In churches today, there are ever fewer older pastors speaking into the lives of younger leaders, and fewer younger leaders feeling there is much to be learned from the experience of their elders. Street-smart wisdom is gone from training as there are many men and women preparing pastors who have never themselves pastored a church. Intriguingly, even older, more seasoned pastors yearn for insight into their task, as they remain "undiscipled" in the school of leadership. In What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary, veteran pastor James Emery White provides the kind of mentoring young pastors desperately need but cannot get from academia or leadership books. These "from the trenches" insights will help them transform their relationships with staff and parishoners, develop healthy boundaries, deliver hard truths, avoid spiritual pitfalls, use their time effectively, and much more.

A quintessential guide to the fundamentals of ministry, now updated and expanded. Since Aubrey Malphurs first wrote Ministry Nuts and Bolts in 1997 he has gathered even more insights and strategies thanks to his work consulting for churches, his further research, and the classes he teaches at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has applied this expanded knowledge to the second edition of Ministry Nuts and Bolts, a helpful guide designed to teach pastors what they need to know about the day-to-day, nitty-gritty of leading a pastoratethings that arent taught in seminary

After countless hours of immersion in theological curriculum and grueling examinations, the long-awaited graduation from seminary has finally arrived. However, after that celebrated walk across the stage, and the turning of the tassel, now the true test comes. Although many graduates have traversed seminary training, the question remains, are they prepared to take the reins of that prospective church? In his eye-opening debut book, Dr. Derrick J. Hughes reveals why seminaries are not equipped to give the practical knowledge needed to lead a successful ministry. With over 30 years of experience in church planting and pastoring small, mid, and mega-sized ministries, Dr. Hughes’ pragmatic approach to ministry will benefit leaders of churches of any size. Church leaders will learn how to avoid some of the common mistakes that turn ministry into misery. Whether or not you have had formal training, Dr. Hughes’ insights will help pastors from any denomination avoid the pitfalls that cause ministers to quit or derail their success in the ministry. Regardless of whether you are just beginning or are a seasoned church leader, anyone called to Christian ministry will be informed and enriched by Dr. Hughes’ priceless jewels for practical church leadership.

Many men have the skills to lead a church, but only some are called. Dave Harvey helps men considering pastoral ministry to see God's active role in the process of discerning their calling. God's Word offers a clear framework for evaluating one's call, especially within the context of community. Harvey offers six diagnostic questions to help prospective pastors process their calling, and what they should be doing now if they aren't sure. Illustrated with personal and historical stories, Harvey explores biblical and practical principles for determining the pastoral call. Over the past twenty-four years of ministry, Harvey has enjoyed assisting many men in discerning whether they are called into ministry. This book will guide you through that all-important process with wisdom and confidence in God's faithfulness in your life.

Pastors and church leaders are constantly faced with strategic questions. How much staff does the church need? How many workers are needed in the nursery this month? When is the right time to start a second worship service? How many people should we train for evangelism this year? How does seating and parking impact worship attendance? When church leaders have questions about planning, running, or growing their churches, they need answers fast! What Every Pastor Should Know offers pastors and leaders 101 valuable rules and "sacred" laws to help answer real-life ministry questions. From advertising to facilities to visitation, this valuable book offers the practical help that leaders need, just when they need it most. This comprehensive guide will become one of the most valuable books in a leader's library. Never again will they wonder if they based critical decisions on the right information. They'll get the answers they're looking for all in one place.

An ambitious new history of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony, published for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s landing In 1620, separatists from the Church of England set sail across the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. Understanding themselves as spiritual pilgrims, they left to preserve their liberty to worship God in accordance with their understanding of the Bible. There exists, however, an alternative, more dispiriting version of their story. In it, the Pilgrims are religious zealots who persecuted dissenters and decimated the Native peoples through warfare and by stealing their land. The Pilgrims’ definition of liberty was, in practice, very narrow. Drawing on original research using underutilized sources, John G. Turner moves beyond these familiar narratives in his sweeping and authoritative new history of Plymouth Colony. Instead of depicting the Pilgrims as otherworldly saints or extraordinary sinners, he tells how a variety of English settlers and Native peoples engaged in a contest for the meaning of American liberty.