The New Pastor’s Handbook: Help and Encouragement for the First Years of Ministry by Jason Helopoulos discusses key issues that new pastors face. My favorite chapters were “The Secrets and Simplicity of Ministry” and “Know Your History: Learn About the Church You Are Serving.” It was interesting when Helopoulos mentioned how time consuming a pastor’s administrive tasks are, as well as the great number of meetings that pastors must attend. The book talks about some of the difficulties of being a pastor, but Helopoulos also reminds readers of the joys of pastoral ministry. The author talks about the importance of having a friend while pastoring, pointing out that pastors are often surrounded by a loving community of believers yet still socially isolated. I really liked his advice about being well-read as a pastor; he mentioned how audio books are a big time-saver, and he even encourages pastors to read fiction. Throughout the book, Helopoulos gives a lot of great advice about what to expect as a new pastor.

The New Pastor’s Handbook is available here on Amazon. 

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