Preach Magazine Issue 4 - Preaching in the digital age | Page 29
REVIEWS
29
Staying fresh, serving with joy
Paul Mallard, IVP (2015)
THE BOOK IS TREMENDOUSLY
VALUABLE AS A WHOLE, BUT IS
STRUCTURED IN SUCH A WAY
THAT ONE COULD EASILY DIP
IN TO A PARTICULAR CHAPTER
WHICH IS A CURRENT ISSUE
FOR THE READER.
This down to earth, honest and well-grounded book provides a rich
resource of advice, wisdom and challenging comment to all bearing the
burden and privilege of Christian ministry. It has been a joy to read and
will remain a valued part of my Christian library.
Focussed on those in full-time ministry, it also had much to offer the
spouses of ministers and any engaged in other work which they regard
as their calling from God.
The whole book provides invaluable advice arising from the author’s
many years of experience and resulting wisdom. Always encouraging,
it addresses challenging issues that need to be explored. It has a down
to earth, honest approach in which Paul Mallard has the knack of
coming alongside his readers to explore these issues in a loving way.
Each of the fourteen chapters addresses a particular issue and/or
potential pitfalls arising from the demands of ministry, maintaining
one’s own walk with God and caring for one’s marriage. Each chapter
draws upon Paul Mallard’s own experience plus quotes from other
authors and Scripture. But there is no rhetoric here or sanctimonious
calls to overcome as if that was an easy matter. Instead each issue is
worked through honestly and with encouragement. Each chapter ends
with a list of questions that enable the reader to ponder further on his
or her own situation.
The book is tremendously valuable as a whole, but is structured in such
a way that one could easily dip in to a particular chapter which is a
current issue for the reader. Further reading is included at the end.
I would like to see this book given to all called to ministry, maybe at
ordination but certainly within a few years of ‘being at the sharp end’.
It has been both a privilege and a blessing to review this excellent book.
JEAN A BALL