Creative Ministry

by Henri J.M. Nouwen

According to Henri Nouwen, the bestselling spiritual writer, every Christian is a minister—trying to live his life in the light of the Gospel. Creative Ministry is a thoughtful examination of the various complex tasks that are part of that way of life.

Separate chapters treat each of the five areas that Nouwen considers the primary responsibilities of the minister: teaching, preaching, counseling, organizing, and celebrating. He shows how these main functions are inextricably tied to the minister’s spiritual life and why they must be directed toward a creative dialogue with other Christians if they are to be rewarding. It is also essential, he maintains, that the minister leave himself open, take risks, and “lay down his life for his friends” in order to give new life.

“There is today a great hunger for a new spirituality,” observes Nouwen, a hunger that requires new and creative forms of ministry. Citing numerous examples from his rich experience, the author offers practical advice for infusing daily pastoral work with meaning. The result is an insightful presentation and a resonant spiritual guide for every man and woman who wants to be of service.

Genres: Spirituality, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Leadership, Christian

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist, professor, and spiritual writer whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian spirituality. Born in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, in 1932, Nouwen pursued religious studies and was ordained a priest in 1957. His intellectual curiosity led him to study psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and later at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, where he explored the connection between faith and mental health. Throughout his life, Nouwen remained committed to integrating pastoral care, psychology, and spiritual theology in a way that addressed the emotional and existential needs of believers.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.

Reviews

[Lindsay Mahler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loving Nouwen these days. Love his take on what it looks like for every Christian to be a minister to the world, not just those that have vocational training.

[Rose Rockecharlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hidden gem. Do feel like I could probably stand to read it over again bc there was a lot to think about. But ugh I love this man and wish we could sit down and drink a coke and talk about his thoughts.

[Dave Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book to read for my master's thesis. My focus is more on using the arts in ministry, this was not that, but it was intriguing and challenging and dealt with teaching, preaching, pastoral care and more from a different perspective. The idea being that there is a place for training and professionalism, but it's more important that ministry come from a spiritual relationship with God. Nouwen was definitely more Catholic than I am and more of a mystic, but this book should probably be required reading for anyone going into vocational ministry. There is a lot of good here.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would generally have gotten 3 stars from me but I LOVE Nouwen so deeply and this book didn't feel like quite his "voice" as I have come to know it. I looked it up and found that it was his second book, which makes sense. If you are new to Nouwen, I would recommend others first. If you are a raving fan of Nouwen you already know it is worth reading everything he has written and there are definitely gold nuggets here.

[Eric Chappell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brothers, we are not professionals. Haven't read Piper's book by that title, but Nouwen's reflections on ministry seem to be captured in those words. There are some real gems in this book; some weird stuff too. But overall, I really liked it. Nouwen reflects on five areas of the minister's calling: teaching, preaching, pastoral care, organization, and celebration. Right up front Nouwen draws the reader's attention to the vital connection between professionalism and spirituality in the ministry. The book could be summed in Nouwen's introductory words: "a Christian minister will never be able to minister if it is not his own personal faith and insight into life that forms the core of his pastoral work." Yes, it sounds a bit Donatist, but I still like it. Essentially, 'creative ministry' means self-sacrificial giving up of your life and service (ministry) to create life for the other (creative).

Notes

ch 1: teaching
-brilliant analysis of the student life here. Traditional teaching tends to be competitive, unilateral, and alienating. Redemptive teaching is evocative (competition is absent, students are not servants, but friends, Jn 15:14), bilaterial (be teachable), and actualizing (teaching becomes arena to create new life-styles).
-Scotosis (***) (15)
-realize and recognize gifts in the other.

ch 2: preaching
-hilarious chapter. The preacher's main battle is against indifference and irritation towards the Message. Indifference because many people are familiar with the Gospel message and think they know it. Irritation because the Gospel message challenges our comfortable life-styles. But the Messenger can also get in the way of people hearing the message: by not knowing your people's feelings and questions, and by being preoccupied with their own theologies (pet-interests).

