Mastering Conflict Controversy

The Mastering Ministry Series covers the various challenges of a ministry encounters and teaches how to deal with them-one subject at a time. Mastering Ministry is a perfect "survival guide" for today's pastor addressing relevant topics such as worship, preaching, controversies, evangelism, church management, pastoral care, fundraising and personal growth.

The Mastering Ministry Series covers the various challenges of a ministry encounters and teaches how to deal with them-one subject at a time. Mastering Ministry is a perfect "survival guide" for today's pastor addressing relevant topics such as worship, preaching, controversies, evangelism, church management, pastoral care, fundraising and personal growth.

How can we preach persuasively without huckstering, manipulating, or coercing people? Sadly, we are seeing the fall of many pastors not for reasons of sexual immorality, but the pursuit of pride and power. The skillful use of marketing methods creates celebrity pastors who become significant influencers in the evangelical church. The lure of success is seductive, turning pastors into hucksters and Christians into consumers. We need to heed the warnings of the New Testament about the pride of rhetoric and the pursuit of power. David Christensen carefully analyzes the biblical warnings of Paul about the temptations of rhetorical sophistry in the first-century church and applies them to pastoral ministry today. God calls preachers to be ethical and effective persuaders. David develops an ethical grid for pastoral persuasion using principles drawn from the Bible and social science along with practical illustrations from his years of ministry. He calls preachers to be ethical and effective persuaders by emphasizing the centrality of the word of God while depending on the power of the Spirit of God.

Churches thrive on communication; they are stifled by conflict. Renowned Christian educator Kenneth O. Gangel joins his colleague Samuel L. Canine to bring good news to the church - communication skills can be learned and conflict can be managed. The church need no longer hide conflict nor excuse itself for poor communication, but can instead acknowledge where it has problems and seek transformation. The authors offer scriptural strategies for overcoming conflict and for building trust in relationships - even relationships among deacons or between deacons and pastors. Drawing from recent studies in the social sciences, Gangel and Canine show the church how to manage strife and foster dialogue so that the church can flourish. Chapter titles include Learning To Listen, Power in Conflict Management, Negotiation and Bargaining in Conflict Management, Organizational Causes of Conflict, Coalitions in Conflict Management, Managing Conflict Destructively or Constructively, Stress: Cause And Cure, and The Workaholic Syndrome. This book is a valuable resource for training church leaders. It is also an important resource for those who are already pastors, for whom the issues are daily realities and not just academic theory. Through its use in churches and seminaries, the book is designed to lead God's church through its conflicts to renewed vigor in ministry and growth.

Other books have been written about clergy misconduct and its effects on congregations. Some are by victims. Others are written by professionals for a professional audience. Until now, however, there hasn't been a book for the congregational leaders who must deal with the fallout of clergy misconduct. Both the afterpastors--the interim or settled pastors who follow misconducting pastors--and lay leaders need guidance about how to assess and effectively respond to the misconduct, how to care for the victim/survivor, and how to carry out the mission and ministry to which the congregation has been called.

The joy that comes from a meaningful relationship is one of the richest blessings. Even so, there are people in every community who, for whatever reason, do and say difficult and destructive things—and the church community is no different. Confronting these difficult personalities and potentially damaging events becomes a very important task for our pastors and church leaders, but sadly many of our leaders are currently unable to cope effectively with such challenging, though regular, problems in the pastorate. In The Alexander Antidote: Turning Conflict into a Prescription of Wholeness for the Local Church, veteran pastor and advisor Dr. Thomas S. Warren II introduces a practical, Christ-centered process for proactively responding to conflict, building human relationships, and leading our churches and organizations back to health. Based on biblical principles and Warren’s thirty-five-plus years as a pastor, The Alexander Antidote guides us from understanding the nature of conflict and our reactions to finding balance to finally working with and resolving the problem “in Christ.” If you are ready to make a difference in the life of your church and allow the Lord to make an impact through you, then now is the time to set your mind and heart to the task of bringing health to the body of Christ whenever it is needed, even if it means dealing with conflict.

"As a start or an addition to your library, few books would make a better choice than The Christian Educator's Handbook series offered by Baker Books. Noted Christian education authorities such as Kenneth Gangel, James Wilhoit, Howard Hendricks, and Robert Choun have edited or written these books. Their scope ranges from adult to children's education and covers spiritual formation, teaching, and family life ministries."--Christian Education Counselor

At one time or another, all ministers ask the questions or face the challenges of losing their passion for ministry. This author contends that the major contributor to a loss of passion or interest in ministry in general is burnout. This book consists of two major sections. In the first major section, chapters 2 through 4 are about our vertical relationship with God in terms of our passion to serve, our spirituality, our understanding and practice of rest (Sabbath), and our compatibility. In the second major section, chapters 5 through 7 are about our horizontal relationship with others in terms of our confidence, our management of conflict with others, and our approach to the culture around us.