The Vicar's Guide: Life and Ministry in the Parish

Are you about to embark upon your first post of responsibility? Or are you a seasoned minister who would value reflecting on your experience so far? Tackling the issues in a realistic and thoughtful way, this in-depth book covers: Self-management Spirituality Further training Mission Rural and urban ministry Leadership Public ministry Administering parish systems Building your team This accessible and informative guide combines essential information, practical survival tips and theological reflection all honestly grounded in the writers experience of parish ministry.

This guide is an inspiring combination of imaginative approaches and critical reflection. It aims to give clergy the tools to deal with the opportunities and challenges that are typically encountered in congregations and parishes. (Canon Professor Martyn Percy, Principal, Ripon CollegeÂ)

'This is a professional, contemporary guide to parish ministry that is compact and concise, but certainly not superficial. It does not have the banality of the average "how to" manual, as it emphasises the context of ministry and does so with both New Testament idealism and twenty first century realism. This is a book for study, reference and discussion, essential for the newly ordained and any clergy still able to be open to growth in the Spirit. It has the feel of a rare book - written by practioners who have not given up and whose scars prove their qualifications. I would have survived less painfully and been better resourced if this book had been put into my hands thirty years ago. A demanding and rewarding read.' (Revd Leonard Lunn, who was senior chaplain at St Christopher's Hospice between 1987 - 2003, and has been a priest for over 30 years, reviewed the book for usÂ)