ch 3: pastoral care
-fascinating. loved this chapter. begins with episode of dialogue between noob chaplain at hospital and patient.
-Contract: make expectations (theirs and yours) clear right up front. The first responsibility of the pastor is to help his parishioner become aware of the kind of help he really wants and to let him know if he is able to give it to him.
-Covenant (***): be intentionally intrusive (2 Tim 4:2). In the final analysis it is not the professional contract but the Divine Covenant that is the basis of a pastoral relationship. In the covenant there is no condition put on faithfulness. It is the unconditional commitment to be of service. Beware of pastoral prostitution, i.e. pastoring on condition of change, or thanks. You are not a salesman.
-be less concerned about technique and the How-to and more concerned about your heart and your prayer life.
-WRITE STUFF DOWN--so that you can review it, contemplate it. You have to define where you are in order to know where you are going.
-For a man of faith no meeting is accidental.
-Pastoral care means much more than pastoral worries. It means a careful and critical contemplation of the condition of man.

ch 4: organizing
-too many pastors become concerned with social change and transforming the societal structures.
-don't assume what needs people have that may need changed. Nouwen provides example of buying clothes and beds for 'poor' who then sold them to throw a birthday party. They were perfectly content. Don't impose your vision of good life on others.
-danger of power: are you building God's kingdom, or yours?
-the most subtle desire for power, and the most difficult to overcome is the desire for thanks.
-danger of pride: you are not a Redeemer, but in need of redemption.
-Jesus' temptations were temptations of concretism, power, and pride (bread, glory, invincibility).
-Is Christianity just wish-fulfillment thinking? No we don't ultimately Hope that, but HOPE IN (a Person).
-good thoughts here about what our motivation is for caring for the poor.

ch 5: celebrating
-celebration doesn't mean partying--it is the place where joy and sorrow can exist together.
-our past is either a prison or a source of pride.
-our culture is a working, hurrying, and worrying culture with many opportunities except the opportunity to celebrate life.

Conclusion:
-sum of book is John 15:13--no greater love than to lay down life for friends.
-why does man lay down life for friends? to give new life. He makes his weakness creative.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is early Nouwen and one catches flashes of his best. But it is also a book colored by the radical sixties and reads a bit like a "period piece."

Nevertheless, his main point is important and timeless. That is that ministry must move beyond professionalism. This happens when the person engaged in ministry lays down one's own life. Again and again, Nouwen concludes a chapter by observing the impossibility of this kind of ministry--that only Christ has fulfilled this and we can only to the degree that we live in and into Christ. He focuses on five areas: teaching, preaching, counseling, organizing, and celebrating.

Most helpful to me were the sections on preaching and counseling. In preaching, he observes how disconnected much preaching is from the lived experience of the hearers. To address this, he calls for preaching to be a dialogue (not literally dialogue sermons but those that invite response and dialogue) and availability. His chapters on counseling and organizing both made the point that we often do this for the thanks we receive and conceive of helping in a one way fashion. Until we open ourselves to the gifts and contributions of the other, we will like evoke resentment rather than thanks.

He concludes the book with questions that arose after the writing of the chapters, questions he doesn't, and perhaps couldn't answer. An unusual way to finish but in character for Nouwen!

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nouwen writes of ways to think outside the box in ministry matters. Not all ideas will apply to all types of ministry, as Nouwen writes in the afterward, in retrospect he realized it was more ideas for himself on ways to make his ministry more effective. I think there are certainly principles in here which will apply to most doing Christian work of some sort. I felt his comments on cross-cultural ministry very wise, encouraging people not just to march in and think you know what the people need or that you know all the answers, but to have a listening and teachable heart. Those who like organized thought will appreciate the outline structure of the chapters. Some areas are a bit dry and heady, for the most part it is readable language, but not recommended on a sleepy brain.

[adllto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished this book today. It is a challenging read because it takes the idea of ministry beyond what you do to who you are. reading the sections on teaching and preaching were easy but celebrating was challenging. celebrating is to live aware of the present moment but remembering the past and hoping into the future.

[Rebecca Waring-Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nouwen sat with me over the past weeks as I began my day with reading and reflection. His voice is one of several that make up my spiritual advisory collective. I don't always understand or resinate with his insight, but more often than not his warmth and wisdom swirl and dance with my soul.

