What do you think?
Rate this book
The United Methodist Clergy Book of Firsts
Written especially for Licensing School and United Methodist Course of Study students, this book will see pastors through those early days of ministry. Your First Appointment, First Worship Service, First Sermon, Clergy Income Tax, Moving Expenses, Fees with Weddings and Funerals, Family Pet at Parsonage, Hospital Ministry, Your Predecessor, Your Community, Deaths and Funerals, Reports and Salary Issues, Disliked by a Member, Musical Differences, Brief "Tricks of the Trade", Basics of Leadership, Nominations and Leadership Development. Plus much more!
- GenresChurch
142 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2017
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 13, 2018
This book should be the first prescribed as required reading during Orientation to Ministry...and if not then, definitely core text of licensing school.
When you start as a brand new pastor, there are so many things. There’s no way to prepare yourself. Really. It’s that intense. I spent 4 years as the assistant to the pastor in a mid-sized church, and I still had questions I didn’t even realize I had.
This book starts gentle, easing you in to the pre-appointment stage, on to introductions, then first sermon, first week, first month, etc. it covers a ton of “stuff”...the Book of Worship, Book of Discipline (which the author quotes and gives source paragraph), do you get paid for weddings and funerals, how to set up a filing system....
One thing you aren’t really prepped for is the administrative and business end of the church. I would guess that 1/3 the book is instructional regarding forms and business requirements, but it is necessary. The author wrote the book in such a way that it will remain relevant even with future changes in discipline.
I wish I had known about this book sooner. It’s helped me A LOT.
This book is the mentor you never knew you needed. Buy it. Read it. Keep it with you. it’s that helpful.
When you start as a brand new pastor, there are so many things. There’s no way to prepare yourself. Really. It’s that intense. I spent 4 years as the assistant to the pastor in a mid-sized church, and I still had questions I didn’t even realize I had.
This book starts gentle, easing you in to the pre-appointment stage, on to introductions, then first sermon, first week, first month, etc. it covers a ton of “stuff”...the Book of Worship, Book of Discipline (which the author quotes and gives source paragraph), do you get paid for weddings and funerals, how to set up a filing system....
One thing you aren’t really prepped for is the administrative and business end of the church. I would guess that 1/3 the book is instructional regarding forms and business requirements, but it is necessary. The author wrote the book in such a way that it will remain relevant even with future changes in discipline.
I wish I had known about this book sooner. It’s helped me A LOT.
This book is the mentor you never knew you needed. Buy it. Read it. Keep it with you. it’s that helpful.
Displaying 1 of 1 review