Courir avec persévérance [Run with Perseverance]: Les défis du ministère pastoral [The Challenges of Pastoral Ministry]

by Collectif

Des pasteurs qui parlent aux pasteurs. Ce livre s’adresse aux pasteurs et responsables d’Églises qui font face à des épreuves douloureuses liées à leur ministère. Les auteurs sont des pasteurs expérimentés qui se sont lancés dans la course il y a longtemps et qui persévèrent encore aujourd’hui.

Si vous aspirez au ministère pastoral, ou si vous êtes pasteur, ne vous privez pas des effets bienfaisants de ce livre.— Dominique Angers, professeur et auteur de Parle-moi maintenant par Éphésiens

Voici les thèmes abordés et les auteurs qui les

Veiller à sa santé spirituelle (Tim Keller)

Gérer la tentation de démissionner (Don Carson)

Prêcher chaque semaine sans se répéter (Bryan Chapell)

Affronter les critiques (Dan Doriani)

Servir une Église que l’on n’aurait pas fréquentée (Tom Ascol)

Protéger son épouse des critiques que l’on reçoit (Juan et Jeanine Sanchez)

Vivre après la «trahison» de ceux qui partent (Dave Harvey)

Gérer le sentiment d’échec parce que l’Église stagne (Gilles Georgel, Pierre Bariteau)

Surmonter l’envie d’en finir, la dépression (Étienne Lhermenault)

Servir une Église qui grandit trop vite pour ses dons (Scott Patty)

Persévérer malgré des finances défaillantes (Éric Waechter)

Servir malgré le doute sur son appel (Jeff Robinson Sr)

Avec compassion et en s’appuyant sur la Bible, ces pasteurs partagent leur souffrance dans le domaine, mais aussi leur fidélité et leur endurance.

Vous trouverez en eux des sortes de mentors à distance. Par de nombreux conseils pratiques qui puisent dans la sagesse biblique, ils vous racontent, à cœur ouvert, comment Dieu a travaillé à leur sanctification à travers les épreuves de la réalité pastorale.Trois chapitres ont été rédigés par des auteurs français.

Please This audiobook is in French.

Genres: Christian, Leadership, Christianity

Audible Audio

First published April 1, 2019

About the author

Please do not add books here. The correct profile for books with multiple authors is Various (yes, even for French books).

Reviews

[Joseph Bouchoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really encouraging! It covers a variety of topics in pastoral ministry. I’m really thankful for it!

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faithful Endurance: The Joy of Shepherding People for a Lifetime is a call to pastors to remain true to their call and cross the finish line with God-centered resolve.

Faithful Endurance is edited by Collin Hansen and Jeff Robison. The editors gathered a group of seasoned pastors; men who have served for decades in the church. These men not only understand the essence of faithful endurance; they have endured battles and have the scars to prove it.

Each chapter contains a letter from a fictional pastor who seeks advice from one of the veteran leaders mentioned above. While the letters are not real, the scenarios that the letters convey are realities that pastors around the world face on a regular basis. Each letter receives a response that offers godly counsel and wisdom. Such counsel is desperately needed for pastors who face various “minefields” on the battlefield of ministry.

Topics include suffering, dealing with criticism, doubt, depression, finances, Sabbath rest, and many more.

The chapter on Sabbath rest caught me completely off-guard. Instead of the usual, legalistic handwringing that is accompanied by essays on the Sabbath, Mark McCullough reminded me that such a day is a “remembrance of the garden, where we feasted with God in the cool of the day, and a rehearsal of new creation, where we will feast with him in the new world.”

As one who has endured a bitter season of Providence in pastoral ministry, Faithful Endurance was deeply moving and a deep encouragement to me personally. This little book is soul-warming, heart-convicting, and life-changing. My hope is that many pastors will be greatly served as a result of reading these fine essays. May each man who studies these pages endure and be found faithful.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

With all the statistics about pastors who burn out and quit early, this would seem a very timely book, and it doesn’t disappoint. It addresses all the major insecurities of the pastor — feeling tired and worn out; wondering if it’s time to move on; responding to criticism; protecting your wife; processing the disappointment of people who leave your church; doubting your calling, etc. Some chapters are better than others, but all have something to offer.

