The book description looked promising: 48 brief chapters for new pastors. Jason Helopoulos set out to write a book that dished out the sort of practical wisdom all new pastors could use. I think everyone who has ever been (or served with) a new pastor would agree that practical wisdom is a legitimate need!

Unfortunately, the book falls short. The chapters, very loosely organized into subheadings like “The Beginning,” and “Joys of Ministry,” quickly become repetitive and overly simplistic. There is some gold in here—mostly found in the “Pitfalls of Young Pastors” section. For instance, Helopoulos warns against starting too quickly and taking yourself too seriously. Great advice.

Ultimately, the extremely short chapters do not allow for any more than surface-level thoughts. Wisdom requires (at least a little) more space to be developed! In the end, this book reads more like a series of blog posts than a coherent whole.

Helopoulos, Jason. The New Pastor’s Handbook: Help and Encouragement for the First Years of Ministry. Baker Books, 2015.