Preventing Ministry Failure: A ShepherdCare Guide for Pastors, Ministers and Other Caregivers

by Michael Todd Wilson, Brad Hoffmann

Great ministers don't just happen. Great falls from ministry don't just happen either. A complex mix of factors both internal and external test the limits of your ability to minister wholeheartedly over the long haul. Senior pastor Brad Hoffmann and licensed professional counselor Michael Todd Wilson work with pastors removed from their place of service. The common experiences of these pastors revealed patterns that consistently contributed to burnout, ineffectiveness and moral failure. If such patterns can be predicted, the authors reasoned, can they be prevented? Preventing Ministry Failure is a personal guidebook for pastors and other caregivers to prepare them to withstand common pressures and to flourish in the ministry God has called them to. Work through the exercises and reflections individually or in conversation with your peers, and you'll find yourself better equipped for the challenges of vocational ministry, and more conscious of the presence of God leading you on and restoring your soul.

Genres: Leadership, Christian, Christianity, Church, Christian Living, School

265 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2007

Reviews

[Peyton Mansfield]

This book is written from an insightful perpective!

It's written by Christian counselors, who especially counsel ministers. They took the seven biggest categories of reasons why minsters leave the ministry (resigning or getting fired), and wrote about how to prevent ministry failure by proactively improving in those areas.

I think the book is useful. It got me thinking more than once biblically, emotionally, psychologically. And it's a super easy read.

I would recommend it.

[Holli Davila]

read it before you need it

This book has been practical and helpful as a diagnostic and skill building tool to grow me as a leader and help me anticipate places for burnout or failure. Have personally recommended to several people in ministry already.

[Toria]

This book is an excellent read for anyone in or who wants to go into Christian ministry. It gives helpful information on how to care for yourself to be able to serve others.

[Connor James]

I thought the book was really well-written and the applications were great, but sometimes just a little boring! Good book though!

[Christina Carter]

This was a decent book with some practical tips about staying healthy within ministry. Not the most helpful but covered many good areas.

[Adam]

A very big workbook that goes in depth to keep you from burning out in ministry.

[Joshua Ray]

An invaluable tool to help ministers think through issues related to their calling, identity, values, and vision.

I read this for an 8-week class, but ideally you would work through it slower than we had to. Definitely a book I want to come back to someday, especially as much of it is aimed towards people in an established ministry context and I don't quite fit that mold. Still, a very helpful resource that I would unhesitatingly recommend to any minister.

[Tag]

This is a book I stumbled across by accident. Its one of the better books I have read though regarding Pastoral ministry & church leadership. I highly recommend it for anyone in leadership at a church or ministry organization. This book has a built in guide to evaluate your ministry, your time, reminders of important things like taking time with your family, avoiding overload or burnout etc. Having said that...I picked this book up to read for my current need as a caregiver. I thought only the section on boundaries was the most relevant to me, as well as tips here and there that could apply directly to my unique situation. So my rating for this book for caregivers is only 2 stars, and will seek out other books that relate more to me in a caregiving role. I will read this book again though to evaluate our ministries and will recommend it to church leadership for a teaching/training tool.

[Brian Chilton]

This manual should be mandatory for every person in, or seeking to enter, Christian ministry. From setting boundaries, understanding personalities of "problem people," to intimacy, this book has guidelines on everything a Christian leader needs to know to maintain a stable spiritual, physical, and emotional outlook on life. Highly recommended.

[Andy Hickman]

A very helpful resource workbook.

“75 to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or conditions.”

“Stress mismanagement affects every aspect of our life.”

- Michael Todd Wilson, and Brad Hoffman. Preventing Ministry Failure: A ShepherdCare Guide for Pastors, Ministers and Other Caregivers. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2007.

[Eric Black]

Preventing Ministry Failure is a good workbook best for young ministers who can meet with other ministers to discuss self-care. More seasoned ministers can also benefit, but they are less likely to learn something new.

The book covers the following major areas of minister self-care:
• intimacy
• calling
• stress management
• boundaries
• re-creation
• people skills
• leadership

[Cambofield]

So far so good.

[Mazie]

Helpful tools and insights about recognizing the signs of burnout and the difference between fatigue and failure.

[Justin Farley]

http://justinfarley.blogspot.com/2015...

[Brian Watson]

Not a brilliant book, but it does have some important ideas for pastors to keep in mind. This is the kind of book one should read before entering ministry.

[Brent]

Ok book on ministry failure.

[Joshua]

Helpful book!