Despite the title, Writing for Life and Ministry isn't a title for existing writers. Rather, it's a title for people who are in a ministry of some kind who have been called or asked to write as well, but who don't feel confident as writers.

The book explains how and why speaking and writing are different. It then takes speakers and other ministers through a series of exercises designed to helps new writers find their why and their ideal reader, and make a mission statement. It then suggests readers combine this all into a proposal template, whether they are aiming for traditional publication or not.

Note that there may be an issue with the formatting of the Kindle edition. My review copy had formatting errors that rendered the Find Your Focus Worksheet unreadable:

Here's an example THIN I'm passionate about or

ANUTGSIM

KN

ganic gardening. However

A

T

However, the issue is only with this one section, and it's still obvious what the author is trying to say--that we need to focus on the intersection between things we are knowledgeable about, passionate about, and which people like our perspective. I agree—in fact, I've just written a blog post that says basically the same thing.

Overall, Writing for Life and Ministry is an excellent resource for new writers or people who haven't yet started writing but want or need to. More experienced writers are likely to find they've already considered most of these points, and will also have developed their own planning, writing, and editing processes. However, they may still find a useful nugget or two.

Thanks to Moody Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

I see this blog as both a hobby and as an extension of my ministry, I was to equip Christians to know of good resources and to encourage you as you live the Christian life. Because I write approximately 2,000 words a week for this blog, I’ve read a good few books on writing and specifically on christian writing.

This book is different from most. Most books talk about the importance of expressing yourself properly or on the topic of publications. The majority of books on the topic of writing are written with the aim of publishing a book in mind. This book, however, helps you think through the process of writing as a craft. Like every other skill, craft and hobby, it requires work and dedication. In this short, but helpful book, O’Brien helps you think through the processes of writing. This book does have a focus on writing, but necessarily just on books, the principles in it are applicable to Bible studies, sermons, blog posts and books. If you do any form of writing as a ministry, I recommend that you buy and read this book.

There are many content creators. There are even more content consumers. When the launch of iPads and tablets, the rate of digital consumption has risen astronomically. While the distribution medium has been shifting from paper to digital, the content provider process remains the same. Some still use ink while others are using computing devices to do the same. The writing may be on the wall for some of the more archaic methods of content creation, but that does not mean writing is a lost practice. We need more, especially good content. Along with that, we need more good (and confident) writers. The purpose of this book is to encourage writers and writers to be to be a better writer. We learn from the author about tools, processes, and best practices for writing. Some of the special attributes in this book are:

- Personal: Identifying our uniqueness
- People: Know our audience
- Process: Planning, Drafting, and Revising
- What things to write about?
- Know our passions and desires.

O'Brien encourages those who communicate orally to write. After listing down the differences between speaking and writing, he says that speaking can make one an even better writer! One practice is to learn to write about ourselves in the third person. This puts the writer on the same side as readers, to improve level of empathy. Part One of the book looks at the writer and the reader relationship. We do not write simply because of self-expression. We write so that others can see where we are going, and to identify themselves with our stories. He urges us to write not only for ourselves but also for others. He does a good job to remind us consistently that when we write, we need to compare perspectives so that what we write will connect with our audience.

Part Two looks at the process of writing. It starts with a plan that includes the three phases: brainstorming, researching, and outlining. A great practice would be to write about our "best thirty minutes." He provides tips about drafting our work and organizing our thoughts. The major work is actually revising. He then suggests ways to help us clear up our writing through deleting unnecessary words, jargon, and other technical words. Use verbs frequently. Simplify redundancies. Avoid using more words than needed.

My Thoughts
==============
This is a wonderful primer about writing to guide various groups of people. The first group is the potential writer. There are those who may think that they don't have the gift of writing. They prefer to leave it to the experts or the more eloquent. They want to enjoy reading and consuming rather than creating more content. They might also think that writing is not for them. For this group, I would say that the book will help them pick up their pen or keyboard to start writing something. Who knows, there is hidden potential in this group that is waiting to be unleashed, not just for personal development but also for blessing others.

The second group is the one that speaks more than they write. As O'Brien has pointed out, there are people who speak often but are not natural writers. They depend on "ghostwriters" to help them get their message across. For that, the author encourages them that writing does not mean they need to write a book. At least write something that translates their talents to bless not only the hearing audience but the reading audience. Perhaps, the more important thing is not to contrast their speaking or writing, but the know the differences between the two and to make the best combination for a more holistic kind of communication. Writing can provide a powerful avenue to do just that.

