A Clergy Husband's Survival Guide


Book Description

Women now comprise almost half the priests serving in the Church of England. As a result, there are many male clergy spouses who have had to come to terms with the seismic shift that occurs in family life when a wife embarks on the journey from exploration of vocation - through selection, training and formation - to ordination and a life of ministry. The author had his own busy career when he suddenly found himself playing second fiddle rather than being the 'doer' in the household. Not only did this subtly affect his marriage, but as friends and acquaintances became 'parishioners', he was required to respect boundaries, to be discreet and often to carry the burden of unsought confidentiality. Drawing on these experiences and those of many fellow clergy spouses, this volume is a practical, informative and engaging guide to the joys and challenges of being married to a vicar. Part one deals with the process from initial call to ordination and beyond. Part two helps clergy husbands work through what their new role might involve. Part three looks at lifestyle and family issues, while Part four offers support and sensible advice if things go wrong.




Clergy Moms


Book Description

Walking the tightrope of home and parish life for clergy parents is notoriously difficult in all the mainline Protestant denominations, but most books on ordination and vocation ignore the question of family life. The ordination of women, the prevalence of two-career marriages, the increasing need to care for aging family members, and the recognition of non-traditional families have shed new light on clergy family dynamics within the family and the church. This book uses accounts of experiences gathered through interviews and surveys of clergy and their family members, primarily in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. Its ultimate goal is to develop a holistic theology of vocation that has implications for the church, the clergy, and all families and nourishes and protects faith and family life.




Curacies and How to Survive Them


Book Description

It is common knowledge that many curacies run into difficulties and that this is something people often feel constrained from discussing openly. Curacies and How to Survive Them offers readers the opportunity to listen in on a series of fast-flowing conversations between a psychologist, a theologian and a clergy spouse, which explore frequently occurring dilemmas and challenges. Using fictionalised case studies, collated from the true stories of curates and training incumbents, the book offers principles and strategies for understanding and addressing some common issues. Its emphasis is on the dynamics and psychology of the critical relationship between curates and their training incumbents. Attractively styled in a way reminiscent of the highly successful collaborations between John Cleese and Robin Skynner, Families and How to Survive Them and Life and How to Survive It. The conversational tone offers an engaging alternative to academic, theological and ecclesiastical writing. By highlighting issues that are not generally discussed, it will be immensely useful to people who might otherwise feel isolated and helpless.




Saved & Sexual A Survival Guide for Pastors' Wives


Book Description

Pastors' wives are given a first hand account of what it means love a pastor in a way that is spiritually and sexually fulfilling. Poiette McGill Bromell shares her experience as a pastor's wife and how she meets the various challenges involved with loving the leader of a congregation. This book seeks to put romance and intimacy back where it belongs - in matrimony.




How to Thrive as a Pastor's Wife


Book Description

Every pastor's wife is a faithful servant and leader in her own right. She has great influence on her church, her community, her family, and her husband, and she finds joy in seeing God move in the lives of others. Yet she also faces unique challenges that too often go unnoticed and unaddressed. At times, a pastor's wife may feel she can't talk about her struggles even with those who are closest to her, which can leave her feeling alone, depleted, and misunderstood. She may settle for this way of living, but that's not God's desire for her. Christine Hoover knows firsthand the unique struggles and opportunities afforded a pastor's wife--she's been filling that role for more than 20 years. Coming alongside as an understanding friend, she offers encouragement and guidance to the struggling pastor's wife, showing her how to make meaningful personal relationships with God, her husband, her children, her church community, and other women--relationships that will sustain her and help her thrive.




Yoked


Book Description

This collection of true stories is written by Mihee Kim-Kort and Andy Kort, a married clergy couple who met while they were in seminary. They share their unique perspective on the joys and challenges of ministry in alternating segments, forming a collective narrative that illuminates the inner workings of a clergy marriage, even as it inspires with heartfelt tales of life in ministry. Throughout the book Mihee and Andy relate their respective impressions of shared experiences, revealing inherent differences and potential sources of conflict, but also demonstrating how they work through their differences, communicate, and collaborate to make the most of their strengths. With 20 years of ministry experience between them, a blue Subaru Outback crammed full of child car seats, an old dog named Ellis, and life experience in three states, Andy and Mihee have struggled with infertility, survived the threat of foreclosure, travelled abroad and led mission trips together, and through it all remain yoked together. This tale of endurance is only made possible by hard work, sympathetic friends, endless conversations, countless cups of coffee and bottles of beer, and the grace of God.




The Youth Minister's Survival Guide


Book Description

This wonderful and easy read helps new and future youth workers set patterns in life and ministry that will keep them whole and healthy, and away from burnout.




The Pastor's Survival Manual


Book Description

Describes the NET Groups program (an acronym for Nurturing Experience Theologically), which begins with experiences and leads people into biblical and theological reflection.




Side by Side


Book Description

Filled with practical ideas and workable solutions, "Side by Side is a gift from heaven for every spouse of a busy Church servant. Drawing on her experience as the wife of a bishop and her expertise as a marriage and family therapist, author JeaNette Goates Smith shares proven survival skills for coping in a challenging season of service. Whether you are married to a bishop, a Primary president, or a Scoutmaster, this invaluable handbook will help you learn how the demanding roles of Church servant and devoted spouse can complement rather than compete with one another.




Survival Guide for Young Women


Book Description

Navigating the decade of the 20s and beyond can be tricky. Most women are making life-shaping decisions during these crucial years--but how can they know the choices they make now won't mess up the rest of their lives? How can they use this time to lay a foundation that is strong enough to support their long-term dreams? Survival Guide for Young Women is the essential guide for Christian women who long for a lifetime of spiritual meaning and personal fulfillment. Holly Wagner and her 20-something friend Nicole Reyes help readers discover who they are and why they are here. Packed with relatable illustrations and practical tips, this handbook for life will challenge young women to make the most of every minute of their 20s . . . and beyond.