Being a pastor is a complicated calling. Pastors are often pulled in multiple directions and must "become all things to all people" (1 Cor. 9:22). What does the New Testament say (or not say) about the pastoral calling? And what can we learn about it from the apostle Paul? According to popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight, pastoring must begin first and foremost with spiritual formation, which plays a vital role in the life and ministry of the pastor. As leaders, pastors both create and nurture culture in a church. The biblical vision for that culture is Christoformity, or Christlikeness. Grounding pastoral ministry in the pastoral praxis of the apostle Paul, McKnight shows that nurturing Christoformity was at the heart of the Pauline mission. The pastor's central calling, then, is to mediate Christ in everything. McKnight explores seven dimensions that illustrate this concept--friendship, siblings, generosity, storytelling, witness, subverting the world, and wisdom--as he calls pastors to be conformed to Christ and to nurture a culture of Christoformity in their churches.

Join Luis Palau, one of the world's most influential religious leaders, as he shares his legacy in this one-of-a-kind memoir packed with guiding principles that will spark in you a fiery faith to live out the good news of Jesus Christ. Tracing his faith journey from his humble beginnings on the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to sharing the good news with millions and counseling world leaders, Luis's life was filled to the brim with adventure, risk, and faith. With never-before-told stories and a breathtaking sixteen-page photo insert, Luis recounts how: He cared for his mother and five siblings after losing his father at a young age As a teenager, he heard Billy Graham speak and decided to follow in his footsteps He came to find friendship and support from Mr. Graham later in life He was brought to the United States by a faith-filled pastor named Ray Stedman from Palo Alto, California The Lord blessed, challenged, and guided Luis and his team into some of the most exciting evangelistic campaigns the world has ever seen In each chapter, Luis shares a foundational lesson that influenced his life and will inspire and challenge your faith. From his mother's indomitable trust in God to the quiet heroes who touched and saved Luis's family, you'll discover the message that echoes throughout his powerful story: that the gospel of Jesus is good news shared by humble, even unseen, servants of God. Praise for Palau: "It's obvious God has used Luis in a great way to fulfill His purpose for the Kingdom. I thank him for modeling that which matters most--transforming our world by changing lives through the abundant life found in Christ." --Rick Warren, New York Times bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life "Words cannot express the deep appreciation I have for Luis and the fine work God has called him to do. His faithfulness in proclaiming God's glorious gospel across racial, cultural, and geographical lines has been nothing short of praiseworthy." --Tony Evans, pastor, speaker, and bestselling author

Bower Lodge journeys inward to a wild landscape of joy, grief, and transformation. By turns mournful, meditative, incantatory, and rejoicing, this poetry collection's fresh, potent images and unforgettable, musical language carves a map into that hidden, holy world that lies deep at the core of our own.

Paul as Pastor demonstrates the critical nature of Paul's pastoral care to his identity and activities. Despite the fact that Paul never identifies himself as a pastor, there is much within the Pauline letters that alludes to this as a possible aspect of Paul's vocation and commitments, and this has been a topic of relative scholarly neglect. The contributors to this volume consider the household setting of Paul's pastoral practice, the evidence of Acts and a survey of themes in each of the letters in the traditional Pauline corpus. Additionally, three chapters supply case studies of the Wirkungsgeschichte of Paul's pastoral practice in the pastoral offices of the Anglican Communion in the denomination's Ordinal, and in the lives and thought of Augustine of Hippo and George Whitfield. As such Paul as Pastor provides a stimulating resource on a neglected and critical dimension of Paul and his letters and an invaluable tool for those in pastoral ministry and those responsible for their training.

Practical Ways to Support and Care for Your Pastor Do you pray for your pastors? Do you encourage them? Do you have realistic expectations for them? The office of pastor is simultaneously a rewarding and draining position. Pastors today have immense pressure on their shoulders and they need the support of their congregations. Peter Orr has written Fight for Your Pastor as an exhortation for church members to stand behind their pastors through the difficulties of ministry. Orr specifies ways in which congregations can be intentional in caring for church leaders, including prayer, encouragement, generosity, and forgiveness. Featuring stories from current pastors about their struggles, this book is perfect for thoughtful church members eager to understand the weight of their pastors' positions and support leaders in their important ministry. For Thoughtful Christians: Specifically those wanting to know more about their pastors and how to care for them Current: Features insight from pastors about their personal experiences in ministry Applicable: Gives practical examples of how to love and care for pastors, including specific prayers for church leaders and the best ways to encourage them

Being a pastor is a complicated calling. Pastors are often pulled in multiple directions and must "become all things to all people" (1 Cor. 9:22). What does the New Testament say (or not say) about the pastoral calling? And what can we learn about it from the apostle Paul? According to popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight, pastoring must begin first and foremost with spiritual formation, which plays a vital role in the life and ministry of the pastor. As leaders, pastors both create and nurture culture in a church. The biblical vision for that culture is Christoformity, or Christlikeness. Grounding pastoral ministry in the pastoral praxis of the apostle Paul, McKnight shows that nurturing Christoformity was at the heart of the Pauline mission. The pastor's central calling, then, is to mediate Christ in everything. McKnight explores seven dimensions that illustrate this concept--friendship, siblings, generosity, storytelling, witness, subverting the world, and wisdom--as he calls pastors to be conformed to Christ and to nurture a culture of Christoformity in their churches.

