A Baker's Dozen of Pastoral Lessons

by Matthew Holst • January 15, 2015

As I approach the fifth anniversary of my ordination to pastoral ministry, I confess that last five years have been a maelstrom of emotional highs and lows--as well as a school of previously unknown experiences. My own experiences and observations of pastoral situations have helped produce my baker’s dozen of lessons for seminarians and new pastors.

As I approach the fifth anniversary of my ordination to pastoral ministry, I confess that last five years have been a maelstrom of emotional highs and lows--as well as a school of previously unknown experiences. My own experiences and observations of pastoral situations have helped produce my baker’s dozen of lessons for seminarians and new pastors. This has been a learning and growing time for me.

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Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Bad Books, Good Books, and Naming Names

Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 by Todd Pruitt on 1517

You don't have to read bad books.

On the most recent edition of Mortification of Spin: Bully Pulpit, Carl, Aimee, and I discuss the dreadful state of evangelical reading habits. Certainly there are some excellent books and publishers out there. But it takes only a moment perusing the Christian bestseller lists to understand that the majority of Christians buying books are buying bad books. That's right. I just made a judgment. On the podcast posted today we even name some names. I don't know any of those named writers personally.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

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Mortification of Spin is a casual conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Mortification of Spin and the mission of the Alliance.

Read This, Not That!

Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 by Aimee Byrd on Housewife Theologian

A book review and suggestion for a better reading appetite.

Have you heard of the book, Eat This, Not That! ? I thought I would play off of that for a teaser to a book review I have featured on Books At A Glance. Here is a bite:
 
How does one abide in Christ?

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Mortification of Spin is a casual conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Mortification of Spin and the mission of the Alliance.

Just You Wait, Carl Trueman!

Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 by Aimee Byrd on Housewife Theologian

You'll be sorry but your tears 'll be too late!

Carl takes his queue from "My Fair Lady" as he asks me a preposterous question at the end of today’s podcast. We are all meeting up to do a batch of recordings tomorrow and I have half a mind to show up filthy, stinky, and crass, which is what the world would look like in the stereotypical question Carl posed.
Instead, I will show up with my usual: nunchucks and chocolate chip cookies. I embrace the fact that women are complicated and men will never figure us out.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Mortification of Spin is a casual conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Mortification of Spin and the mission of the Alliance.

7 Things to Remember Before You Quit a Pastorate

by Nick Batzig • January 13, 2015

When we find ourselves in the mire of the trenches or on the front line of the battlefield of pastoral ministry, quitting is usually never the answer.

While it is difficult to determine the precise percentage, almost all studies have shown that the average pastor leaves a church within the first five years of ministry there. Though reasons for this vary from situation to situation, this much we can be sure of: Far too many pastors quit when they begin to come up against the difficulties and discouragements that come along with pastoral ministry. Here are seven things that every pastor must remember when tempted to quit a particular pastoral ministry:

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Beth Moore Deserves Better

Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 by Carl Trueman on Postcards from Palookaville

Beth Moore does not deserve to be beaten up by a hashtag mob.

Yesterday Aimee brought my attention to a recent post by Beth Moore.  In it, Moore complains about the scurvy treatment she has received online. As I read the article, I could not help but think that Beth Moore deserves better, much better.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Mortification of Spin is a casual conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Mortification of Spin and the mission of the Alliance.
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A Prophet for an Un-discerning Church

Posted on Monday, January 12, 2015 by Todd Pruitt on 1517

In which I take my life in my own hands by critiquing Beth Moore's claims...

If you want to get people mad at you (I mean really mad) just criticize Beth Moore’s teaching. Trust me on this. Many a young pastor has found himself being roasted over the rhetorical bonfire of women’s ministry meetings for daring to raise concerns about Beth Moore’s rather exotic approach to biblical interpretation. 
But those who don’t much care about popularity or physical safety have in recent years been willing to challenge some of the outrageous claims and troubling teachings coming from Beth Moore.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

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Mortification of Spin is a casual conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Mortification of Spin and the mission of the Alliance.

Sometimes It's Good to be Superficial

Posted on Monday, January 12, 2015 by Aimee Byrd on Housewife Theologian

Because "understanding half of a really tough book is much better than not understanding it at all."

Our upcoming podcast takes a look at the best seller's list for Christian books. This year, I would love to do what I can to get people reading with more discernment, and to pursue reading good books. While I want to continue to highlight good books on the blog, this goal also means that I should probably spend some time reading and reviewing a book here and there from the best seller list. In the meantime, here is an article I wrote exactly a year ago that offers some advice on how to read up:

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Freedom is a joke. Specifically, a satirical joke.

Posted on Friday, January 9, 2015 by Carl Trueman on Postcards from Palookaville

The French satirists did indeed have it coming to them. And that is why we should champion their cause.

The recent terrorist attack in Paris highlights perhaps the great political dilemma of the current age, that of Western freedoms being used to destroy Western freedoms.  But perhaps just as importantly, its target was perfectly chosen.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

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Missing Woman Unwittingly Joins Search Party Looking for Herself. Really.

Posted on Friday, January 9, 2015 by Aimee Byrd on Housewife Theologian

The different angles of this gem of a story.

Now here is an entertaining news story. It's actually a couple of years old but new to me today:
Really.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Mortification of Spin is a casual conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Mortification of Spin and the mission of the Alliance.
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