Do you believe God can fan the flames of renewal in struggling churches? We are convinced he can — and does! In these compelling letters, former Southern Seminary students and Mathena Center alumni share the biblical principles of church revitalization they honed on campus, infused with the inspiring wisdom they have gained as pastors, patiently guiding their congregations back to health.
If you are an aspiring pastor, well, this was written with you particularly in mind. These men were once in your shoes, dreaming, praying, and seeking God’s will and calling for their lives. I know them. I trained them as students. I have mentored them as pastors. And I hand-picked them to write each chapter. You can trust them. I assure you, out of their ministry experiences, they have something to say. Listen to them. Watch them. Consider their perspective. Hear their humility and wisdom that only comes from the grace of ministry scars. They are writing each chapter with not just you in mind—but addressed to you directly. Aspiring pastor, this book is for you. So, read on and let them teach you what they wished they knew when they sat where you now sit. —Brian Croft (from introduction)
three-legged stool for revitalization
Each contributor to this volume of letters for (aspiring) pastors is an alumnus of the Mathena Center, and we have framed the book around the three-legged stool principle(s) we teach.
Chapter Titles
Pastoral Theology
1. How the Three-Legged Stool Stabilizes Church Revitalization—Michael Craig
2. Receiving the Baton: Faithfully Succeeding a Successful Ministry—David Bush
3. Does Church Closure Mean the Revitalization Pastor Failed? Defining “Success” in a Dying-Church Ministry—Randall Cofield
4. At Home and Abroad: Universal Principles Contextually Applies in Revitalization—Jonathan Ginn
Healthy Ecclesiology
5. Aspire to Be a Rocket Booster: The Lay Pastor in Revitalization—Jon Page
6. Who is in Charge Around Here? Identifying Who has Authority in Revitalization—Sean Corser
7. Biblical Church Revitalization: A Global Strategy—Alex Daher
8. When Two Churches Become One: Shepherding a Merger—Steve Barbee
Personal Soul Care
9. Be Careful What You Pray For: When God Surprises You with a Quick Harvest in Revitalization—Bryan Watts
10. Church Revitalization from the Associate Pastoral Perspective—Shaun Martens
11. How Revitalization Training Helped Plant a Church—Matt Cable
12. Why the Hurry? Aspirational Patience for Pastoral Ministry—Michael Carlino
Endorsements
"I'm confident you'll be as encouraged and challenged as I was in reading from these former students who share the basic content along with applied wisdom from their experience in putting these principles of church revitalization into practice." — James Carroll, Senior Pastor of Parkway Baptist Church in Bardstown, KY; Former President of the Kentucky Baptist Convention
"If there were ever a time when aspiring pastors needed biblical yet practical guidance on how to faithfully shepherd God's people in a church revitalization context, it is now. I can't wait to get this book into the hands of pastors, both young and old, for years to come." — Mark Hallock, Pastor, Author of Leading Church Revitalization
Dear Aspiring Pastor: A Panel Discussion at the SBTS Bookstore
To learn more about the book Dear Aspiring Pastor, you can watch this panel discussion held at the SBTS bookstore following its release between the book’s editors Brian Croft and Michael Carlino, and two of its contributors, Sean Corser and Jonathan Ginn.