Finally, the third group is about those who want to write well but don't know how. They want to improve on what they have been doing. This book will definitely help. In fact, I would say that the greatest beneficiaries would be this particular group of eager writers. O'Brien provides wonderful templates, reflection questions, and essential guides to help budding and experienced writers to improve what they have been doing.

This is not a difficult book to read and to follow. What is more difficult is our determination to actually start writing and to embark upon the process of writing. It may be hard at first, but the rewards are plenty. May this book inspire readers to be writers, better writers, and inspired writers.

Brandon J. O’Brien (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is Director of Content Development and Distribution for Redeemer City to City, where he coordinates, edits, and shepherds writing projects with Pastor Timothy Keller and urban church planters around the world. Brandon has served in pastoral ministry, worked in publishing, authored a few books, and taught for state and Christian colleges and universities. He and his wife Amy and their two children live in Uptown Manhattan. They enjoy good food, good company, and exploring New York City.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Moody Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

There are many Christians who want to capture their ideas, research or reflections in a book, but many do not know how to start or what considerations to have in mind.

Brandon J O'Brien does a fantastic job of guiding us through the writing process. First, he challenge all those who consider themselves to be good writers because they preach or teach, making them see that this is no guarantee.
Following that, we find what we could call the "heart of the book", where the process of reciprocity between the reader and the writer is established, the second part of the book is the practical part, there we learn from the considerations for a writing plan, how to do research to write our book, and many other things that will undoubtedly turn out to be very stimulating for every novice writer as refreshing for those who already have expertise in this field.

So, let's write, let's use the words, sentences and paragraphs to convey the greatness of our God.

Writing for Life and Ministry
A Practical Guide to the Writing Process for Teachers and Preachers
by Brandon J O'Brien

Moody Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 07 Jul 2020



I am reviewing a copy of Writing for Life and Ministry through Moody Publishers and Netgalley:




Writing In Life and Ministry is a different kind of writing book.





If you are an active member in ministry, whichever ministry that maybe it is inevitable that you will have to do some form of writing. Maybe the task of writing excites you, you can’t wait to get your creative juices flowing, or perhaps you procrastinate leaving only blank pages. Not everyone is called to write a book but it is inevitable that you will have to write something, perhaps a newsletter, a blog post, or even an email.







If you are new to writing you may feel overwhelmed and feel as if you don’t have a voice, rest assured you do, and you will find it.






No matter what you are writing it is important that you know the audience you are writing for, and define the relationship between writer and reader. Effective writers know themselves and know what they are trying to say.







As Christian writers it is important to remember we are not writing only for ourselves but we are writing to glorify God.






As was stated earlier we need to know our audience but we need to do that without alienating anyone else who may be reading what we have written.






It is a good idea to start your research for whichever project you are going to be writing that you start by focusing on personal reflection. Setting a timer for thirty minutes and writing whatever comes to mind is a good idea. The idea of this exercise is to help you find out what you already know.








After spending some time in self reflection you should focus on finding out what the key issues and questions are. It is important that you also research the issues and questions relevant to the topic you are going to write about. You are encouraged too to revisit your personal reflections.








Outlining the topic, you are going to write on is also encouraged. Setting a timer for 30 minutes, in order to brainstorm your topic of choice is encouraged as well. Spend at the very least an hour on research though you will likely need more time than that. Outline, and then it is a good idea to write a Mission Statement for your work.







After doing everything mentioned above, you can start working on your first draft. This is the second of a three stage process, planning, drafting and revising. This is stage 2 drafting. It is important that you write your first draft to an appropriate length. If you don’t have a deadline to get your work finished, it is a good idea to set a deadline.






During the revision process you will likely end up deleting most of what you have written, in order to make room for the final product.




I give Writing for Life and Ministry five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

This book is a short/brief offering on writing for ministry staff who are trying to write articles and blogs rather than full length books. It meets it's goals. My only note is the author could have given some examples rather than rehashing basic writing info that is covered more thoroughly in books he references at the end.

A quick but informative read that provided me with some actionable items to improve my writing. I would recommend this book to anyone that does any writing in their life, even things as simple as sending emails for business.