Dan Doriani’s comments on criticism were helpful: “Remember that the Lord knows the truth and most people do too. Further, we all have sins that go undetected. We are criminals who are falsely accused of one crime but erroneously unindicted for ten others.” (49).

When struggling with the latest family who has left your church, never to come back, Dave Harvey reminds us that people “fled Paul like he was radioactive.” (77). Apparently this is not unusual, even for specially called and gifted apostles. Fact is, things happen in ministry that don’t make a lot of sense — “ministry absurdities,” as Harvey calls them (81).

When pastors doubt their calling, Scott Patty reminds us that sometimes we impose on ourselves expectations of the kind of church we should be forming, or think we need a certain gift or personality that we don’t need at all. “We can lead our congregation as we are because we may be exactly what our congregations need.” (107). Ministry always involves some measure of crucifixion, Jeff Robinson tells us . . . “and it certainly doesn’t mean the man on the cross isn’t called.” (131).

Some of the horror stories here make me very thankful for the happy congregation I lead, and yet every pastor has his own hidden fears and anxieties. There is something in this book for all of them.

[Matthew Bonzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of wisdom, practical knowledge, and encouragement. Loved it. This is a book that I will read again in ten years and take more from.
I read this because I wanted to know what are challenges that pastors tend to run into, and what their experiences were in those and how they handled them. Also read this for the desire to be reverent, knowledgeable, and faithful to the Lord in ministry for a lifetime. So, if that’s you. Give this book a shot.
You can take people through chapters of this book, for multiple different reasons (ex:chapter one, noticing blindspots).

[Michael Goforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorrow, laughter, anger, joy. . . .it seemed as if I experienced the entire range of human emotions as I listened to this group of faithful shepherds relive the highs and lows of their time in ministry. And as a young pastor, I felt like this book was written directly to me.

Faithful Endurance: The Joy of Shepherding People for a Lifetime is edited by Collin Hansen and Jeff Robison Sr. It is a collection of essays from veteran pastors including Tim Keller, D.A. Carson, Bryan Chappell and more. Each chapter begins with a fictional letter that highlights a very real struggle of pastoral ministry. The experienced pastor responds with wisdom and encouragement from the Scriptures to press on.

The book covers a wide variety of topics with chapters like, “Is It Time for Me to Go?” “My Critics Are a Burden for My Wife,” and “How Am I Going to Make It Financially?” Other topics include preaching, suffering, criticism, doubt, and more.

At the end of the book, the reader will be delighted to find a treasure chest of gold as Robinson interviews John MacArthur, who just marked his fiftieth anniversary as pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. Talk about faithful endurance!

I don’t normally do this, but since the book did not require a strict chronological reading, I read the introduction and then skipped to the chapter that interested me most. It was chapter 8 with the title, “Does Staying in a Small Rural Church Make Me a Failure?”

Since I’m currently pastoring in a town of only 600 people, I know the answer to that question is no, but I was eager to hear Mark McCullough’s perspective. His words warmed my heart as he reminded me again of the, “irrepressible joy found in knowing God and being known by him.”

From there, I read the book cover to cover and I found help on every page. Even the chapters that I thought would not apply to me were profoundly practical. However, there was one chapter that stood out from the rest.

It was chapter 9 entitled, “I’m Feeling Tired, Worn Out, and in Need of a Break,” by John Starke. The title didn’t really resonate with me, but I read on. And I was shocked by what I found. In fact, I would argue that this chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

Starke asks the question, “If God rested even though he wasn’t tired, and if he asks his image bearers to rest like he rested, do you think maybe there’s a deeper reason for rest than mere exhaustion?” He then unpacks the importance of Sabbath rest with statements like, “To be in a hurry, always busy, never resting is a compulsive grasping for things we were never meant to possess or control.” Again, this chapter alone is worth buying the book.