Here are a few of the takeaways the final chapter Celebrating.

Affirm: "Celebrating is first of all the full affirmation of our present condition. We say with full consciousness: We are, we are here, we are now, and let it be that way." 96

Remember: "He who celebrates life will not make his past a prison nor a source of pride, but will face the facts of history and fully accept them as the elements that allow him to claim his experience as his own." 98

Expect: "...The present indeed holds promises for the future. ...[E]xpect more [good] to come in the future. ...Nothing is as difficult as really accepting one's own life." 100

[Ed Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any Christian teacher or preacher. Nouwen is a wonderfully approachable author, and this book is no exception. Taking a broad perspective on ministry, Nouwen was on to a lot of societal trends and changes when this book was written nearly 50 years ago. Prescient on the secularization and dissatisfaction of society - to include foreshadowing the opioid crisis and rise in suicide, Nouwen provides guidance and inspiration for anyone called to ministry - not just the priesthood. A great read.

[Annie Sisk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nouwen has a unique ability to speak profound truths into (what seems like) very simple, every day practices. Every time I read something from him I come out with a new perspective. This book is no different. I will say this book is for a specific audience-those who are in a full time ministry role and while it’s deeply profound it is also maybe not quite as approachable as his other works like In the Name of Jesus. Overall a good read though!

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars, as I woke up feeling generous...
A bit hard maybe, but I do hope not too many pick this up as their first Nouwen book. It would probably be their last...
It had the sense of a thesis about it. Dry, of little value and not much help.
Fortunately a short book - which I skimmed in the end

[Potter McKinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book that outlines the basic principles of being a Christian minister to the world in Nouwen’s characteristic style of “creative weakness.” It doesn’t answer one’s questions so much as reframes them and gives them new life.

[Morgan M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nouwen is truly the master of filling small books with an abundance amount of thought provoking wisdom and insight. I may not be an official “minister” but I’m thankful for the truths of this book, especially the last section of Celebration.

[Hannah Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really made me think and dwell on the concepts he was sharing. I was challenged and encouraged, which are two of my favorite things when learning about God. I really appreciate Nouwen’s voice.

[CuriousBob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a deep respect for H. M. Nouwen. This small book offers some good insights for anyone who ministers to others, regardless of position (professional or layman) or denominational flavor. This one fits nicely under the overarching umbrella of Christianity. Please read widely.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarrely, both timely and old-fashioned.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new manual for practical ministry responsibilities.

[Linnea Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Thankful for the new paradigms it gave for ministry, and I am sure I will come back to this book again and again as a resource.

[Longfellow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nouwen’s introductory chapter, which he titles “Beyond Professionalism,” introduces his thesis, which presents the idea that we need to reconsider our approach to ministry. He covers specifically the ministerial areas of teaching, preaching, pastoral care, organizing, and celebrating. The general weakness of our approach to these various aspects of ministry is that we have become accustomed to observing boundaries (perhaps commonly labeled “professionalism”) that limit the potential relational aspects of our intended service, and these rooted preconceptions may be transformed into more fruitful approaches if we’re willing to reconsider them with an open mind.

This is a rough and rather generalized summary of Nouwen’s thoughts and is almost as much my interpretation as it is his ideas. But as I read I consistently received the impression that it is in approaching our various ministries with an attitude of vulnerability that we can begin to see our service make a greater difference in people’s lives. For the teacher, this means recognizing that as much as we are teachers we are also still students and that our students themselves have things to teach us. For pastors who preach, this means that our storytelling must be personal rather than redundant. Such themes continue throughout the rest of the sections in Creative Ministry.

The chapter on organization is titled “Beyond the Manipulation of Structures” and is really about how to go about seeking and forwarding social justice. The chapter on celebrating explores the reality that before we can truly celebrate and live life in the present we must come to terms with the truth that life and death, gain and loss, exist perpetually side by side, and we must accept our memories (our past) and our hopes (our future) fully before we can recognize that these both contribute to our present in ways that allow us to be grateful and celebratory in each moment.

Nouwen always expresses things in a way that feels familiar—as if he is articulating knowledge I already possess—and yet each time he inspires me to attempt to live these truths in ways I have not previously considered.

