Paul and Barnabas made a decisive move toward the end of the first missionary journey: they appointed elders in the churches they had established, entrusting them with responsibility to shepherd the young congregations. The need for faithful shepherding has not changed since that time, yet the leadership structure of most churches no longer follows this model. The authors argue that a return to the New Testament pattern of elder plurality best serves the shepherding needs in a local church.

The authors suggest a workable process for improving a local church's leadership structure and making the transition to elder plurality. Along the way, the stories of the authors and other church leaders provide a narrative of how faithful elder leadership has strengthened their ministries. The book also addresses a plan for leadership development in difficult international mission settings. Church leaders will find this a useful resource for building a healthy leadership structure.

This book is an extensive revision of the previously-published Elders in Congregational Life, including updates throughout, additional illustrations, and a new chapter addressing how missionaries may effectively apply the New Testament's teaching on elder plurality. 9Marks is a well-known ministry organization dedicated to equipping church leaders with a biblical vision and practical resources.

Despite the good intentions of a hardworking fishing boat crew, if their large and strong nets have gaping holes, they will lose some of the catch. It's not time to get rid of the crew and the nets. Rather, torn nets, when mended, can accomplish much. Similarly, a good church with faithful members and devoted pastors has potential for much kingdom-usefulness, but when the leadership structure has gaping holes, ministry diminishes. The answer to the problem is not to remove the members or pastoral team, but to mend the nets in their leadership structure.

Mending the Nets: Rethinking Church Leadership seeks to take a biblical look at church leadership structures, while identifying ways to mend the holes for more effective ministry.

By walking through the New Testament's explanation of healthy church polity, experienced pastors, authors and professors Phil A. Newton and Rich C. Shadden make complex concepts accessible. Years of shepherding congregations have enabled them to see things from pastoral and ecclesiological angles that help churches toward effective leadership. They tell some of the pastoral story they've lived in to put life into the applications they recommend.

Writing from Southern Baptist (SBC) pastoral roots, Newton and Shadden explain the Baptist heritage in church leadership, how it slipped from regular practice, and how to restore it to more effectiveness in ministry. They're realistic about traditions, timing, and challenges of moving toward healthy polity, offering strategies for teaching, training, and equipping local congregations to mirror New Testament leadership patterns.

Pastors, pastoral staff, lay leaders, and ministers-in-training will profit from reading Mending the Nets: Rethinking Church Leadership. The book gives congregational leaders a roadmap for developing effective, biblical structures that lead toward strengthening church health.

En 40 preguntas sobre el ministerio pastoral, el veterano pastor Phil Newton ofrece respuestas confiables a 40 de las preguntas más comunes y apremiantes relacionadas con la vida y el trabajo del pastor. Abarcando cinco categorías principales--como el desarrollo, las prácticas y la predicación- Newton equipa a los pastores para manejar con éxito los deberes y desafíos cotidianos, incluyendo: mantenerse espiritualmente sano, fortalecer su matrimonio, lidiar con el desánimo, evitar las trampas, dirigir las reuniones de los ancianos, ser mentor de los futuros líderes, predicar a través de los libros de la Biblia, y mucho más. Basando sus respuestas en las Escrituras, la reflexión teológica y la experiencia personal, Newton sirve de mentor y guía para los pastores en cada etapa del ministerio.

40 Questions about Pastoral Ministry, veteran pastor Phil Newton provides trustworthy answers to 40 of the most common and pressing questions relating to the life and work of the pastor. Covering five major categories--such as development, practices, and preaching--Newton equips pastors to successfully handle everyday duties and challenges, including: remaining spiritually healthy, strengthening your marriage, dealing with discouragement, avoiding pitfalls, leading elders' meetings, mentoring future leaders, preaching through books of the Bible, and much more. Basing his answers on Scripture, theological reflection, and personal experience, Newton serves as a mentor and guide for pastors at every stage of ministry.

Shepherding the Pastor helps new and upcoming pastors understand the common challenges and pitfalls that arise in the early years of ministry and to face difficulties with faith, wisdom, and patience.

Many pastors feel isolated and helpless, especially those beginning pastoral ministry. Phil Newton and Rich Shadden know what this road is like, and they want to share what they have gained from pastoral mentoring--Rich, a young pastor receiving support and guidance from Phil, an older, more experienced shepherd.

Using real life examples of their mentor/mentee relationship, they identify four key practices that will help pastors thrive despite the stresses of ministry: a deepening walk with Christ, faithful exposition of Scripture, continual learning from mentors, and growth in skillful patience with their flock.

Published in partnership with 9Marks.

The critical missing element in Christian mentoring today: the congregation

Bringing up future leaders isn't just the job of the pastor but of the whole congregation. This is an urgently needed book in churches today.
--R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Young, emerging leaders of the church, many of whom have gone through leadership training and traditional mentorship programs, still too often find themselves unprepared for the realities of ministry. Many leave the ministry altogether, overwhelmed.

Phil Newton reveals a critical gap: single-source mentorship is incomplete. Mentoring must involve the congregation, not just senior pastors, in order to bring forth mature, resilient leaders prepared for all that ministry entails.

The solid, practical solutions in The Mentoring Church offer churches of any size both the vision for mentoring future leaders and a workable template to follow. With insightful consideration of theological, historical, and contemporary training models for pastor/church partnerships, Newton is a reliable guide to developing a church culture that equips fully prepared leaders.

Newton y Schmucker demuestran convincentemente que un regreso al patrón del Nuevo Testamento de una pluralidad de ancianos sirve mejor a las necesidades de pastoreo de la iglesia local. Los autores sugieren un proceso viable para mejorar la estructura de liderazgo de la iglesia local y para hacer la transición a la pluralidad de ancianos. Las historias de diversos líderes de la iglesia proporcionan una narración de cómo el liderazgo fiel de ancianos ha fortalecido sus ministerios en una variedad de entornos.

Every local church can benefit from this useful resource for building a healthy leadership structure.

Newton and Schmucker convincingly demonstrate that a return to the New Testament pattern of elder plurality best serves the shepherding needs of the local church. The authors suggest a workable process for improving a local church's leadership structure and making the transition to elder plurality. Stories of church leaders provide a narrative of how faithful elder leadership has strengthened their ministries in a variety of settings.

La mentoría debe involucrar a la congregación entera, y no solo a los pastores principales, con el objeto de formar líderes maduros y resilientes, preparados para todo lo que conlleva el ministerio. Las soluciones sólidas y prácticas que presenta La iglesia mentora ofrecen a las iglesias de cualquier tamaño la visión para orientar a futuros líderes y un modelo viable a seguir.

The critical missing element in Christian mentoring today: the congregation

Mentoring must involve the congregation, not just senior pastors, in order to bring forth mature, resilient leaders prepared for all that ministry entails. The solid, practical solutions in The Mentoring Church offer churches of any size both the vision for mentoring future leaders and a workable template to follow.

In 40 Questions about Pastoral Ministry, veteran pastor Phil Newton provides trustworthy answers to 40 of the most common and pressing questions relating to the life and work of the pastor. Covering five major categories--such as development, practices, and preaching--Newton equips pastors to successfully handle everyday duties and challenges, including:

• Remaining spiritually healthy
• Strengthening your marriage
• Dealing with discouragement
• Avoiding pitfalls
• Leading elders' meetings
• Mentoring future leaders
• Preaching through books of the Bible
• Conducting marriages and funerals
• Practicing church discipline
• Leading change and revitalization, and much more