What does it mean to say that a pastor is competent? And how does a competent pastor function? This book is intended to help pastors, seminarians, and lay people who work with pastors understand and answer these two questions. Competence in ministry is a moving target. A ministry technique that works in one parish may not work in another. What works today may not work five years from now. But a competent pastor will be able to adapt to changing locations and changing times. A competent pastor will be happy in her job—or able to figure out why she’s not happy and how to move forward. A competent pastor won’t get stuck—or when he does get stuck, he’ll know what steps to take to get unstuck. Competence, defined by author Ronald Sisk as "the ability to do what needs to be done," requires ministers to understand themselves and others and to keep a realistic perspective on their lives. Competent pastors function by moving toward this kind of understanding and perspective.

What does it mean to say that a pastor is competent? And how does a competent pastor function? This book is intended to help pastors, seminarians, and lay people who work with pastors understand and answer these two questions. Competence in ministry is a moving target. A ministry technique that works in one parish may not work in another. What works today may not work five years from now. But a competent pastor will be able to adapt to changing locations and changing times. A competent pastor will be happy in her job--or able to figure out why she's not happy and how to move forward. A competent pastor won't get stuck--or when he does get stuck, he'll know what steps to take to get unstuck. Competence, defined by author Ronald Sisk as "the ability to do what needs to be done," requires ministers to understand themselves and others and to keep a realistic perspective on their lives. Competent pastors function by moving toward this kind of understanding and perspective.

This book answers such questions as: What can believers do to help individuals suffering from problems of living? What should churches do for suffering souls? What did the church do for almost 2000 years without psychological counseling? What did the church do without the biblical counseling movement which began about 25 years ago? This book calls Christians back to the Bible and to the biblically ordained ministries and mutual care in the body of Christ that have effectively cared for souls fo almost 2000 years. - Back cover.

Insufficient challenges pastors to look at their demanding work in its varied complexity while recognizing the need and demand to increase competency in skills. Pastors must admit their "insufficiency." Nabors does not shy away from calling pastors to realize there is more than meets the eye in pursuing ministry. A right pursuit of orthodoxy has sometimes blinded pastors to what has been left out, namely the articulation of orthopraxis. Pastors need Christian good works, especially justice and mercy. This orthopraxis is an essential part of any true, orthodox theology. This work is daunting and difficult. Insufficient calls pastors to a dependence on the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, who alone is able to make competent pastors of the Gospel. Nabors provides insights, advice, and pragmatic wisdom from more than forty years of ministry experience.

A classic in the field of Christian counseling, Competent to Counsel is one of the first works to fully articulate a vision of "nouthetic" counseling—a strictly biblical approach to behavioral counseling and therapy. Dr. Jay Adams defends the idea that the Bible itself, as God's Word, provides all the principles needed for understanding and engaging in holistic counseling. Using biblically directed discussion, nouthetic counseling works by means of the Holy Spirit to bring about change—both immediate and long-term—in the personality and behavior of the counselee. As he points out in his introduction, "I have been engrossed in the project of developing biblical counseling and have uncovered what I consider to be a number of important scriptural principles. . . There have been dramatic results. . . Not only have people's immediate problems been resolved, but there have also been solutions to all sorts of long-term problems as well." Competent to Counsel has helped thousands of pastors, students, laypersons, and Christian counselors develop: A general approach to (and theology of) Christian counseling. Specific, practical responses to particular problems useful for teaching, study, and personal application. Since its first publication in 1970, this book has gone through over thirty printings. It establishes the basis for and an introduction to a counseling approach that is being used in pastors' studies, in counseling centers, and across dining room tables throughout the country and around the world.

Many men have the skills to lead a church, but only some are called. Dave Harvey helps men considering pastoral ministry to see God's active role in the process of discerning their calling. God's Word offers a clear framework for evaluating one's call, especially within the context of community. Harvey offers six diagnostic questions to help prospective pastors process their calling, and what they should be doing now if they aren't sure. Illustrated with personal and historical stories, Harvey explores biblical and practical principles for determining the pastoral call. Over the past twenty-four years of ministry, Harvey has enjoyed assisting many men in discerning whether they are called into ministry. This book will guide you through that all-important process with wisdom and confidence in God's faithfulness in your life.

Ministry hazards are all around, and many pastors are losing hope during these restless 1990s. Does pastoral ministry make any differnce in morally turbulent times? This groundbreaking volume tackles the tough issues pastors face--from balancing marriage and family life to dealing with stress and burnout.

A practical handbook for today's pastors. Extensively updated to aid in meeting the increased demands and challenges of twenty-first-century ministry, this edition includes expanded indexes, reading lists, and technological suggestions. Covering everything from policy programming to organizational management, each invaluable chapter serves as a vital resource for ministers facing the challenges of pastoral work today.

"Beeke and Thompson provide biblical, practical, and effective tools to handle all types of criticism and to respond with godly wisdom. A vital tool for church leaders and pastors"--

The Gospel of Matthew begins by depicting Jesus as the focus of the history of Israel and ends with Jesus commissioning the creation of a new community composed of people from all nations (the church). The center of the gospel is Jesus the Messiah, but he stands between two communities, Israel and the church. In this study, the author proposes to examine the christology of Matthew's gospel by exploring the theme of Jesus' solidarity with his people, focusing on Jesus' representative role in his relationship both with Israel and the Church. Contents: Introduction: Jesus and His People in Matthew's Gospel; Jesus, The True Son of God; Sonship and the New Community; The Miracle-working Authority of the Son; Like Master, Like Disciple; The Yoke of the Son; The Messiah and His People in Suffering and Glory; The Authority of Christ in His Church; The Christological Transfer of the Kingdom; The Son of Man and His Lowly Brethren; The Faithful Son and the Forgiveness of Sins; Disciples of the Risen Lord; Conclusion: Jesus as the Representative of His People; Bibliography.