The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus

Commendation Quotes:"C. S. Lewis wrote that friendship is born when one man says to another, 'What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . . ' Many pastors will find a new friend in this remarkable book. What makes this book both approachable and powerful is its honesty--that rare treasure we pastors are sometimes afraid to make our own. Zack Eswine gives us a front row seat to his heart. In seeing him, we see ourselves. But far better, we also see Jesus in his all-sufficiency for us. To everyone who wants to serve the Lord with a heart set free from pretense, I commend The Imperfect Pastor."--Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Lead Pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville, Tennessee"This is one of the finest books on being a pastor written in this generation. I plan to use The Imperfect Pastor as required read for our pastoral theology students here at Covenant Seminary. The book is heart-wrenchingly honest about Zack's own hopes and dreams and about the challenges of dealing with the praise that is heaped on a gifted young communicator of God's Word. It is this rare honesty that makes the book a must read for anyone called to a life of ministry. Along with this painful and necessary openness, Zack has written not only with a practical helpfulness but also with a kindness of spirit about the follies, sins, and troubles that anyone engaged in serving others is constantly encountering. His careful exposition of Scripture is interwoven with unforgettable stories that bind the points he makes to the hearts of his readers. This will be an outstanding addition to the library of every pastor and teacher, indeed of anyone committed to ministry."--Jerram Barrs, Resident Scholar of the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute at Covenant Theological Seminary; author, Freedom and Discipleship and The Heart of Prayer"This book is simultaneously deeply distressing and profoundly comforting. The rhythmic interchange between these two seemingly opposite impacts surprisingly convinced me that this is one of the most helpful books on pastoring that I have read since my ordination in 1978. Ruthless self-address and unvarnished vulnerability are here wed to searching exegesis and an obvious purposed submission to the text of Holy Scripture. . The reader of this work will likely find remaining neutral and numb to their own mediocrity a difficult task!"--Joseph V. Novenson, Pastor, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee"After marinating in The Imperfect Pastor, I have two responses--one of lament and one of joy. Where was this book when I was stuck in the unrelenting grind of performance-based pastoring; the spiritual schizophrenia of preaching the gospel of grace with a frozen heart; the lonely pedestal of a pulpit surrounded by thousands of people? But joy fills my heart as I realize what a great book I now have with which to mentor young pastors and preachers. Zack, thank you for stewarding your pain and God's gospel."--Scotty Smith, Teacher in Residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, Tennessee "In prose that is warmly authentic and deeply rooted in the wisdom of Scripture and a life well examined, Zack Eswine invites those who minister to pause and reflect. Eswine unfolds a lovely biblical vision of ministry that embraces the localities, limits, physicality, and margins of our finiteness that God deems good. Devotional, rich in insight, gentle in teaching, The Imperfect Pastor is also profoundly convicting in challenging us to embody what we profess to believe. This is not abstract pastoral theology; it is an understanding of ministry for all ministers, lay or professional, who find, perhaps to their surprise or disappointment, that they are human beings, body and soul. If you do ministry, please believe me: The Imperfect Pastor is must reading."--Denis Haack, Director, Ransom Fellowship; Visiting Instructor in practical theology, Covenant SeminaryBiographical Note: Zack Eswine (PhD, Regent University) is lead pastor at Riverside Church in Webster Groves, Missouri, enjoys writing about life and ministry in Jesus, and blogs at preachingbarefoot.wordpress.com. He is the author of Preaching to a Post-Everything World, which won the PreachingToday.com Preaching Book Award in 2009. Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Commendation Quotes:"It's hard to imagine a book packed with more grace and insight into the extraordinary life of the ordinary pastor. So I'll quit trying and just read Zack Eswine's The Imperfect Pastor again. No one today shows more insight into the perils and joys of everyday ministry in the local church--a refreshingly honest and beautifully written meditation."--Mark Galli, Editor, Christianity Today"I wish I'd read this book twenty-five years ago when I first began to consider pastoral ministry. The ground Zack covers is vital for novices and senior pastors alike. He steers us well clear of dangerous ambitions, absurd expectations, and corrosive work patterns. But he does so with wit, self-deprecation, and deeply felt realism. Eswine reignited in me a love for the Perfect Shepherd who has the extraordinary grace to include imperfect shepherds in his kingdom work. This should be on everyone's must-read list!"--Mark Meynell?, Associate Director (Europe), Langham Preaching; author, A Wilderness of Mirrors"Zack Eswine has done it again. In The Imperfect Pastor, he extends the hand of brotherhood to every minister of the gospel. Too many weary soldiers guard the front lines; Eswine reminds us all that Christ is our guard and defender, and that strength in him is our strongest place."--Lore Ferguson, writer; graphic designer; speaker"This book needs to be read by every pastor, to rescue us and call us back to what matters. The expectation of large, famous, and fast ministry in a post-Christian culture can be a destructive burden. Zack's wisdom is a healing balm bringing needed grace to help us minister with patience and endurance."--Peter Boyd, Pastor, Shore Presbyterian Church, Auckland, New Zealand"This is simply the best book on pastoral ministry I have ever read. In an upside-down ministry world that idolizes stardom and size, Zack opens our eyes to the only things that really matter. Prayerfully read and reread this beautiful, poignant meditation and you will discover joy and true greatness in the midst of your extraordinary, ordinary life."--Ken Shigematsu, Pastor, Tenth Church Vancouver, best-selling author, God in My Everything"Zack Eswine pokes his prose into a very sensitive area we pastors and leaders hate to discuss: the amount of people who come to our churches, the size of the offering, and the number of social media followers we have can be the Nielson Ratings we draw our sense of identity and esteem from. As painful as this truth may seem, this is not a book filled with condemnation but rather winsome encouragement. I could feel Zack's arms around me as God used him to point the way forward--toward a path of healing and hope."--Bryan Loritts, Pastor for Preaching and Mission, Trinity Grace Church, New York City; Founder and President, The Kainos Movement; Editor, Letters to a Birmingham Jail"The Imperfect Pastor is a refreshing reminder of what ministry is all about: walking with Jesus, recognizing our own desires and limitations, and reflecting a listening presence, hopeful patience, and restorative purpose. Zack's personal experiences related to the ups and downs of ministry, along with his contemplative approach to spirituality, will challenge and encourage anyone who seeks to minister in the name of Jesus." --Wendy Der, Director of Mobilization in Mexico, Avance Internacional"Here is wisdom reminiscent of the gifted preachers of another era, but expressed in the sound and tone of today. Here is pastoral theology written, preached, and lived out in the very real and checkered life of Zack himself. Here is humane and godly counsel. You should read this book!"--Leighton Ford, President, Leighton Ford MinistriesPublisher Marketing: Dear Pastor, Desire burns within you. You've trained and dreamt of doing large things in famous ways as fast as you can for God's glory. But pastoral work keeps requiring your surrender to small, mostly overlooked things over long periods of time. You stand at a crossroads. Jesus stands with you. You were never meant to know everything, fix everything, and be everywhere at once. That's his job, not yours. So what now? Let the apprenticeship begin. Review Citations:

CBA Retailers 08/01/2015 pg. 30 (EAN 9781433549335, Paperback)

Contributor Bio:  Eswine, Zack ZACK ESWINE is the Senior Pastor at the Riverside Church, St Louis, Missouri. He previously served as Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Covenant Theological Seminary, St Louis, Missouri. A list of his writings can be found at zackeswine.com or on his blog at preachingbarefoot.com.