Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry - Hardcover

Barton, Ruth Haley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 083083513X ISBN 13: 9780830835133

Publisher: IVP, 2008

Synopsis

"I'm tired of helping others enjoy God." "I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership explores topics such as

• responding to the dynamics of calling
• facing the loneliness of leadership
• leading from your authentic self
• cultivating spiritual community
• reenvisioning the promised land
• discerning God's will together

Each chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself and for those you lead.

About this title

About the Author:

Ruth Haley Barton (DD, Northern Seminary) is founding president of the Transforming Center, a spiritual formation ministry to pastors and Christian leaders. A trained spiritual director (Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation), teacher and retreat leader, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches, including Willow Creek Community Church. A sought-after teacher, preacher and consultant to leadership teams, she is currently adjunct professor of spiritual transformation at Northern Seminary. Educated at Wheaton College, Northern Seminary and Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies, Ruth is the author of numerous books and resources on the spiritual life, including Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Sacred Rhythms, Longing for More and Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. She is also the author of an online resource titled eReflections, spiritual guidance via e-mail. She contributes regularly to Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation.

Review:

"Barton has written a book which could serve as a prescription for people in ministry who have come to the end of themselves. I recommend this book for leaders who have experienced a glance towards the dark night of the soul but have found themselves working harder, trusting less and growing weary in order to avoid the transforming work of the soul." (Susan Reese, Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care, 2009)

"Ruth Haley Barton's book Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership is a must-read for all those in ministry." (Larry Magnuson, YouthWorker Journal, January/February 2010)

"There are many books that help sharpen our leadership skills, but this one brings challenging insights to strengthen our souls which will transform our leadership." (Kerry Clarensau, Enrichment Journal, Fall 2009)

"The book is not just for those already in leadership roles, but also for those who are seeking leadership." (Marlyne Seymour, The Living Church, January 4, 2009)

"Ms. Barton relies heavily on the life of Moses as a window into the different aspects of leadership in which we might learn to seek God and allow God to strengthen us to provide spiritual leadership to others. The book is not just for those already in leadership roles, but also for those who are seeking leadership." (The Rev. Marlyne Seymour, The Living Church, January 4, 2009)

"The most significant book I read in 2008 . . . is a call to inspect one's inner life and motives for leadership with neither guilt nor obession, allowing God to tweak and morph it at will." (Danette Matty, YouthWorker Journal, January/February 2009)

"It may seem hard to believe, being a pastor or other religious leader can be very draining on one's faith. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership answers a real problem that many may not realize exists for their pastors and priests." (James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review, December 2008)

"At times Barton's words were a needed wake-up call and at other times they were a source of refreshment. I'm thankful for both." (Mike Bonem, Leadership Network (books.leadnet.org), August 30, 2008)

"This beautiful cross between Ordering Your Private World and Celebration of Discipline isn't a book you merely read; rather, [it's] one you process with the Holy Spirit, with passages that call to be re-read and swallowed slowly. Definitely not 'a glorified self-help project.'" (Danette Matty, YouthWorker Journal, September/October 2008)

"For those of us who lead, there are many fine books to hone our skills. But too few excavate our souls. Too few tell us stark truths, and serve up strong tonic, and give us hope and courage in the face of our calling's hardships and loneliness and moments of sheer tedium. Too few teach us how to seek and find God in the maze of committee work and the darkness of criticism and the heartbreak of betrayal. This book does all that, and well. Ruth Haley Barton has kept company with Moses, a 'pragmatic' and 'visionary' leader who found that, unless God went with him, there was no place worth going. Ruth's insights will at the very least strengthen the soul of your leadership. For some, it may make the difference in whether you finish the race at all." (Mark Buchanan, author of The Rest of God and pastor of New Life Community Church, Duncan, British Columbia)

About this edition

• Publisher: IVP
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 083083513X
• ISBN 13: 9780830835133
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 231