After a lengthy period during which scholars paid relatively little attention to the Pastoral Epistles, a spate of studies has suddenly appeared in print. However, except for a small number of commentaries, critical scholars have by and large neglected evangelical scholarship on these letters. To fill in this gap, this volume offers a collection of important essays written by evangelicals on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. The book aims to inform readers of the history of scholarship on these letters and examine thoroughly Paul’s theology in the Pastoral Epistles. Contributors include several scholars who have done previous advanced work on these letters: I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen, Scotland; Recent Study in the Pastoral Epistles), Andreas Köstenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary[SEBTS]; Hermeneutical and Exegetical Challenges), Terry L. Wilder (B&H Publishing Group; Authorship), F. Alan Tomlinson (Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary [MBTS]; Purpose/Stewardship), Greg Couser (Cedarville University; Doctrine of God), Daniel L. Akin (SEBTS; Christology), Ray van Neste (Union University; Cohesion and Structure of the PE), B. Paul Wolfe (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Use of Scripture), Ben Merkle (SEBTS; Ecclesiology), George Wieland (Carey Baptist College, New Zealand; Soteriology), Thor Madsen (MBTS; Ethics), and Chiao Ek Ho (East Asia School of Theology, Singapore; Missiology).

When we think of the apostle Paul, 'pastor' is not usually the first word that springs to mind. He may seem too intellectual, too tempestuous and fiery, even too determinedly pioneering, to fall into the 'pastoral' category. This book demonstrates that, at heart, Paul was indeed too multi-faceted in both background and ministry to be defined by a single function. He was an apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher - but he was also a pastor, as emerges from reading the epistles that record his teaching and care of the churches he planted or nurtured. Author Patrick Whitworth makes the case for Paul's extraordinary teaching - for which he is justifiably most celebrated - being a product of his pastoral care, which was itself a product of his pioneering and prophetic evangelism. Perhaps he was an unlikely pastor, but he was above all passionate, and an inspiration to pastors everywhere, to be studied and emulated, fathomed and then followed. The book includes a study guide with a wealth of questions for group discussion linked to each chapter.

With Adam Hamilton, we have traced the life of Jesus from his birth The Journey, through his ministry The Way, to his death and resurrection 24 Hours That Changed the World. What happened next? Follow the journeys of Paul, beginning with his dramatic conversion, as he spread the Gospel through modern-day Greece and Turkey. Travel to the early church sites and explore Paul’s conversations with the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. In this six-week study, you are invited to experience faith through Christ’s greatest teacher and missionary. ?Endorsements “Adam Hamilton has proven to be a faithful guide to applying the Bible to modern life in a sane and balanced way, and I trust him as an interpreter of the Apostle Paul for today.” -Philip Yancey, author of Vanishing Grace and The Jesus I Never Knew “Pastor and teacher Adam Hamilton succeeds brilliantly in introducing the life and ministry of Paul. Adam’s interweaving of personal testimony and ministry insights provide important lessons for Christian disciples today—something Paul himself would have readily welcomed.” - Dr. Mark Wilson, Asia Minor Research Center, Antalya, Turkey “Adam Hamilton demonstrates theologically and spiritually how indispensable the apostle Paul is to both the early Christian and 21st century church. This book is a wonderful gift for the church, and I recommend it with utmost Christian enthusiasm.” - Dr. Israel Kamudzandu, Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Interpretation, Saint Paul School of Theology “I regularly lead groups of seminary students, alums, clergy, and laity on immersion trips to Greece and Turkey. This book will certainly be on my reading list.” - Jaime Clark-Soles, Associate Professor of New Testament, Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor, Perkins School of Theology

This highly readable investigation of the early church explores the revolutionary nature, dynamics, and effects of the earliest Christian communities. It introduces readers to the cultural setting of the house churches of biblical times, examines the apostle Paul's vision of life in the Christian church, and explores how the New Testament model of community applies to Christian practice today. Updated and revised throughout, this 40th-anniversary edition incorporates recent research, updates the bibliography, and adds a new fictional narrative that depicts the life and times of the early church.