Spiritual Readiness: A Survival Guide for Pastors

This is a book for pastors (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox) to help them navigate through the many challenges they face in today's world. It begins with a description of the crisis that the church is now facing in the United States, and a discussion of the crisis that is also happening among American clergy, as church membership and attendance are declining. The job of the pastor is then detailed, describing 22 challenges he or she is likely to be dealing with, from job stress to burnout to mental and physical health problems to marital and family problems to shrinking congregations to financial difficulties (personal/church), and much more. 'Spiritual Readiness' is then defined and its relationship to "Human Flourishing" examined, doing so through a causal model that has faith in God and "holiness" at the center. Suggestions are then provided on how to address the 22 challenges discussed earlier as part of a pathway toward becoming a "Spiritually Ready Pastor." This is followed by a discussion of how to produce and sustain a "Spiritually Ready Family" and a "Spiritually Ready Church." A strong emphasis is placed on establishing and adhering to the right priorities, all requiring careful time management and rigorous self-discipline. This book will help the 21st century pastor, their family, and church overcome the many obstacles to spiritual readiness in order to thrive in the likely turbulent days ahead.