The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart

2020 Christianity Today Book Award Winner for Church/Pastoral Leadership
2019 TGC Ministry Book of the Year Winner
2020 ECPA Christian Book Award Winner for Ministry Resources.

Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again.

Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful advice--born out of his five decades as a pastor--that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.

In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

ISBN-13: 9781683593010

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Lexham Press

Publication Date: 06-26-2019

Pages: 312

Product Dimensions: 9.00(w) x 6.10(h) x 1.10(d)

Harold L. Senkbeil is author of the award-winning book The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart (Lexham Press). He is executive director emeritus of Doxology: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care. His pastoral experience of nearly five decades includes parish ministry, the seminary classroom, and parachurch leadership.

Table of Contents

Foreword IX

Preface XIII

Introduction The Pastoral Craft: One Farm Boy's Story 1

Chapter 1 What Is a Pastor? The Classical Model 8

Chapter 2 The Word of God: Ministry's Source and Norm 36

Chapter 3 The Cure of Souls: Attentive Diagnosis 60

Chapter 4 The Cure of Souls: Intentional Treatment 92

Chapter 5 Sheep-Dogging and Shepherding: The Noble Task 115

Chapter 6 Guilt and Shame 137

Chapter 7 Holiness and the Cure of Souls 156

Chapter 8 Drawing Near to God: Proximity and Holiness 178

Chapter 9 Invisible Powers: Spiritual Warfare 195

Chapter 10 Christ's "Other Sheep": Mission and the Care of Souls 220

Chapter 11 The Shepherding of Shepherds 238

Chapter 12 Always Be Steady: Equilibrium in Ministry 259

Conclusion Joy in Office 278

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