The Gifted Pastor: Finding and Using Your Spiritual Gifts / Kenneth H. Carter Jr.

Carter writes a piece which will stir the sympathies of pastors thwarted by their own efforts to emulate a congregations successful predecessor. Within months these pastors see little success as fatigue and burn-out set in. All Christians are graced with specific and distinctive spiritual gifts. Too often pastors forget that God has given them particular gifts for ministry. While all pastors must attend to the different tasks of congregational ministry they need to discover those functions for which they have been particularly gifted. When they begin to make these gifts the focus of their ministry then deep personal satisfaction and connection with others results. This book is written to help pastors overcome the false belief that if their ministry is to succeed it must emulate that of a high-profile orator. Carter explains that when we make our distinctive gifts the center of our ministry we lose the illusion that we are in control and instead trust that God will complement us with others gifts to meet the needs of Gods people. Key Features: includes a consumer guide to spiritual gift inventories; resource lists including retreat centers congregations and publications. Key Benefits: Provides pastors a biblical/theological framework for understanding ministerial gifts.