The book made me laugh and it made me glad to be alive alive as a small church pastor. Bierly was my pastor while I read this wonderful book. Thank you Steve, and thank you Lord Jesus!
Summary of How to Thrive as a Small-Church Pastor
Pastoring a small church is no small job. It can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. Read this book for a relief . . . And a turning point. Steve R. Bierly offers the seasoned reassurance of one who has been in the trenches of small-church pastoring. He understands your unique needs and problems not just as a pastor, but as a person. And he shows that, by God's grace, you can fulfill your calling and thrive in the face of its challenges. With humor and fatherly wisdom, Bierly helps you reframe your perspectives on - God - Your ministry - Your relationships - Your personal needs . . . And more. Drawing on years of experience, he offers assurance that you're not alone, a fresh outlook on the successes of your ministry, and an upbeat, practical approach to spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. How to Thrive as a Small-Church Pastor will help you face realistically the rigors of your vocation . . . and reclaim your first love of ministry.Ministry Books
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