Materials for
Ministerial DevelopmentDeveloping pastors of active prayer, discipleship-making vision, leadership development, and community engagement.
Suggested Reading
These books are suggested as extra resources for your district license level. While completely optional, they will aid your development as a minister of the gospel.
Level One
District License Cohort
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It’s Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature, by Peter Scazzero
Becoming Human Again: A Biblical Primer on Entire Sanctification, Timothy Crutcher
The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, Jim Herrington, Trisha Taylor, et al.
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek
Level Two
District License Cohort
Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples, Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger
Hero Maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders, Dave Ferguson
The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, Jim Herrington, Trisha Taylor, et al.
Level Three & Four
District License Cohort
Core Competancy Resources
Active Prayer & Jesus Formation
Additional Suggested Resources
The Call of a Lifetime: How to Know if God is Leading you to the Ministry, Keith Drury
Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation, M. Robert Mulholland Jr. & Ruth Haley Barton
Happy. Holy. 7 Practices Toward a Holistic Live, Joe Gorman
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ, Dallas Willard
Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson
In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard J. Foster
Essential Beliefs: A Wesleyan Primer, Diane Leclerc & Mark A. Maddix
Disciple Making Vision
Additional Suggested Resources
Leadership Development
Additional Suggested Resources
Leadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth, Samuel R. Chand
Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change, Tod Bolsinger
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, John Mark Comer
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, Patrick Lencioni
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life, Henry Cloud
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts, Brené Brown
Wholeheartedness: Busyness, Exhaustion, and Healing the Divided Self, Chuck DeGroat
Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs, Steve Cuss
Power in Weakness: Paul’s Transformed Vision for Ministry, Timothy G. Gombis
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, Adam Grant
A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing, Scot McKnight
Community Engagement
Additional Suggested Resources
Not in it to Win it: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines the Church, Andy Stanley
The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside your Door, Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon
Living in a Gray World: A Christian Teen’s Guide to Understanding Homosexuality, Preston Sprinkle
When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
Disruption: Repurposing the Church to Redeem the Community, Mark DeMaz
The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor: Seeing Others Through the Eyes of Jesus, Mark Labberton
Other Development Materials
Pastoring Resources: Purpose, Function, and Theology
Additional Suggested Resources
What Every Pastor Should Know: 101 Indispensable Rules of thumb for Leading Your Church, Gary L. McIntosh & Charles Arn
Pastor Paul: Nurturing a Culture of Christoformity in the Church, Scot McKnight
Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, William Willimon
The Pastor in a Secular Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer Need a God, Andrew Root
The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers, Daniel Hansen
The First 100 Days: A Pastor’s Guide, Scott Daniels
Nazarene Resources
Additional Suggested Resources
What is a Nazarene?: Understanding Our Place in the Religious Community, Wesley Tracy
Church of the Nazarene Manual (2017 – 2021), Blevins et al., ed.
Assessments
Recommended Trainings
Additional Resources
Strengthening Ministry Leaders, $149 for One Year of Access to counseling and coaching, may be reimbursed by Oregon Pacific District
Carey Nieuwhof, Blogs and Podcasts (free) and Courses (paid access) which speak to ministry context ‘right now.’ Carey helps pastors and leaders understand the culture of the moment.
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, Books, Leader Guides, full Discipleship course for churches and groups. Coaching for using tools like Genogram.