Help for the New Pastor: Practical Advice for Your First Year of Ministry

by Charles Malcolm Wingard

Your first year of ministry brings brand-new challenges—often with inadequate preparation and little time to adjust. How do you moderate meetings, manage a church budget, and counsel struggling congregants, all while preparing sermons every week? The new pastor’s time is also inundated with something else—advice! Too much of it! Where do you begin? What you need during your make-or-break first year is practical, realistic preparation for ministry. Drawing from more than three decades of his own experience, Pastor Wingard gives essential help for navigating the principal duties of the minister. Find the tools you need to get established in your ministry and lead with confidence.

Genres: Leadership, Theology, Nonfiction, Christian, Church, Church Ministry, Ecclesiology

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2018

Reviews

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth thrice its weight in gold. There are many fine books on the subject of pastoral ministry, and as an accessible introduction intended for - but not restricted to - new ministers, this volume stands at the head of the crowd. I currently work in a seminary setting (since January 2017), and I am in my first year of ordained ministry in a bivocational call. I am sincerely committed to ensuring that as long as I am involved in seminary education, I will get this book into the hands of the seminary students around me. If you are in the ministry, considering the ministry, or preparing for the ministry, read this book (and plan to reread it annually for at least the first five years of your ministry).

The one unfortunate thing about the book is its title. The help offered in this book is not restricted to new pastors or soon-to-be pastors. Rather, EVERY pastor can and will benefit from this book if they would but read it and thoughtfully apply its guidance.

[Scott Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am biased and not as critical when it comes to the author of the book. However, I can honestly say this is a truly excellent book. The author speaks from many years of experience with profound wisdom. This book is not meant to cover every aspect and theory of pastoral ministry, but one that gives the young pastor, or future pastor, a head start as they receive their first call and enter their first year of ministry. While the saying goes, "You cannot do anything wrong in your first year, and you cannot do anything right in your second year," many seminary students are frightened by parts of ministry which we have not experienced. Dr. Wingard provides that needed wisdom and in a way that is warm and friendly. As Kent Hughes says in the forward, it is like "sitting in his study, coffee cup in hand, as he kindly answers your questions." Help for the New Pastor is a must-read for anyone desiring to enter into pastoral ministry. The advice is sound, godly, and encouraging.

[Peter Bringe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful. I disagree some with what he says on pages 44-46 about not preaching on economic, scientific, or political controversies, but overall this will be a book I will come back to as I go forward in pastoral ministry.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is chock-full of helpful insights into the work of pastoral ministry. It also contains good biblical encouragement and a balanced perspective on the work of pastoring. I am sure it will be within hand's reach as I begin my work as a pastor in a few months.

I read this again in the Fall of 2019. A very helpful book. Glad to have it on my shelf.

[John Hsieh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from a Christian conference, and I started casually reading it on the airplane on the way back. I ended up reading a majority of the book, and couldn't put it down. The book is easy to read, well organized, and full of practical advice. It was very interesting even for a layperson. It has broadened my understanding of pastoral ministry, and helped me appreciate what a pastor does at a local church.

[Caleb Levi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wingard gives a simple overview of pastoral duties and responsibilities. I especially appreciated his advice on visitation and funerals. His disapproval of pastors speaking against cultural and political wrongs is an industry standard argument. But like most standard evangelical wisdom, it does not stand up to reality in a post-Covid world. I would readily recommend this book for discussion with seminary students.

[Ludwig Lange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Er schreibt schon sehr deutlich aus seiner amerikanisch-presbyterianischen Brille, aber vermittelt eine gute Grundausrichtung und hat viele konkrete Tipps für angehende /junge Pastoren, die mir gerade im Bezug aufs Predigen konkret geholfen haben.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for all who are even thinking about Pastoring. Also, a great book if you want to know what your Pastor does on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.

