Yesterday I finished my last (I hope) edit for my newest book The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry: A Pastor's Guide. The book is scheduled for release October 1 so unless my editor finds something else that needs addressed or clarified it should be going to the printer in the next few weeks. Every book I've written has excited me for different reasons, but I may be more enthused about this book than any of the others I've written. It looks at how coaching can help bivocational (and fully-funded ministers, for that matter) find answers to some of their most pressing issues. The book includes a number of actual coaching relationships I've had with primarily bivocational ministers and the issues they presented that we addressed in those relationships. I believe most readers will find some of their challenges represented in those case studies, and I further believe that they will find some of the answers these other pastors discovered to be applicable in their situations as well. I really believe this will be an intensely practical book for anyone serving in ministry today, and especially those in bivocational ministry.
A second reason I'm excited about this book is that it devotes an entire chapter to helping judicatory leaders better understand those persons who have been called to bivocational ministry and gives them some tools they can use to assist and resource those individuals. Having worked as a judicatory leader for the past twelve years I've met a number of my peers who struggle to understand bivocational ministry. As one explained to me a couple of years ago, his executive added bivocational ministry to his portfolio, but he really didn't understand bivocational ministry. He had served in fully-funded ministry roles his entire ministry and just didn't know much about bivocational ministry and those who feel called to such ministry. I believe he and others in his position will find a lot of useful information in this book.
There is a third reason I'm excited. You can preorder it today from amazon.com here and save 20% off the retail price. I've never asked this before with any of my previous books, but I am asking that you preorder this book. The reason is very simple. If enough people preorder the book it will send a signal to the publisher, Beacon Hill Press, that resources on bivocational ministry are needed and appreciated. They have published many of my books and have been a great advocate for bivocational ministry, but if a large number of people preorder the book it will affirm their decision to make such resources available. Amazon guarantees that, if for some reason the price drops after a book is pre-ordered, you will receive the book at the lower price, so you can't lose. So...go ahead and click on the above link and pre-order the book.
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