Skip to main content

Review: Ministering to Problem People in Your Church: What to Do with Well-Intentioned Dragons by Marshall Shelley



Review: Ministering to Problem People in Your Church: What to Do with Well-Intentioned Dragons
Marshall Shelley
Bethany House Publishers
2013

This book covers most of the people issues anyone has encountered if they have hung around the assembled church folks for any length of time.  Some of us have been on both sides of this one, regrettably.  Not fun from anybody’s perspective.  And that is the reason that this book needs to read.  By all of us.  

What this author describes may be told from the church perspective, but I think you’d meet the same challenges elsewhere.  But since this is for ministers we’ll stay in that realm.   

His list of Dragon Species (42) is pretty thorough and he will introduce the reader to several of them in the reading. My favorite, if I can use that term in that way, involves the charter member’s reaction to a growing church and all the tactics that person used to stay in control.  “Dragons are best known for what comes out of their months…Dragon’s tongues may be smooth, but they are usually forked.”(59). Yes, this is book deals with the real world of ministry. And it does not paint a pretty picture.  In fact, I’d recommend reading it on a bright, sunny spring day.  It shows the difficulties and how some have worked through them.  The cost is high in all the case studies related in this book, and for that reason I found this a very difficult read.
This book is a re-issue of the 1985 version entitled Well-Intentioned Dragons by the same author, for those of you who may have a copy of that somewhere.  Another look at it might be helpful from time to time.  I do not know which material if any may be new in this version.  This is an easy read that is a tough read.  The author’s parting words may encourage some of his readers.  “…it is life among the dragons that develops the qualities God requires.” (203). Have to think about that a while more, myself.
Overall, for those that are considering entry into the ministry or are in the throes of dragon vanquishing I do recommend this book.  In fact, it needs to be requires reading in that case.  For the laity, read this one and consider whether you are acting as a well-intentioned dragon or helping limit the damage they create.
This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for this review.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: When God’s Ways Make No Sense by Dr. Larry Crabb

Review: When God’s Ways Make No Sense Dr. Larry Crabb Baker Books 2018 I chose this book because the title intrigued me.   When God’s Ways Make No Sense.    There have been plenty of times when that seemed truer than I’d like to admit.   Are we even allowed to say something like that?   Even if we think it.   So, an author willing to take on that topic had my attention. And mostly because I wanted his take on what to do about it? As it turns out Crabb pretty much gave away his case very early on in his book with a single scripture quote.   The basic idea is God is GOD and we are not.   His motives and actions are incomprehensible to mankind and He owes no explanation for them either.   Crabb admits near the end of his book that he is not a theologian which I knew going into this book, but his arguments are theology.   Or at least I think so.   I found his repeated circling the topic a bit frustrating. ...
1 comment
Read more

Buntings and Books

Time to blog says the calendar. So OK let's blog. What about? Oil spills? Court nominees? Euro problems? Weather? The last one is the easiest to go with it looks like. Cold and windy again. What is this about? Not more than a week ago it looked like summer. Even needed fans to cool the place. Well, the fans are off now. Nature has provided some pre-cooled forced air for a few days now, complete with humidity adjustments ie rain. Keeps the ground cold and the urge to garden at bay. Protection for those of us who aren't in the best physical condition. The weather has the birds on the feeder more often and that included a new one in the area. We've decided to call it an indigo bunting. Matches the picture in the book so that's got to be who he is. Pretty little guy, all decked out in his breeding plumage. Haven't seen those colors since the last peacock came around. Just read that cowbirds like to use them to raise their chicks. Yet another reason t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: A Hole in Our Gospel

The Hole in Our Gospel Richard Stearns Thomas Nelson 2010 Disturbing is the best word I know of for this book. There are already hundreds of reviews for this book in its hardbound version and now the soft cover release invites more. The paperback added color photos and a study guide to the text. So for my money that is a plus. Why did I decide to call the book disturbing? I could have called it challenging just as easily but challenging is easier to dismiss. Disturbing gets into your soul and is much harder to root out. If that’s what you want to do after you read this book. Mr. Stearns tells his story to the reader while motivating that person to consider what action the reader could take to join in the world wide efforts of World Vision or another similar organization. For those that believe there’s more to Christianity than staring at the back of someone’s head for an hour on Sunday morning this is a great place to start a quest for whatever that something more might be. On...
Post a Comment
Read more