“Deep and Encouraging”
In this book, Brian Croft and Ronnie Martin dig deeply into what it looks like for pastors to choose a less hurried pace of life, and they encourage pastors to remember that they are not superhuman, and that regardless of their ministry titles, their core identity is that God created them and loves them.
Croft and Martin emphasize how important it is for pastors to cultivate their own spiritual lives instead of just pouring into others, and they explore ways that pastors can slow down and adopt a less hurried pace through character traits like humility and self-awareness, and through practices such as silence and contemplation, prayer, rest, and friendship. This book also addresses the importance of men respecting and dealing with their emotions, instead of stuffing their feelings through the culturally encouraged approach of self-reliance and stoicism.
The authors care deeply about discouraged and burnt out pastors, and they share biblical advice and experiential wisdom in a caring, gentle way. I appreciate their honesty about their own struggles, and they share a refreshing perspective on core practices for mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. My only critique is that this book focuses primarily on a pastor's self-imposed burdens, without providing much insight into how a pastor can engage with other people's unhealthy demands and expectations.
I would recommend this thoughtful, encouraging book to an even broader audience than the title indicates. Even though the authors wrote this book for vocational pastors, the core message and many of the examples will also apply to men and women in volunteer positions at church, Christian nonprofit work, and other fields of ministry. Many people will benefit from this book's thoughtful diagnosis of a common problem, and from the practical steps that the authors recommend towards greater wellness and ministry sustainability.
Note: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
