Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership – Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry (Transforming Resources) - Hardcover

Barton, Ruth Haley; Haugen, Gary A.; Ford, Leighton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 083084645X ISBN 13: 9780830846450

Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press,US, 2018

Synopsis

"I'm tired of helping others enjoy God--I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership explores topics such as

• responding to the dynamics of calling
• facing the loneliness of leadership
• leading from your authentic self
• cultivating spiritual community
• reenvisioning the promised land
• discerning God's will together

Each chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself and for those you lead. This expanded edition includes the popular "How Is It with Your Soul?" assessment for leaders and a flexible six- or twelve-week guided experience for groups.

About this title

Review:

"Barton has written a book which could serve as a prescription for people in ministry who have come to the end of themselves. I recommend this book for leaders who have experienced a glance toward the dark night of the soul but have found themselves working harder, trusting less, and growing weary in order to avoid the transforming work of the soul."--Susan Reese, Journal of Spiritual Formation Soul Care, 2009

"Ms. Barton relies heavily on the life of Moses as a window into the different aspects of leadership in which we might learn to seek God and allow God to strengthen us to provide spiritual leadership to others. The book is not just for those already in leadership roles, but also for those who are seeking leadership."--Marlyne Seymour, The Living Church, January 4, 2009

"The most significant book I read in 2008 . . . is a call to inspect one's inner life and motives for leadership with neither guilt nor obsession, allowing God to tweak and morph it at will."--Danette Matty, YouthWorker Journal, January/February 2009

"At times Barton's words were a needed wake-up call and at other times they were a source of refreshment. I'm thankful for both."--Mike Bonem, Leadership Network (books.leadnet.org), August 30, 2008

About the Author:

Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Seminary) is founding president/CEO of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors and Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve. For over twenty years, she has ministered to the soul care needs of pastors and leaders based upon her conviction that the best thing we bring to to leadership is our own transforming selves. Trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and the Institute for Pastoral Studies Loyola University Chicago, Ruth is a seasoned retreat leader and spiritual director. A sought-after speaker and preacher, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches and teaches frequently at seminaries and graduate schools. Ruth is the author of numerous books and resources on the spiritual life, including Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Sacred Rhythms, Longing for More, Pursuing God's Will Together, and Life Together in Christ. She continues to share her thoughts and perspectives on soulful leadership through an online resource called eReflections as well as a podcast entitled Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership.

About this edition

• Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press,US
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 083084645X
• ISBN 13: 9780830846450
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240