Professional Christian
Being Fully Yourself in the Spotlight of Public Ministry
by Sarah Bereza
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Pub Date Mar 22 2022 | Archive Date Mar 24 2023
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Description
As church leaders, we live our lives within the spotlight of professional ministry. To best love and serve God and our neighbors, we aim to be the fullest, truest versions of ourselves. However, we often struggle to do so with integrity. What if our preaching or singing feels like a performance? Are we supposed to hide our imperfections and let people see only the shiniest parts of our lives? If you have ever felt like you're working under a microscope or that you’ve been put on a pedestal you don’t want or deserve, know that you are not alone.
Professional Christian gathers the wisdom from fifty church leaders in a variety of roles (including Sandhya Jha, Jacqueline J. Lewis, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Nikki Toyama-Szeto, and Will Willimon) on topics such as authenticity, privacy, boundaries, doubt, self-care, and the challenges of being held to a higher standard. The stories, advice, and wisdom from these leaders help to show us that thriving in ministry should not have to come at the expense of our identity and relationships. Written by a church musician with over twenty years of experience in ministry, Professional Christian helps church leaders learn to flourish as an integrated person of faith living out their call to vocational ministry.
Advance Praise
“Bereza has written a book I wish I had when I was starting out in ordained ministry! She helps anyone who is in professional, public ministry consider the issues related to being authentic to oneself while being responsible to one’s role.”
—Bishop Karen Oliveto, Mountain Sky Conference, The United Methodist Church
“Being fully ourselves in public ministry is a challenge for religious leaders. Authenticity can feel elusive. Bereza offers not rules but a lens for navigating this terrain with theological and ethical grounding. She frees us from believing that we must act the same way in every situation to be truly ourselves.”
—Lovett H. Weems Jr., Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary
“Listening with a careful ear to her own experience and probing through interviews of the experiences of dozens of practicing pastors, teachers, and musicians, Dr. Bereza is a welcome companion to any on the journey of professional ministry, ordained or lay.”
—David M. Greenhaw, President Emeritus, Eden Theological Seminary
“This is a must-read for professional leaders of faith communities who strive for integrity between their public role and perception and their personal identity and desire to be fully themselves.”
—Bishop Kenneth L. Carder, Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Distinguished Professor Emeritus, The Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School
“Bereza is a highly gifted interviewer and writer. This book is a treasury of wisdom for any who follow the call to Christian leadership.”
—Jeremy Begbie, Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology, Duke University
Marketing Plan
-Digital and print advertising
-Excerpts and interviews
-Podcasts
-Paid social media and Amazon campaigns
-Digital and print advertising
-Excerpts and interviews
-Podcasts
-Paid social media and Amazon campaigns
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780664266714 |
| PRICE | $25.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 200 |
