Pastoral Theology

The Deliberate Church, by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander (Crossway Books)
All through the years of my ministry I have tried to read books on church ministry. I have made it a practice even of reading those with which I know ahead of time I will have fundamental disagreements, just to see what I might be able to learn in order to enhance and advance the ministry of our particular church. I finally purchased The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel (by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander; foreword by D.A. Carson) fully expecting to enjoy it and to profit by it. Very simply put, this is the best book I have ever read on the subject of church ministry — hands down. What a wonderful and useful contribution this is to the church. To my knowledge it is far and away the most Biblically driven and practically useful title available. It has provided me with some needed alterations in my own ministry, which I am already at work trying to implement. Mark has thought through a wide range of church/ministry-related issues Biblically, and he has provided a very simple, practical, seasoned, hands on guide to doing church ministry in a way that is informed by the gospel. I assure you, your ministry will be enriched and advanced by this book, and your church will be blessed as a result. I encourage you to purchase a copy to read soon. Perhaps you will want to work through it with your elders and deacons. I am sure you will find it useful.

And while I'm at it I might as well say also that if you have not yet used Dever's 9 Marks of a Healthy Church for a series of studies with your elders or your adult Sunday School ............. you're missing a great opportunity to advance the health of your church. Check them out further and subscribe to the free e-newsletter at www.9-marks.org .

What can I say? Charles Haddon Spurgeon 's An All Round Ministry (Banner of Truth) is still – and will probably remain for some time yet – one of the best and most challenging pieces of pastoral reading you can find. I have read much on preaching and the pastoral ministry, but nothing has proved more enjoyable and profitable. "No one could ever say it like Spurgeon said it" is an understatement. This is another book of which I must say, "Every pastor should read it – many times." This unusually gifted servant of Christ is always so passionate for the gospel of Christ, and that alone needs to rub off on us more. Along with the elders of our church I have been reading through this book again recently and have been blessed and challenged again to more faithful service to Christ. Spurgeon is great for reminding us of our right priorities and how to go about accomplishing our Biblical purpose in ministry, and his passion and tireless example are a model for us all. This book would be a help to preachers anywhere. Highly recommended.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the man whom God greatly used this century to bring about something of a revival of Evangelicalism in England, has much to tell us about preaching – he was a master at it! His Preaching and Preachers (Zondervan) deals with issues to which every preacher would do well to give more serious consideration. One great tragedy today on the part of preachers today is the lack of confidence in the effectiveness of Biblical preaching. In such a climate, Lloyd-Jones provides a happy and refreshing reminder. His high view of preaching is something which flavors this book throughout. But this book offers much more than theory – it is a "hands on" manual from one who preached often and always very well. His topics range from the primacy of preaching to the form and substance and preparation and delivery of the sermon, the preacher himself, the worship service itself, and the necessity of the Spirit's blessing. Valuable reading for all who preach. Highly recommended.

Christian Ministries and the Law by H. Wayne House (Kregel)
This book is almost one of a kind -- it deals with the varieties of legal questions that a church can face. And in our age of lawsuits and legal red tape, an understanding of these issues is becoming more and more important for pastors and church leaders. This book compiles brief essays by experts in their fields discussing issues such as the advantages and disadvantages of church incorporation, the IRS, church finances, charitable giving, bankruptcy, counseling privileges and liabilities, political activities, church property issues, and a Biblical view of law and government. A glossary of legal terms, a clarification of recent changes in legislation, sample contracts, and sample agreements for arbitration and mediation make this an invaluable resource for every leader.

The Master's Plan for the Church by John MacArthur (Moody Press)
A revised and expanded version of his books Shepherdology and Body Dynamics. Church issues are MacArthur's forte, and this is a classic example of his work. Deals with issues of church identity, function, goals, priorities, leadership, discipline, faithfulness, and other such practical and vital areas of Christian life. The church is God's tool in the world, and we must learn how to "do church" correctly and get on target -- for our own sakes, for the sake of the effectiveness of our ministries, and for the honor of God. An excellent series of studies -- important reading for church leaders and every church member, and eminently suitable for Sunday School or Bible Study series. Highly recommended.

How to Help People Change, by Jay E. Adams
A basic text examining the process of Biblical change and growth in godliness aimed at the role of the counselor and pastor. A solid, foundational study that provides a most helpful (and Biblical!) frame of reference for the pastor and his work. Excellent. Highly recommended.
*Note: As a follow up to this study read How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp, and Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change by Paul Tripp. Adams provides the larger Biblical framework, and these these look more closely into the dynamics involved in the process of change.

