num_pages: 277
description: The New Testament writers set before us a number of models of ministry each of which is shaped by the particular needs of the churches they were serving. Their own backgrounds ambitions and passions also contribute to what they have to say about ministry. The contours of New Testament pastoral leadership inspired by the Holy Spirit exhibit a genuine diversity that finds its unity in Christ and his gospel. Focusing on pastoral leadership within local churches or groups of churches Derek Tidball provides a comprehensive survey of these models and patterns with applications for today's ministry. Tidball's overview offers models of permission that enable a freer approach to ministry and the way it is conducted challenges the stunted understanding of ministry that can often characterize our churches today and gives encouragement to those who do not fit a ministry by numbers approach. Well-grounded in relevant scholarship Tidball's fresh engagement with the biblical texts stimulating analysis and wise application will be of value to all who are established in pastoral leadership or training for it and looking to explore a variety of biblically valid approaches to ministry.
language: English
title: Ministry by the Book: New Testament Patterns for Pastoral Leadership
publisher: IVP Academic