The Vulnerable Pastor - by Mandy Smith (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br><p>Sometimes pastors fear that if people knew who we really are, we'd be disqualified from ministry. Not so, says pastor Mandy Smith. Transparently describing her pastoral journey, Smith shows how vulnerability shapes ministry, unpacking the biblical paradox that God's strength is revealed in our weakness. God has called you to lead just as the human you are.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><ul> <li>Missio Alliance Essential Reading List of 2015</li> <li>Hearts Minds Bookstore's Best Books of 2015, For Church Leaders</li> <li>ProdigalThought.net's Top Reads of 2015</li> <li>Englewood Review of Books Best Books of 2015, Praxis</li> <li> <em>Leadership Journal's</em> Best Ministry Books of the Year</li> </ul><p>Often as pastors we feel like we need to project strength and competency in order to minister effectively. That's why we go to conferences and emulate the latest superstars. But we know we can never live up to those images. Deep down, we know our own limitations, our weaknesses, our faults. We fear that if people knew who we really are, we'd be disqualified from ministry. Not so. Mandy Smith unpacks the biblical paradox that God's strength is revealed through our human weakness. Transparently describing her pastoral journey, Smith shows how vulnerability shapes ministry, through our spiritual practices and relationships, influencing our preaching, teaching and even the nuts and bolts of the daily schedule. Understanding our human constraints makes our ministry more sustainable and guards us against disillusionment and burnout. We don't have to have it all together. Recognizing our weakness makes us rely on God, so our weakness can become a ministry resource. God has called you to lead not as a demigod, but as a human, so the world can see that the church is a place for humans like them.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p><em>The Vulnerable Pastor</em> is a great book for Christians, and especially pastors, who feel discouraged and ashamed of weaknesses in a culture focused on strength, performance, and having it all together. Smith prophetically calls the church to renounce the idol of strength in leadership and to rely on God's strength in our weakness. The practice of becoming vulnerable is a means by which a new generation of pastors can develop the necessary virtues of courage and humility.</p>--Ty Grigg, Covenant Quarterly, Winter 2016<br><br><p>A revolutionary book in the truest of terms, <em>The Vulnerable Pastor</em> is a welcome invitation into a life of ministry that operates within the brokenness of people and calls ministers to recognize their own humanity along the way. This is a humanity that is not offered only to those who recognize their brokenness, but even more so to those who feel overcome by the pressures of a ministry culture that seeks to explain and fix anything that hints of inadequacy. <em>The Vulnerable Pastor</em>, although in many respects a journey of Smith's own realization of her humanity, is also a hand-written letter of invitation for readers to live into their humanity and perceived weaknesses and to allow the movement of the Spirit to work through their unpolished, human selves.</p>--Nathan Smith, Seedbed, January 15, 2016<br><br><p>Despite the reference to pastoral ministry in its title, this book is one that should be read much more broadly than just by pastors. While especially vital for pastors, it is no less significant when read by laypeople, as it is a poignant reminder of the humanity of our leaders and of the call for each of us to devote ourselves to the work of the Gospel. Smith's call to live faithfully within the bounds of our humanness will guide us toward a deeper life together that is both more joyful and more sustainable.</p>--Chris Smith, V3 Church Planting Movement, November 18, 2015<br><br><p>Mandy Smith has given us a wonderful guide to pastoral well-being and faithful excellence. She has discovered that our limitations are the womb of possibility and that when we are weak, we are strong in God.</p>--Bruce Epperly, Patheos, December 14, 2015<br><br><p>This is a compelling witness for pastors who want to be honest without being self-indulgent. The vulnerable pastor dares to follow the vulnerable God who finds strength in weakness.</p>--Roy Howard, The Presbyterian Outlook, January 11, 2016<br><br><p>Vulnerability in ministry is a too often ignored topic. It doesn't need to be. Smith helps readers see that talking about our limitations isn't just a good idea, it's absolutely essential for healthy kingdom leaders, and what people in the pew so desperately long to see.</p>--J.R. Briggs, Leardership Journal, Winter 2016<br>
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