[Megan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the year of Nouwen for me. There is so much rich, grounding and nourishing about this book. The simple vulnerability that is at the core of his ideal of ministry, the fact that we must wrestle with how to show our weakness in order to be honest examples of the transformational work of the Gospel and how much more difficult it is to show this process rather than tell people about abstract ideas or moral directives. And beyond that, letting go of the power dynamic that can form in ministry as we put ourselves mentally "above" in the role of teacher, and rather seeing ourselves as learning from others, realizing “the paradox of the ministry indeed is that we will find the God we want to give in the lives of the people to whom we want to give Him” (p.63).

This book is a solid little reminder of the universal call to minister to anyone who walks with Jesus:

“Ministry means the ongoing attempt to put one’s own search for God, with all the moments of pain and joy, despair and hope, at the disposal of those who want to join this search but do not know how. Therefore, ministry in no way is a privilege. Instead, it is the core of the Christian life. No Christian is a Christian without being a minister.” (p.114)

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great study in practical theology

I read this book before attending seminary for a certificate in spirituality. It was not the first book I have read by this author but I believe it is a good place to start. Spirituality is usually covered in a single course in seminary but I think Henri Nouwen is correct in writing about the professional and personal together. We need both to conduct religious ministry. I did not see the point of seeing other Eastern traditions in a negative light however especially as our survival depends on living together in peace. I did like the authors insight that our ideas of what others need is misguided and should be rethought by all people in social service. His story of helping the family with clothes and beds for all their children was a great study in practical theology.

[Timothy Hoiland · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ministry means the ongoing attempt to put one’s own search for God, with all the moments of pain and joy, despair and hope, at the disposal of those who want to join this search but don’t know how. Therefore, ministry in no way is a privilege. Instead, it is the core of the Christian life. No Christian is a Christian without being a minister. There are many more forms of ministry than the five I have discussed in this book [teaching, preaching, individual pastoral care, organizing and celebrating], which usually fill the daily life of the ordained minister and priest. But whatever form the Christian ministry takes, the basis is always the same: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2011/0...

[Amina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henri Nouwen redefines what it means to be a revolutionary and a ministry administrator by urging the minister to consider the people they serve. This seems obvious but, as this book points out, we often get so caught up in our own ideas and practices that we don't actually help anyone, not even ourselves. Though written for a Christian audience, Nouwen's message is one that transcends religious boundaries and offers wisdom for anyone working with programs that serve others.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another amazing book by Nouwen. This one more geared towards full-time/part-time ministers/pastors/priests.
It amazes me how the ideas and struggles he shares in his book that was first published over 20 years ago still pertains to many people today. Nouwen's writing continues to show how timeless it is. Definitely modern-day classics.

[Becky]

This tiny book took me forever to read - not the type of writing that rolls into the brain! Although much of it felt like trudgery, there were a few gems to note throughout that relate to life as ministry and being the kind of person that inspires celebration in others. I don't know when I'll pick up another Nouwen book (too smarty-pants for me) but I'm glad I picked up this one!

[Nathan Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a great book, but I'm not thrilled with Chapter 4. I don't necessarily think he is wrong in that chapter, but it needs more polishing and refinement. It's easy for someone near the top of a power structure (he is a Catholic priest, after all) to argue that people need changing, not structures, and that you have to figure out what they need/value, not what you think they need.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nouwen presents his observation of ministry in an easy to understand and insightful way. The comparisons he draws are never intuitive and always illuminating. He has a humble authority when it comes to matters of ministry.

[Lapotimus Silaban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ada lima bidang tanggungjawab para pelayan, yakni mengajar, berkhotbah, menasehati, mengorganisasi, dan merayakan ibadat. di dalam melaksanakannya, seorang pelayan mutlak bersifat terbuka, berani mengambil resiko, dan "mempertaruhkan hidupnya sendiri bagi sahabat-sahabatnya"

[Luke H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Nouwen's greatest--written early on while he was still in academia, so the heart of his later books only comes through in flashes. Can't go wrong with Nouwen though, while I've read just about everything he's written, this one was were it belonged, at the bottom of the list.