[Brad Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 // Straightforward, practical, and motivating. While I wouldn’t necessarily agree with everything that Wingard puts forth as normative, and I think the book would have been strengthened by more acknowledgment of cultural differences, I am glad to have read it and would recommend it to any pastor who is in their first few years of ministry.

[Jeremy Gardiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The purpose of this book is to give you a distance seasoned pastoral mentor speaking practical wisdom into your life while showing you the ropes. It's a helpful book that is extremely heavy on practical advice. Goes over topics such as weddings and funerals, church administration, hospital visits, hospitality, counselling, denominational duties, preaching, and leading worship.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Such good advice for me as I start my ministry. I will use and use and use this book.
Highly recommended

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immensely practical and useful. Not the only book I'd read on pastoral theology, but good nuts and bolts from an older man.

[S. Stutzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, one I wished I had at the beginning of ministry. This book probably serves the pastor most by being a reference. A warm and convicting read, this book will certainly be a part of my reread book; it is that good.

I can admit there were a few things I wish I could add to this book or change. During his qualifications of an elder from 1 Timothy 3 and being able to manage the household well, he jumps to suggesting pastors need to be good with money, developing a budget, even fundraising. I’ve read a lot of commentaries on 1 Timothy 3 and I’ve never seen such a conclusion; that’s out there!

Also, I had wished the author would have addressed rest for the pastor. Sadly, I wonder if he never did which is not healthy for any pastor. There are differing thoughts on this but I advocate for the pastor taking two days off per week, like the average American. Unfortunately the author almost gives the impression that pastors are workaholics, who ignore wife and family (which family would have been a good chapter too). Churches can often expect too much from their elders, to do the ministry and be at their every beckoning call.

But other than some small quips, I do like the brief format and the accessibility of this work. It’s a good start but subjects such as exercise should have been a passing paragraph—but I get how he must be brief too. Worth your time as a pastor.

[Christian De La Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

1 Timothy 3:1  The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

I recently finished "Help for the New Pastor: Practical Advice for Your First Year of Ministry," and I am happy to say that it exceeded all of my expectations. This book is an absolute gem for anyone starting out in pastoral ministry, and I can confidently give it a 5-star review.

One of the things that I loved about this book is just how practical it is. The advice and insights offered are not just theoretical, but rather based on real-world experience and are immediately applicable to the challenges that a new pastor is likely to face. The author's tone is both encouraging and realistic, and I appreciated the balance that was struck between the two.

I cannot wait to put what I've learned into practice at my local church.

Overall, "Help for the New Pastor" is a must-read for anyone starting out in pastoral ministry. It is a practical, insightful, and encouraging guide that will be an invaluable resource for years to come. I highly recommend it!

[Jonny Boyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is practical and easy to read but I found it quite discouraging. Pastors are described as seminary graduates with minimal life experience outside ministry whose primary, role is to preach without commenting on science, politics or economics. Basically preparing people for the afterlife. Very little of the priorities, principles or philosophy of ministry is referenced from scripture. Personal life on life discipleship and intimate transformative relationships are completely ignored. Much of the advice is wise and sensible but pretty obvious for the most part. I would not recommend this book

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I out of seminary and looking for a pastoral position. I heard Charles Malcom Wingard on the podcast Preaching and Preachers with a Jason Allen and thought it would be a great resource. I am happy to report that it basically encouraged me to continue doing all the things I am already doing. They are good practices but this book helped so that I did not become lax in any particular area. I do wish it had gone more in depth but considering the length of the book you can’t really take off too many points for that. I especially liked how it made sure we knew that the sermon is not the only part of pastoral ministry but it is also something that can never be neglected

[Jon Pentecost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of practical advice about starting out in ministry. Some very helpful tidbits, but also often the author's personal opinion in areas of prudence. Some of it is only applicable to a Presbyterian, but that robust denominational identity also strengthens the advice in other areas.

I particularly appreciated the strong convictional undergirding to much of his practical advice.

Standout chapters: On sermon preparation, church admin, home visitation, conflict, denominational duties, and character of a minister.

