Every church has them--sincere, well-meaning Christians who leave ulcers, strained relationships, and hard feelings in their wake. They don't intend to be hostile; they don't consciously plot destruction or breed discontent. But they often do undermine the ministry of the church and make pastors question their calling.
Ministering to Problem People in Your Church will guide you in dealing with these challenging people. Based on real-life accounts of battle-scarred veterans, this book helps you go beyond just tolerating problem people to limiting their damage and showing them God's love. You'll discover effective strategies to turn dissidents into disciples.
This time-tested book by the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today's Leadership Journal has new chapters on using social media and caring for those with mental illness. It will help you not only preserve your sanity (and maybe your job), but minister more effectively, even to those who make life difficult.
SIT 2023 Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions. Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions: MondayThe Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley) TuesdayConflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad) WednesdayWhat Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre) ThursdayLeading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Christ's sheep need shepherding. That's where you come in.
With more than 60 years of ministry between them, Harold Senkbeil and Lucas Woodford have come to understand that everything in ministry--even administration, leadership, and planning--revolves around the ancient tradition of the care of souls. Pastors are entrusted with the care of a flock by the Good Shepherd and are called to be faithful to this task. But pastoring seems to be getting more and more difficult.
Based on a sound theological framework, Senkbeil and Woodford present a set of practical tools for church leadership and strategy. Calling on their vast experience, they encourage pastors to protect, guide, and feed their flock as Jesus would, bridging the eternal wisdom of the word of God with the everyday practicality of hands-on leadership. Originally published as Church Leadership & Strategy, this revision includes a new chapter and litany.
Spring '26
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.
SIT 2024 Recommended SIT textbook for Session A. Pastoral Theology: The Care of Souls (Dr. Harold Senkbeil)
Reminder: Select one recommended resource per session to link to your reflective essay.
Spring '24
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.
SIT 2023 Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions. Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions: MondayThe Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley) TuesdayConflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad) WednesdayWhat Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre) ThursdayLeading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Spring '22
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.
The need for talented, vigorous leaders in the church cannot be overemphasized. Such times demand active service of men and women who are guided by and devoted to Jesus Christ. Spiritual Leadership stands as a proven classic for developing such leadership. J. Oswald Sanders, presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms. He illustrates his points with examples from Scripture and biographies of eminent men of God, such as Moses, Nehemiah, the apostle Paul, David Livingstone, Charles Spurgeon, and others. Sanders holds that even natural leadership qualities are God-given, and their true effectiveness can only be reached when they are used to the glory of God. Let this classic be your guide for leadership, and watch how God works through you to do great things for His glory.
Spring '26
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.
Spring '24
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.
SIT 2023 Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions. Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions: MondayThe Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley) TuesdayConflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad) WednesdayWhat Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre) ThursdayLeading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Spring '22
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.
Spring '20
Required FLS textbook for Discipleship/Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.
Pastors care for a soul in the way a doctor cares for a body. In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.
Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful advice—born out of his five decades as a pastor—that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.
Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again.
Fall '25 Required FLS textbook for Pastoral Theology course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.
Fall '24 Required FLS textbook for Principles of Pastoral Theology course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.
SIT 2024 Recommended SIT textbook for Session A. Pastoral Theology: The Care of Souls (Dr. Harold Senkbeil)
Reminder: Select one recommended resource per session to link to your reflective essay.
Fall '23 Required FLS textbook for Pastoral Theology course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.
SIT 2023 Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions. Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions: MondayThe Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley) TuesdayConflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad) WednesdayWhat Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre) ThursdayLeading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Summer Institute of Theology 2020 Textbook for Christian Leadership and Strategy for the Care of Souls course taught by Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford.
