Start to Finish: The Pastor?s Guide to Leading a Resilient Life and Ministry

There has always been a special weight to ministry. As pastors come to lead their churches, they recognize very quickly the task they have been called to comes with very special expectations. And with each passing year, it feels like we now live in a time when pastors and ministry leaders can no longer live up to those expectations. Burnout is rampant. Pastors are stepping down in order to protect the well-being of themselves and their families. Moral failings seem to bring down leaders we once viewed as giants. And amid all of this, upcoming pastors are entering the ministry with the difficult task of finding hope in trying times.  

Mark Dance addresses this frustration in his book, Start to Finish. In this book, ministry leaders will find the guidance to finish the race well from start to finish. Whether you are ten years into your ministry or have not even taken the first steps, this book will discuss the important steps to take that will encourage the reader to serve well, lead well, and end well.  

Mark Dance has served as a lead pastor/planter for 27 years before launching LifeWay Pastors, the Care4Pastors Network, and Oklahoma’s Ministry Pipeline. He currently serves as the Director of Pastoral Wellness for Guidestone Financial Resources. Dance speaks at conferences and seminaries, and regularly contributes to books, blogs, and magazines.

Mark earned degrees from Howard Payne University (BBA), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min).

Mark and Janet have two grown children and live in Dallas. They enjoy backpacking and leading ministry marriage conferences together across North America.