I’m a new pastor. I’ve got about $100 and not much of any library. I want hard copies—non of that e-reader stuff. When I was ordained last week a former professor bought me 5 books from your preaching list. Now I need to focus on building a few resources to help me with pastoral ministry. What do you suggest?
Here is my answer:
- Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp for $12
- The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter $8
- 9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever $11
- The Conviction to Lead by Albert Mohler $15
- Brothers We Are Not Professionals by John Piper $10
- Instruments in the Redeemers Hands by Paul Tripp $12
- Download this letter from John Newton $FREE
That’s about 70 bucks. Take the next $30 and take your wife out on a date.
Also there are a couple of books that you can get online for free that are great classics. I know you like hard copies so maybe you can save up a little money and print these off somewhere. Lectures to My Students by Spurgeon is an invaluable resource as is Charles Bridges’ The Christian Ministry.
I would also advise you to find an older pastor that is willing to mentor you. He’ll be really helpful also when you have questions about how to do a baptism, how to train a Sunday school teacher, etc. And he will talk you off the ledge when you want to give up after a few Monday’s on the job.
Lastly, find another pastor from history and make it your life ambition to follow him as he follows Christ. I’ve begun a lifelong friendship with John Newton—I just wish he knew it. You can get his 6 Volume works online for about $100.
How would you answer this question?
I’d also spend a little money on a good marriage book. I don’t know exactly which one, but I think a healthy, God-glorifying marriage will be a tremendous help in serving the local flock.
(Assumes you’re married, or hope to be married.)
the Christian classic ‘Summa Theologica’ of Thomas Aquinas
Here are some books I wish every pastor would read.
1) Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome – Kent Hughes.
2) Spiritual Leadership – Henry Blackaby. (If just one book – I’d suggest this one).
3) The Supremacy of God in Preaching – John Piper. Its an examination of Jonathan Edwards’ preaching and focuses on preaching the character and nature of God, not just “how-to” and such.
4) The Heart of the Problem – Brant and Skinner. A counseling philosophy that changed my ministry.
There’s another one, but I’m old and forgot it.
One more thing – whatever your particular theological bent, read some books on the other side. Calvinists do not have all the wisdom on pastoring, nor do non-Calvinists. If you are contemporary, read some traditional Baptist authors. If you are a button down, tie and coat guy, read some of the new blood.
Different perspectives.
Take $50.00 and put it away for a rainy day. Find an older pastor that is willing to mentor you, buy him and you a good meal, remember he has been on starvation wages for so long, he will be your friend for life.
He will appreciate the meal so much that he will gladly share his books with you, and give you great advice. Remember an old preacher just wants food and someone to listen to him.
These are the wisest words anyone can share with you.
Amen!
Jess, I am rushing to put out my sign: “Will work (mentor) for food.”
No matter what, start with:
“Making Friends for Christ, Second Edition” by Dr. Wayne Mcdill
“The Christian Counselors Manual” by Dr. Jay Adams
Then go with anything off this list:
http://www.danielakin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Building-a-Theological-Library-Revised-2011-Final.pdf
I’m getting bad in my old age. Twice today I’ve accidentally published posts, then had to take them down.
Anyway, Dwight McKissic’s post is set up for first thing in the AM (8 central).
When I entered my first pastorate I asked and old preacher who he read the most. I wrote down the names and went to the used book store. I came back to my office with a paper grocery sack full of G Campbell Morgan, Tozer, Loyd-Jones, Pink, Spurgeon, Criswell, Ryle and MacArthur book. Spent $65 and I think $4 was the most expensive one in the sack. I still to this day have not read all of those early books.
Used book stores are the way to go for many of of us! And you can hit a couple of online ones as well, where those small scattered bookstores have submitted their inventory and you can gather a good deal.
Not quite as fun as perusing the shelves, but better than not being able to get a good book!
How about spending $5.00 on a library card?
I have so many books that are really just paper weights.
Most libraries can get inter-library loans and get you access to just about any book you might want.
Don’t become a bibliophile and collect books simply to own them would be my caveat.
Also, find an older pastor with a good library and mow his yard to borrow his books.
I don’t like borrowing books simply because I cannot make them mine. What I mean is that I love to mark up my books. And the really good ones I keep referring back to..again…and again…and again.
I cannot read a library book as well as I can a book that I own simply b/c I cannot highlight a library book.
I’d say that’s well on point for many specialty books, but certain constant reference works: a good lexicon, concordance, etc… you are going to need on your shelf all the time. $100 may not be enough, but $250 plus a good library might be enough.
Spend your $100 by going to Adrian Rogers (lwf.org); Jerry Vines (jerryvines.com), Warren Wiersbe. When you can, get Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee and The New American Commentary by B&H.
Check out wacriswell.com; biblicalevangelist.org.
Check out Robert G. Lee, Vance Havner, D. L. Moody, B. H. Carroll, Paige Patterson, Charles H. Spurgeon.
I agree completely about finding an older pastor and learning everything you can from him.
David R. Brumbelow
Since your on a limited budget your foolish to try to build a hard library. you can get so much more through on line stuff. I am 72 and have a VERY EXAUSTIVE library of everything form Nicene Fathers to Matthew Henry. In 1992 I got LOGOS and have been gradually building it. Last year my son gave me a Kindle and I connected it to LOGOS. If you plan on being in the ministry over 20 years, electronic is the way to go. It’s nice, on you desktop, on one screen, to look at 6 different commentaries of 6… Read more »
Pastor AL, One real concern about an all-electronic library is the fact that your library might just not be accessible in 20 years, whereas analog books can last for generations. In my 35 years of computing I’ve seen a lot of hardware changes. I have software, documents and digital music that can no longer be accessed due to changing technology. I have noticed that the Kindle edition of many books are less user friendly than their analog counterpart and harder to find a particular pieces of information if you have a system for your analog library. I only buy the… Read more »