Pop Goes the Gospel by John Blanchard (Evangelical Press)
Rock music in the church. A highly provocative and hard-hitting examination of the pop scene and the use of rock music in evangelism. A calm, balanced, thorough, and biblical look at the subject. Extremely relevant and highly recommended!

The Preacher and Preaching by Sam Logan (Presbyterian and Reformed). This book (confessedly) arose from a concern that modern preaching is failing and that this failure needed addressing. But recognizing the problem is only the first step – precisely identifying the problem(s) is the next. And then answering the problem correctly and effectively is still the next. This book does it all. A good part of its strength stems from the wide variety of gifted men who come together here to address the problem – men who know what makes preachers good and their preaching effective. The book deals, in turn, with three subject areas: The Man, The Message, and The Manner of Preaching. No, not every chapter is equally helpful or challenging – but James Boice's chapter on "The Preacher and Scholarship" has been known to scare some preachers nearly out of the pulpit! But there are some chapters which, all by themselves, are worth the price of the book – such as the chapter "Exegesis" by Sinclair Ferguson and J. I. Packer's Introduction, "Why Preach?" In short, these men have addressed the problem well, and I don't know of a preacher anywhere who would not profit from this book. Recommended.

Preaching with Passion by Alex Montoya (Kregel)
The first thing I did after reading this book was to write the author and thank him for it. It was an encouraging and timely read for me personally. Furher, this subject has always been of important interest to me. The lack of any sense of urgency in so much of what passes for "preaching" today is embarrassing and shameful. It was Lloyd-Jones who said it right -- "There is no such thing as a boring preacher!" Can we imagine a disinterested and unenthusiastic tour guide at Niagra? But Montoya, California pastor and professor of pastoral ministries at The Master's Seminary, does not spend time lamenting the lack of passion in today's preaching. He rather spends his time demonstrating the need, the propriety, and the necessity of preaching with passion. The net effect is one of encouragement and a fresh sense of the great importance of the preached Word. John MacArthur writes in the Foreword, "All who know him [Montoya] agree that his passion is infectious. Here's hoping this book will start an epidemic." This should be required reading for every pastor. If you are not a preacher yourself, buy this for your pastor.

Teaching Sunday School by Brian Freer (Evangelical Press)
If this little book were required reading for all Sunday School teachers in every church, our children would be the better for it. Freer writes out of the conviction that our Sunday School time must be used to its fullest potential, and he has taken the time to show us how that potential can best be reached. In the first three chapters, he very encouragingly expounds and illustrates the hope that we may have in teaching our children the Bible -- it is an exciting prospect indeed! In the remaining chapters he very carefully and clearly lays out principles and practical procedures for teachers to follow in order to achieve highest success in their work. He deals with everything from the church to the teacher to the lesson preparation to the delivery to the classroom experience. A very, very useful tool for the improvement of our Sunday School and the evangelization and edification of our children. Every church should by a copy this book for each of its teachers to read, re-read, and refer to regularly until its counsel is completely absorbed.

Telling the Old, Old Story: The Art of Narrative Preaching by David Larsen (Kregel)
Helpful counsel on the method of effective narrative sermon preparation, construction, and delivery. A bit lengthy and afield in places, but overall a useful guide. For me, preaching from Biblical narratives is the most difficult type of preaching I do, and I welcome the help!

How to Help People Change by Jay Adams (Zondervan)
I will confess that when I see a title like this, I do not get excited. I brace myself for pscho-babble gobbledygook and make plans to throw the book in the round file under my desk. But of course Adams deserves a look, and so I looked ........... and loved it. This is not your typical book on counseling, and it is not only good -- it is profoundly useful. What God is after in us is change -- beginning with repentance and continuing, progressive change to the likeness of Christ. And for this change God provides all the necessary means. I highly recommend this book -- it is accurate, enjoyable, and useful. Every pastor would profit by reading it.

Willow Creek Services: Evaluating a New Way of Doing Church by G. A. Pritchard (Baker Books)
A helpful analysis and assessment of the Willow Creek pheonomenon. Pritchard does a thorough job of analyzing how Bill Hybels and other Creeker types "do church." He draws on extended interviews with Hybels and his large staff, first-hand acquaintance with the church services, and analysis of many of Hybels' sermon tapes. His presentation of the Willow Creek model is thorough and precise and accurate. The final section of the book is his analysis which is largely very good and very reliable. He points out a few lessons which more traditionalist critics can learn from Hybels, and he points out many errors bound up with his approach. Apart from conducting the research yourself, this is probably the best resource for learning what the Willow Creek movement is all about.