I do not know any pastors who believe they’ve got it all figured out! So here are some book recommendations on the subject of pastoring.
Top Recommendation
I have read all of Mohler’s books and I am convinced that this is his best. Each of his previous books has been helpful in its own way, but they have generally been repurposed sermons or blog posts and have carried the weight of mixed media. The Conviction to Lead has all the marks of an original work, oozing with wisdom and dripping with passion. This is Mohler in his most natural habitat, doing what he does best. If you are a pastor or elder, if you are an owner or CEO, if you are in any form of leadership, I am convinced that this book will transform the way you lead. I highly recommend that you read it.
Other Recommendations
Pastoral ministry is first about pastoring people. It is first about being a shepherd to sheep. It is not less than expositional preaching and organizational leadership, the emphases of the great majority of pastoring books and conferences, but it is so much more.
D.A. Carson’s beautiful tribute to his father simply shows an ordinary pastor serving the Lord.
Wilson writes as a pastor to and for other pastors—for those who desperately need to understand, ponder and apply the gospel to their lives and ministries.
This one is (obviously) geared specifically to the church planter.
Marshall and Payne help distinguish between ministry and the structure necessary to support ministry.
On the pastoral qualification that is most often overlooked. This is a good and much-needed book on a subject that, though clearly laid out in Scripture, has been too often neglected.
Near-essential reading for any man who is already an elder or who aspires to be one in the future.
On both the danger and the necessity of a passion for church growth. I read it with a deepening sense of conviction.
Pastors face particular challenges with their time that are often not addressed by the many books, guides, and programs available to them. This is a powerful combination of biblical truths and practical pointers, and it avoids the heavy hand of the law to focus instead on grace.
On the crucial task of pastors investing in and training up the next generation through close discipleship. Wilson lays a strong theological foundation and then builds a layer of practice upon it, and it is just the right length. Christ’s church needs this book.
