Blessed Connections: Relationships that Sustain Vital Ministry
Judith Schwanz
No pastor sets out to fail, but statistics say 15 to 20 percent of pastors leave pastoral ministry within the first five years. One seminary administrator said that every person he had heard of leaving the ministry had done so because of a relationship failure. We cannot escape relationships in ministry, yet few seminaries offer courses in how to build healthy relationships. The assumption is that the type of person who is called to ministry will have all the “people skills” they need, which sadly is not always true.
In Blessed Connections, seminary professor Judith Schwanz focuses on the person of the minister and the relational system of the minister’s life. She spotlights three areas of connection—relationship with self, relationships with other people, and relationship with God. Attending to these three primary connections will strengthen the pastor and cushion her or him against the pressures and stresses of daily ministry. Blessed Connections is ideal for seminary students and new pastors and includes “Assessment Journal” questions at the end of each chapter for personal application.
Praise for the Book
“Judith Schwanz writes with the heart of a pastor's coach. She stays connected with the reader with her conversational style and guided self-reflections that encourage greater self-knowledge, authenticity, and accountability in ministry. We have been waiting a long time for Blessed Connections!” —Yvonne Martinez Thorne, Counseling Psychologist and psychological consultant to clergy, churches, and denominational judicatories
“How do you do the work of ministry without losing your own soul? Judith Schwanz provides a practical and wise guide for maintaining personal well-being while also identifying principles and practices for achieving greater effectiveness. Every pastor can benefit from her book” —Daniel Smith, Courageous Coaching & Consulting
“Well-informed by both social-scientific and biblical-theological resources and with clear guidance and an assessment journal, this book will be widely used by clergy and by seminarians.” —Richard P. Olson, Distinguished Professor of Pastoral Theology, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Shawnee, Kansas
“As pastors called to love God, love others, and love ourselves we can often get lost in the quagmire of congregational life. This book is a valuable tool for those entering or fully engaged in ministry.” —Mary Rearick Paul, Vice President for Spiritual Development, Point Loma Nazarene University
About the Author
Judith A. Schwanz is Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. She holds a Ph.D. from Portland State University as well as degrees from Northwestern University and Western Evangelical Seminary. She is a Certified Administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and has served in both the local parish and a private counseling practice.
ISBN# 978-1-56699-356-2
Alban No. AL346
paper, 197 pages
2008
In stock
$17.00
($13.60 for members)
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