[Christian Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very practical guide to the pastorate for new or soon to be pastors. This is very easy to read, and Wingard includes plenty of personal examples. It seems that this is simply a condensed version of Kent Hughes’ “The Pastor’s Book.” I would recommend that book over this one for it hits on similar material, but also provides examples to be used such as orders of service, funeral sermons, wedding homilies, etc. Overall this is not a bad book, I just personally think there are better resources out there.

[Connor Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly helpful how to manual for important things to pastoral ministry. Much of it was things that I expected and would/ have been covered by pastoral mentors that I have had in the past, but there were some things that surprised/ encouraged/ challenged me. I loved his discussion on doing weddings, funerals, church administration, home visits, hospital visits, prayer, and many other things. He provides a small biblical framework for each and then has many practical applications for each topic. Would recommend to anyone going through seminary or an ordination process!

[TC Kinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and concise. This book lives up to its title. New and seasoned pastors will benefit tremendously from Dr. Wingard’s insight, wisdom, and care.



Page 34 - Creative idea for a thanksgiving service
Page 98 - Topics for home visitations
Page 99 - How to lovingly serve those with prayer requests
Page 158 - Rules for engaging controversy
Page 168 - Great list of personal virtues to cultivate and pray for

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've found this book by my professor, Dr. Wingard, incredibly helpful. I'm likely to freeze up in situations where I'm not sure what I'm meant to do, and this book helps by going through the most common duties of a pastor and giving some general direction on how to handle them. The prose is brief, clear, and engaging (much like Dr. Wingard himself). This is one book on pastoral ministry I will certainly be rereading in the future.

[Joshua Reichard · Rating 2 out of 5]

A helpful book on practical things to do as a pastor or as an up and coming pastor. I would say if you are new to pastoral books this one is a keeper but if you have read other books on it then I would hold off on reading this book. Wingard says nothing new and nothing that hundreds of other pastors have said throughout the years. Not a bad book just not one that needs to be read.

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's excellent for what it is: practical advice on first year preachers just entering into ministry for the first time. Experienced pastors will get some helpful advice as well. I will say that some of the advice is fairly generic, but it's still helpful. Dr. Wingard has many years of experience so younger pastors would do well to learn from his advice!

[Michael Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's helpful to remember that this is advice—not absolutes as it relates to the various aspects of ministry: preaching, sacraments, visitation, funerals, weddings, baptism, etc. Very helpful and thoughtful advice from an experienced pastor for those of us who are...less experienced. Much of the advice is on par from what I have heard from other pastors as well. I hope to read it again soon.

[Cory Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful book. I’m seeking to read a few on pastoral ministry, especially early years, so I might reevaluate later. Some of the better chapters were on home visitation and then the different topic of practicing hospitality. The chapter on growing through conflict was an encouragement and challenge he laid down. The continual continual emphasis on prayer was so helpful and convicting.

[Jonah Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am biased.
Very good, helpful, and useful book for seminarians, young pastors, seasoned pastors, and men in general. Dr. Wingard has much practical wisdom to share from his life and ministry experience, and to ‘hear him’ through these pages is a gift that should not be taken for granted. His counsel should be heeded.

[Lexi Zuo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband read this first and asked me to read it too for us to discuss various points. It’s both an exciting and sobering account into the life of Pastor. Wonderfully practical too. I bet we will refer back to it often. Would definitely recommend it!

[Dónal Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful and practical advice for pastors, easy read without much of a 'wow' factor, but no doubt will be great reference work for me maneuvering through practical things like weddings, funerals, etc. in first years of ministry. Well worth having on my your shelf.

[Renee Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new here

Most of this is information I already learned in seminary. I was hoping for more specific practical advice on what to do during my first year of full time pastoral ministry.

[Dane Jöhannsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title says, it is indeed helpful for the new pastor. A great crash course. Even for Baptists, like myself, this is a very helpful book. I think there was only one chapter that was inapplicable for Baptists. Highly recommended.