The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership
Ebook
Overview
Christianity Today Book Award—Church and Pastoral Leadership
The Gospel Coalition Book Awards Honorable Mention
Pastoral leadership is in crisis.
It’s not just that many pastors feel overwhelmed and stressed out; many have lost their way. With the risk of burnout at an all-time high, what pastors need is not just a new leadership strategy but a new framework for ministry—one that will help them move from survival to flourishing.
In The Flourishing Pastor, Tom Nelson looks to the biblical image of the shepherd leader in response to the contemporary context. If pastors are to lead congregations, then they must first learn what it means to be led by the Good Shepherd. Pulling from his years of experience as a lead pastor and president of a nonprofit organization, Nelson offers pastors and ministry leaders a timely vision for leadership that incorporates in-depth biblical teaching and whole-life discipleship. His wisdom and insight provide a road map for ministry resilience and longevity.
Topics covered in The Flourishing Pastor include:
- Being an apprentice with Jesus
- Pursuing wholeness
- Cultivating a flourishing culture
- Finishing your ministry well
Through The Flourishing Pastor, Nelson invites you to step into a renewed perspective on leadership that nurtures both your spiritual growth and the well-being of those you serve. This book is an essential guide for pastors and ministry leaders seeking to lead with integrity and longevity.
Introduction
Part One: The Shepherd
1. A Calling in Crisis
2. Finding Our Way Home
3. The Lord Is My Shepherd
Part Two: Integrity of Heart
4. The Integral Life
5. Apprenticeship with Jesus
6. Pursuing Wholeness
Part Three: Skillful Hands
7. A Faithful Presence
8. Cultivating a Flourishing Culture
9. Connecting Sunday to Monday
10. A New Scorecard
11. Finishing Well
Acknowledgments
Discussion Guide
Notes
Scripture Index
"The Flourishing Pastor overflows with practical wisdom from the frontlines of a pastoral ministry that has been both faithful and innovative. Tom Nelson understands the contemporary cultural challenges of pastoral ministry as well as its timeless woes, from the discouragement of grumpy parishioners to the heady lure of celebrity and the loneliness of leadership. This book makes clear the irreducible foundation of the ministerial vocation: intimacy with God that roots one for integrity and resilience over time. Simultaneously, it coaches pastors in a vital, practical skill: discipling congregants in connecting their work and worship. While unpacking it all, Nelson writes with a pastor’s heart, and it’s easy to see why he has been a beloved mentor to many a young pastor."
"I’ve been waiting for this book for a long time. Pastor, just read the first chapter alone and you’ll realize how much you need to sit, read, and hang out with Tom Nelson."
"Traditionally there are three parts to the ordained ministry—preaching, pastoring, and leading. In our religious world today, preaching and leading are the most highly valued. But while it is not so visible and attention grabbing, skillful knowledge of and pastoring of the human soul is perhaps the most fundamental of the three. Talented preachers and leaders who are not mature and wise pastors may draw a crowd, but they will not help believers ‘grow in grace’ (2 Peter 3:18) and Christlikeness in both their private and public lives. Tom Nelson’s fine book will help rehabilitate the importance of the work of shepherding in our churches."
"In an age of increasing complexity and ambiguity, Tom Nelson invites his readers to consider an ancient model for leadership. Drawing from a deep well of scriptural insight, trusted voices from the past and present, and his own wealth of pastoral experience, Nelson reveals a pathway that leads to flourishing leadership, both personally and organizationally. Pastoral leaders of the present and future would be wise to heed his words."
"It is no secret that pastoral ministry is in crisis. And into that crisis Tom Nelson has unflinchingly walked with humility and authority to provide just what our weary shepherds need—restoration and guidance: restoration that is deep and comprehensive; guidance that is wise and convicting. Grounded and beautiful, The Flourishing Pastor brings necessary healing and hope not only to pastors but also to those of us in their care."
- Title: The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership
- Authors: Tom Nelson (Denton), Chris Brooks
- Series: Made to Flourish Resources
- Publisher: IVP
- Print Publication Date: 2021
- Logos Release Date: 2022
- Pages: 256
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781514001332, 9781514001325, 1514001322, 1514001330
- Resource ID: LLS:9781514001332
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-05-14T01:23:08Z
Tom Nelson (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is president of Made to Flourish. He has also served as senior pastor of Christ Community Church in Kansas City for over thirty years. A council member for The Gospel Coalition, Tom is the author of several books, including Work Matters and The Economics of Neighborly Love.