Stay the Course: A Pastor's Guide to Navigating the Restless Waters of Ministry

by Mike Minter, Jeff Simmons (Foreword by)

Overview

Pastoral ministry is hard. These days—with pandemics and cultural crises and distrust of the church higher than ever—it may be especially hard.
 
There is a reason an increasing number of pastors are depressed, burned out, leaving the ministry, or—worst of all—imploding their lives through moral failures.
 
Mike Minter planted a church in 1975, and after a long and faithful career in pastoral ministry, he is burdened to see so many struggling pastors. This book is born from both his experience and his concern. His heart is to help younger pastors make it through the ministry intact, and Stay the Course will do just that.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781087758800
Publisher:	B&H Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/08/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Mike was born into a Navy family in Providence, Rhode Island, and later attended the Naval Academy. He has a degree from Old Dominion University in Political Science. While traveling with a friend through Europe in 1970, Mike trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior through this friend’s consistent witness.

With a growing desire to study and teach the Scriptures, Mike entered Florida Bible College in 1972 and graduated in 1974 with a degree in Bible. There, he met and married his wife, Kay, and was called to the ministry of church planting and pastoring. The first Bible study was held in a home in June of 1974, and the first Reston Bible Church service was in a hotel in March of 1975. After a long and faithful vocation as a pastor, Mike has a burden to help younger pastors navigate the turbulent waters of ministry. Mike and Kay live in Ashburn, VA, and have four adult children—Kelly, Megan, Katie, and David—and a growing number of grandchildren.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Preface xv

Introduction 1

Part 1

Chapter 1 My Story 9

Chapter 2 The Elusive "A" 15

Chapter 3 Life after the Academy 31

Part 2

Chapter 4 A Pastor's Guide 59

Chapter 5 The Pastor and His Calling 65

Chapter 6 The Pastor and His Family 81

Chapter 7 The Pastor and Pride 89

Chapter 8 The Pastor and Doctrinal Division 101

Chapter 9 The Pastor and the People 117

Chapter 10 The Pastor and Criticism 135

Chapter 11 The Pastor and Discouragement 147

Chapter 12 The Pastor and Enduring 163

Chapter 13 The Pastor and Holy Pleasures 173

Conclusion: The Joy of Staying the Course 185

Notes 189

Editorial Reviews

Pastor Mike Minter has penned a profitable work for every leader. His unique insights into the soul of the minister, his passion for unity in the Church, and his love for God's mission makes his written perspective a buried treasure unearthed. Read Stay the Course, recommend its reading, and try to follow Pastor Mike as he follows Christ.”
- Brett Fuller, Chaplain of the Washington Commanders & Bishop of Grace Covenant Church of Washington DC. 

“I give this book an A+++ and it won’t take you long to see why. It will immediately suck you in and simultaneously bless your heart. Mike Minter writes from a wealth of wisdom garnered from nearly 50 years as a pastor. It makes me want to jump to my feet and exclaim, “Gentlemen, that’s how you write a book!”
- Dr. Joe M. Allen, Jr., Chaplain, Dallas Theological Seminary 

“Pastors and ministry leaders will be looking into a mirror at themselves - their deepest joys, challenges, and fears. The image is universal and undistorted. So are Pastor Minter’s nuggets of hard-earned wisdom that if applied will be transformational. This work provides a literal handbook for how God shapes spiritual leaders. Leaders will find pathways for discerning and responding that will assure them of thriving in life and ministry and finishing well. Of the hundreds of pastors I know, few have earned and can speak with such authority and clarity. Pastor Minter will show how God uses good and bad circumstances to shape leaders' hearts and prepare them for His purposes. These are not disqualifying, but rather qualifying to becoming able to serve and persevere in one of the hardest jobs on the planet! His wisdom is rooted in his love of Jesus and for people and unity in the Church as Jesus intends it to be. Readers who apply the principles will find real hope and abundant blessings as they live out their holy callings.”
- Howie Levin, Executive Director, OneHeartDC a Gospel Movement in the Metro Washington DC region 

“It’s always a good idea to read authors whose word is trustworthy and who have lived their lives without guile and pretense. Mike Minter is such a man and author. That’s what makes his book a must-read. Mike’s the real deal who’s been a beloved and influential pastor in the Washington DC area for decades. He writes these pages with gospel fluency about the hard as well as heartening lessons learned from leading and loving his congregation. His ministry is marked by faithfulness, not driven by success, which in this age of big platforms, makes Mike’s candid story a welcome antidote to celebrity pastor archetypes. His chapter on pride in the pulpit is worth the price of the book. Read the book, be encouraged, be equipped!”
- Dave Brown, Director/Pastor, Washington Area Coalition of Men’s Ministries (WACMM)

“Mike’s love language is encouragement, and he effectively conveys that uplifting message in Stay the Course by relating to us God’s unwavering faithfulness in his nearly 50 years in ministry. Mike gives us an amazing testimonial of how God brought him to faith in Christ while revealing the impact of his full reliance on Christ despite the many dark clouds in his life ranging from learning disabilities to wondering how God would supply all his needs and beyond. God, through Mike, shows every minister of the Gospel - full time and laic - that surrender to God’s calling is life’s best course of action despite setbacks, discouragement, and outright spiritual attacks from the Enemy. Mike’s humility, transparency, and love for Christ’s church and the Great Commission are captured throughout every chapter of this must-read book. All of us will see ourselves in some aspect of Mike’s process of sanctification regardless of our walk in life.”
- David R. Shedd, Former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency 

From the Publisher