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How to survive and thrive as a church leader

Where the buck stops

HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE AS A CHURCH LEADER
By Nick Cuthbert
Monarch. 158 pages. £7.99
ISBN 1 85424 761 2

To gain the most from this book, Ian Coffey’s advice on the back cover is wise: ‘Read slowly and act quickly’.

Warmly pastoral and thoroughly practical in his approach, Nick Cuthbert quickly gains the attention of his readers. Years of experience in Christian leadership bring an authenticity and honesty to the short chapters of this book.

For anyone involved in Christian ministry there will undoubtedly be timely reminders and wise advice here. It could be used as a regular check up or spiritual MOT. Areas covered include ‘Understanding stress’, ‘Run from the sexual snare’, and ‘Prioritise the right people’.

The author concentrates on the personal life of the Christian leader and touches on many crucial issues. He has a burden to see integrity, balance and discipline in the private lives of those in leadership. The emphasis of the book is on issues of the heart rather than outward gifts, emphasising these as the foundations for a God-honouring public ministry.

This book is written specifically for those in full time Christian leadership. The unique pressures and temptations of ministry life are highlighted and addressed. Every chapter ends with four or five searching questions and could be a springboard for further prayer and self-examination.

This book would also be a useful tool for those who seek to help and support those in leadership. It is a helpful reference point for those asking the searching questions only a good friend can ask.

The closing paragraph of the book sums up all that the author seeks to encourage in the lives of those in Christian leadership. It is the burden of what he writes, and a heartfelt appeal from someone who has walked the path himself: ‘I trust you will get to the end of your ministry life free of regrets and with a great sense of joy in a race well run.’ Recommended.

Ruth Williams,
pastor’s wife, mum and Special Needs T.A., Swindon Evangelical Church