If I had to offer one critique, I would suggest an entire chapter on identity. Far too many pastors look to their work for identity instead of looking to the Person and work of Christ. This was a huge struggle for me when I started the church I’m currently pastoring, and I was not prepared for it. While this topic is certainly addressed throughout the book, I believe it is one that warrants its own chapter.

Overall, I loved this book and I would highly recommend it. I’m so thankful the Lord led me to it at such an early stage in my ministry and I will revisit its pages regularly in the years ahead.

It has often been said that God doesn’t call us to be famous, He just calls us to be faithful. And I believe this book will help pastors do just that.

So read the book, be encouraged, and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14)

Crossway provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through the Blog Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review.

[Etienne OMNES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courir avec persévérance est un recueil de contributions servant à encourager, édifier, enseigner et aider les pasteurs dans nos églises.

Le gros plus de ce livre est qu'il y a au moins deux chapitres qui sont écrits par des auteurs francophones pour le contexte francophone. Les autres abordent des problèmes que connaissent tous les pasteurs (manque d'argent, tensions familiales, difficultés à gérer le trop ou le manque de croissance...)

Les conseils sont parfaits pour les pasteurs, mais les laïcs profiteront beaucoup de ce livre aussi. Il m'a donné envie de prier à nouveau et avec plus d'ardeur pour nos bergers, et je le conseille fortement.

[Izzy Markle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and practical wisdom from a variety of older experienced pastors. Burnout, teaching, conflict, money, how to step into ministry and when it’s time to step out, this book is one of the best I’ve read written for the local pastor. The letters that spark each chapter are relevant and relatable, and the responses by the writers are full of experience, grace, and encouragement to see and apply a biblical and Christ-centered approach to each issue. It has a familial tone similar to Pipers “brothers we are not professionals” but more fatherly.

Personally I found it encouraging, cathartic, and comforting. I’d recommend it to anyone who has been, is in, or is going into ministry. Wish I’d read it 10 years ago.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful little book on many different challenges one might face in ministry. Some chapters were especially good and others less so.

On the whole my favourite thing was that many of the contributors kept coming back to joy in God as being at the heart of life and ministry.

[Andrew Farr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful articles in this book. Each chapter, as it were, is a teaser that could lead to further study on each matter. Not an in-depth study of any one topic, but a primer for several areas of pastoral ministry.

[Caden O’Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for anyone in or looking into vocational ministry. This book is a collection of problems that come up in a pastors’ life, and various pastors give biblical insight on how to Shepard the church.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid collection of essays addressing a variety of issues faced by church pastors. Some of the entries are stronger than others, but well worth reading.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankful for this book in this season! Seasoned pastors sharing their challenges in pastoring, answering other pastors questions on a variety of topics. Some chapters were better than others, but overall an encouragement.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of letters written to cover a variety of issues and dangers that pastors faced, this book was encouraging and thought provoking. I am thankful for each of the men who wrote as well as Hansen who edited it and brought it all together.

The book isn't revelatory. Much of what will be read is things people have heard, experienced, discussed, or potentially even read about before. But the undercurrent of the entire book is a thread of joy; a joy for God's love and God's calling and God's equipping and God's people. Whether you're in a sweet spot in ministry or a rough valley, in your first year of ministry or entering your fifth decade, this is a fruitful read.

[Valentin Allier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnifique ! Ce livre est plein de sagesse en plus d'être bourré de référence à l'Ecriture.

Pls grosses qualités :
1) Il traitent plusieurs thèmes très pratiques
2) il est écrit par plusieurs auteurs
3) Ceux-ci ont beaucoup d'expériences et savent donc de quoi ils parlent !
... (Sûrement d'autres qualités à compléter !)

