The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers

By David Hansen

Book Overview

Named one of the Top Ten Books by the Academy of Parish Clergy

Hundreds of books, tapes, workshops and seminars promise to answer these impossible questions. Some offer a set of practical guidelines; others suggest a system or pattern to follow. Some stress various ministry functions; others feature case studies as models of success or failure. Some are helpful. Others are not. But in The Art of Pastoring, David Hansen turns pastoral self-help programs on their heads. He tackles the perennial questions from within his own experience.

From the Inside Out

Hansen's fresh, bold narrative grows from nearly a decade of ministry. He draws you into his life and into the lives of Florence-Victor Parish in the mountains of Montana, including unforgettable encounters with unforgettable people--a stubborn pioneer woman who still chops her own firewood though she's blind and 90 years old, a championship rodeo cowboy who was baptized in his boots, and many more.Hansen's goal is to help you discover "that pastoral ministry is a life, not a technology . . . that] life as a pastor is far more than the sum of the tasks I carry out. It is a call from God that involves my whole life."

From Calling to Living Parable

Every pastor has encountered those who struggle to hear God's voice in a hospital room, who reach for Jesus in the sacraments. No systematic answers can meet their deep, eternal needs. What can touch them, Hansen contends, is a life itself, a life lived as a parable of Jesus. "As a parable of Jesus Christ," Hansen writes, "I deliver something to the parishioner that I am not, and in the process I deliver the parishioner into the hands of God."

It is this knack for getting to the heart of things that makes The Art of Pastoring valuable for pastors in any setting--rural, suburban or urban. Parachurch workers, missionaries, church leaders and ministry volunteers will also find inspiration here.

In this significantly revised new edition, Hansen includes new insights into his view of pastorate as parable and adds a new postlude in which he comes clean on his "constant attempts to leave the ministry."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830841040
• ISBN13: 9780830841042
• Release Date: September 2012
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

WOW!!!

This book is so real!!! I MEAN REALLY REAL to life. I LOVED it and so will you...Get it for a seminarian, student, pastor, laymen, their family, etc...It is rich in wisdom and I suggest reading it over and over again as the years go by.

I loved this book...

I had to read this book for a Ministry Practice and Polity seminary class, and it was probably one of the most enjoyable books that I read in my whole seminary career. At the most basic level, this is sort of a 'day in the life' kind of book about David Hansen's experience in the role of pastor. The book is refreshingly honest as he discusses his struggles, victories, and overall experience of being a pastor in all the different compacities. I don't plan on being a pastor myself, but I would definitly recommend this book to anyone who is feeling called in that direction, as a 'window into the life of a pastorate.'

One of the Top Ten Books on Being a Pastor/Pastoral Theology

I could say a lot about this book. A wholelot in fact. But I am just going to say this:if you are a pastor or a family member of apastor get this book! It is rich, deep,honest, Christian, Christlike, and so muchmore. I am glad it came across my pathand am thankful the author shared his lifewith us.

How to BE a pastor, not just do pastoral things.

EUGENE PETERSON said: "This is the freshest and most honest book on pastoral work you're ever likely to come upon." I agree. Hansen helps us pastors consider what is essential for us to be pastors. Prayer, presence, scripture are central. Stories drawn from Hansen's contemplative fishing experiences help the reader appreciate the value of paying careful, quiet, patient attention in ministry. Not a "how to do it in X steps" book, but a book about being. This is a simple but deep book; it's hopeful and encouraging for a too busy pastor.