Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping Faithful Christian Ministry (Pulpit & Pew) - Softcover

Dorothy C. Bass Valparaiso University ""Resurrecting Excellence"provides a profoundly moving picture of what it means to be a Christian and a pastor today. Greg Jones and Kevin Armstrong celebrate faithful ministry already taking place while boldly summoning the church to renew its efforts to call and support gifted pastors capable of leading Christian communities in practicing passionate service and witness in the world. This book bears wisdom and challenge for all who care about the church and seek to live as Christ's disciples."Christine D. Pohl Asbury Theological Seminary "This book is a treasure a wonderful gift to the church. While inviting us into a deeply Christian understanding of excellence, it offers hope, renewal, and challenge for pastors and congregations. Without sacrificing truthfulness or ignoring tragedy, Jones and Armstrong give a nuanced, tender account of the beauty, imagination, and resources available for excellent ministry."Samuel T. Lloyd III Dean, Washington National Cathedral "One of the most heartening books on parish ministry I have encountered in years. . . I can't imagine a better book for someone seeking to discern a call to ordained ministry or for a seasoned pastor who has labored faithfully for many years.""Interpretation" "This book is an admirable effort.""Circuit Rider" ""Resurrecting Excellence"is a thoughtfully argued, beautifully written book on a subject that cries out for such attentive engagement.""Congregations" "I am not aware of any other book quite like this one. It examines a host of issues that [pastors] regularly encounter: power, office, call, professionalism, collegiality, ordination. Happily, it does so in fresh ways."" Dorothy C. Bass -- Valparaiso University -Resurrecting Excellence provides a profoundly moving picture of what it means to be a Christian and a pastor today. Greg Jones and Kevin Armstrong celebrate faithful ministry already taking place while boldly summoning the church to renew its efforts to call and support gifted pastors capable of leading Christian communities in practicing passionate service and witness in the world. This book bears wisdom and challenge for all who care about the church and seek to live as Christ's disciples.-Christine D. Pohl -- Asbury Theological Seminary -This book is a treasure -- a wonderful gift to the church. While inviting us into a deeply Christian understanding of excellence, it offers hope, renewal, and challenge for pastors and congregations. Without sacrificing truthfulness or ignoring tragedy, Jones and Armstrong give a nuanced, tender account of the beauty, imagination, and resources available for excellent ministry.-Samuel T. Lloyd III -- Dean, Washington National Cathedral -One of the most heartening books on parish ministry I have encountered in years. . . I can't imagine a better book for someone seeking to discern a call to ordained ministry -- or for a seasoned pastor who has labored faithfully for many years.-Interpretation -This book is an admirable effort.-Circuit Rider -Resurrecting Excellence is a thoughtfully argued, beautifully written book on a subject that cries out for such attentive engagement.-Congregations -I am not aware of any other book quite like this one. It examines a host of issues that [pastors] regularly encounter: power, office, call, professionalism, collegiality, ordination. Happily, it does so in fresh ways.- Dorothy C. Bass Valparaiso University ""Resurrecting Excellence"provides a profoundly moving picture of what it means to be a Christian and a pastor today. Greg Jones and Kevin Armstrong celebrate faithful ministry already taking place while boldly summoning the church to renew its efforts to call and support gifted pastors capable of leading Christian communities in practicing passionate service and witness in the world. This book bears wisdom and challenge for all who care about the church and seek to live as Christ's disciples." Christine D. Pohl Asbury Theological Seminary "This book is a treasure a wonderful gift to the church. While inviting us into a deeply Christian understanding of excellence, it offers hope, renewal, and challenge for pastors and congregations. Without sacrificing truthfulness or ignoring tragedy, Jones and Armstrong give a nuanced, tender account of the beauty, imagination, and resources available for excellent ministry." Samuel T. Lloyd III Dean, Washington National Cathedral "One of the most heartening books on parish ministry I have encountered in years. . . I can't imagine a better book for someone seeking to discern a call to ordained ministry or for a seasoned pastor who has labored faithfully for many years." "Interpretation" "This book is an admirable effort." "Circuit Rider" ""Resurrecting Excellence"is a thoughtfully argued, beautifully written book on a subject that cries out for such attentive engagement." "Congregations" "I am not aware of any other book quite like this one. It examines a host of issues that [pastors] regularly encounter: power, office, call, professionalism, collegiality, ordination. Happily, it does so in fresh ways.""

Christians are of two minds about excellence. We commend excellent teaching, seek out excellent health care, and celebrate excellence in the arts. When a Christian life or congregation is called excellent, however, we suspect that ambition or success may be getting the best of us. "Resurrecting Excellence" aims to rekindle and encourage among Christian leaders an unselfish ambition for the gospel that shuns both competition and mediocrity and rightly focuses on the beauty, power, and excellence of living as faithful disciples of the crucified and risen Christ. Drawing on ancient traditions and on contemporary voices, the authors - a divinity school dean and a parish pastor - offer both a theology of excellence and compelling portraits of pastors, lay leaders, and congregations that embody "a more excellent way." Excellence in Christian ministry requires the capacity for measuring life by the complexities of judgment and grace as well as budgets and buildings. "Resurrecting Excellence" commends this beautiful and challenging task to all with a heart and mind for the excellence of God.