[Jim Savastio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been in ministry for decades and found this books encouraging and realistic. A good read for those contemplating ministry, beginning, and those well into the grind. I appreciate the candor in dealing with issues that can be hurtful and potentially embarrassing to discuss.

[Elijah Beltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just what I needed in this season of life. I think every chapter was an exact question I have asked myself about pastoral ministry in his last year. The only thing that would make me like this book better is if it had more chapters. I recommend this to my pastor friends.

[Nate Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost every chapter had really helpful encouragement for common issues faced in pastoral ministry. I would read this book again later after I have been in ministry another decade or so.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book from the Gospel Coalition seeks to address common problems that pastors face in ministry as they shepherd people over a lifetime. The book is made up of twelve chapters. Each one begins with a letter in which a pastor shares an issue that pastors face in ministry (ex. “ministry has left me spiritually listless”) to which an experienced leader seeks to give an answer which will encourage lifelong pastoral faithfulness.

Each of the questions in this work does reflect lived ministry experience. All pastors will have some of them and some pastors may have most of the struggles reflected in these questions as ministry unfolds. So the book does address lived pastoral experience.

For me, the first and last chapters were the most helpful. Timothy Keller’s chapter speaks to the struggle of ministry that has left a pastor “spiritually listless.’ I don’t think that Keller’s response addresses that question per se (perhaps because it is a reprint of an earlier article), but his exposition of the danger and working of pride in the ministry is excellent. Every pastor would do well to meditate on Keller’s work. The last chapter on”‘I've come to doubt my calling” is an important addition to thought on pastoral ministry. Many pastors will face fierce internal conflict over their call, often early in ministry. Perhaps because this section comes from the pen of a pastor for whom the first pastorate was very difficult, this chapter has very practical advice and the reader can sense that the writer had actually lived that of which he writes.

While there are helpful aspects of this book there are also some weaknesses. First, the “letters” from troubled pastors were apparently written (by the editors?) specifically for this book. While they do capture aspects of ministry struggle, the letters themselves seem a bit “canned.” The book would be much better if the letters were from pastors who were genuinely experiencing the trouble of which they wrote at the moment of writing. Second, there are some chapters that tend toward an “academic” response to the particular question in view. This is less than helpful. The intense nature of these questions in the actual lives of pastors comes not only from the questions themselves, for which the pastor often has a certain intellectual response, but also from the emotional conflict that goes on inside the wounded servant. An answer that does not speak empathetically to the emotional aspect of these issues is not entirely helpful.

Faithful ministry has always required endurance. This book captures some of the conflict that will characterize the effort of endurance, while some of the responses are very good others are less so.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faithful Endurance is a book filled with letters of concerns and then the authors reply back with solid encouragement and leadership tips that begin to answer some of the issues many pastors face in ministry. It’s set up in a way that mimics the old dear Abby column you would read in your local newspaper. Each chapter is riddled with pastoral issues and the pressure of daily ministry that many in the pastoral field deal with on a daily basis. Beginning with how ministry can suck the spiritual strength right out of you while also dealing with critics and how that can affect your wife and family.

Each chapter starts out with a letter of concern and is answered in a way that will not only give the writer some encouragement, but also sound doctrine to uplift them into realizing what we do is for God’s glory.

So would I find this book helpful? Yes, especially to the new pastor, but I also recommend this for the seasoned pastor. The book begins with relating to the reader in a way that you see real life ministry issues. Then the authors begin to reply back some solid teachings to uplift and remind the letter writer and the reader that you’re not the only one that struggles in ministry and we have this burden, but it becomes a joyful burden because of the message we preach and the God we serve.



* I received a digital copy from Crossway.

[Philip Crouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faithful Endurance is an edited volume, drawing from the wisdom and experience of various pastors and scholars. This work seeks to consider various challenges of enduring as a shepherd of God's people.

