With the recognition of the sweeping changes now taking place in North American society comes the realization that Protestant mainline churches no longer enjoy the privileged status they once did. In this forward-looking contribution to pastoral theology, three leading ministers discuss the state of church life today, explore the particular opportunities that our new world offers the church, and provide a clear picture of what a new, "postliberal" church can look like in practice.

Speaking directly to pastors and church leaders who find the liberal/conservative polarity tired and unhelpful,...

This Odd and Wondrous Calling offers something different from most books available on ministry. Two people still pastoring reflect honestly here on both the joys and the challenges of their vocation. / Anecdotal and extremely readable, the book covers a diversity of subjects revealing the incredible variety of a pastor's day. The chapters move from comedy to pathos, story to theology, Scripture to contemporary culture. This Odd and Wondrous Calling is both serious and fun and is ideal for those who are considering the ministry or who want a better understanding of their own minister's life.

With candor, passion, and deep love for her work, Lucy Forster-Smith takes us across the threshold as a chaplain on a college campus. This vocational narrative braids the story of her faith journey that began on a porch when she was a four-year-old, was shaken by a sexual assault as a seminarian, and through healing and grace brought her to claim a call to ministry with students. With delightful humor and an infectious love for her work, Forster-Smith invites the reader into her world. Crossing Thresholds is a theological narrative, weaving together the story of faith in the context of the...