Each chapter begins with a "letter" written by a fellow pastor, asking for advice about a specific situation they are dealing with. For example, D. A. Carson tackles the question of when it is acceptable for a pastor leave a church and various questions they should consider before leaving (chapter 2). Pastor John Starke explains the dangers of ministry burnout and how pastors might guard themselves against it (chapter 9). My favorite chapter was Mark McCullough's on "pastoring a small church that seems insignificant" (chapter 8).

Every chapter has practical and spiritual lessons from fellow pastors that know what it is like to shepherd God's people. Faithful Endurance is a helpful work that benefits new and experienced pastors alike.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I am not a member of the targeted audience (pastors), I have lived under the roof of two different pastors, and my husband is currently in training to join their number. I have born witness to a lot of the behind-the-scene pains, from financial struggles to members leaving to burnout. This book seems powerfully apt and repeatedly points the reader to the sufficiency of Christ. Each pastor writing in this collection has a heart for both ministry and ministers. We plan on keeping this book on our shelf for a long time and reference it as often as needed when it's our turn on the field.

[Michael Stilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wise. Not every chapter will seem immediately relevant to your circumstances and season of ministry (e.g. pastoring while in financial need, pastoring in old age, etc.), but the counsel in each chapter draws out the heart in such a way that you finish thinking: “Man, I needed to hear that.”
While this book is a compilation of essays from various ministers, the book speaks with one voice and calls pastors to embrace a God-centered, patient, joyful, thick-skinned, tender-hearted approach to ministry.

[Mark Dunker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, just ok.

I did appreciate how the chapters were short...easy to read and get me thinking about a topic. But I suspect if I was actively struggling in any of the areas that the chapters addressed, the lack of depth wouldn't necessarily help me move forward. My encouragement - if you want to learn more about one of these topics, read an entire book...this book felt like a series of blog posts stuck together.

Best chapter: Starke on Sabbath. (Best chapter by far.)
The likelihood I'll read this again: low.

2.5 stars.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faithful Endurance is about what you’d expect from crossway and TGC Guys. It tells of the marks of a successful ministry . Thankfully it doesn’t have the liberal drift or attempts to stay pop culture relevant. There’s a focus on wisdom and foundations of a long term ministry. An emphasis on contentment during times of struggle. A reminder not to get stale or stagnant and most importantly the lesson that it’s not about us. It ends with an interview with John MacArthur that while there are no surprises, when learning of a ministry that has endured, you’d hope there wouldn’t be any .

[Jonathan Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by a member of my church (in all fairness, she asked which books I would like when she went to a conference!). I read it over the past week and a half, and it's a great book. It's encouraging. It's challenging. It's eye-opening. I am glad I have it. I am glad I have read it. I would encourage any and all to go and get a copy to read it for themselves, even non-pastors. It would open many eyes to what being a pastor is really like.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful book with a lot of wisdom for pastors and those who want to know about common struggles pastors face in their ministries. I’ve personally experienced several dilemmas and found great comfort in wisdom poured into me by God’s Spirit, His Word, other pastors, and books like this one. A good read and I would recommend to any pastor old or young.

[Cbarrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful chapters here; some more than others depending on where one is at when reading it. One of those kinds of books that lands differently depending on the particular area where endurance seems more challenging. Probably good to keep a catalog on file of chapter topics readily available as a quick resource for those times when one needs the encouragement in a particular challenge.

[Dylan Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only gave this book 4 stars because some of the responders don’t adequately address the concerns of the letter writer. Now, that is not to say there is not value in this book. I drew a number of pivotal, vital truths away that will affect how I perceive ministry, pastoring, preaching, and the local church. Those specific chapters are worth the rest of the book that I found to underdeliver.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful and kind collection of essays around the simple of idea of pastoring a group of people for an entire lifetime. I’d recommend it highly to anyone serving their local church in a pastoral or staff position.

[Jonathan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some very helpful chapters on the struggle of local church ministry. Some are a little American, but overall it is useful for the UK context too. One of 2 chapters are pure gold.
There is a lovely interview with John MacArthur at the end.