Customer Reviews

God's Armor Bearer Volumes 1 & 2: Serving God's Leaders

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One day I arrived at work to find this book lying on my desk. It was a gift from my secretary. However, the book wasn't the gift, the concept inside was. This was her way of telling me that we were a team and that she would always support me. That day I felt truly blessed.

PROS: This book describes a team relationship in which the team members are willing to lay down their own self interests for the leader. The author equates those working for the pastor with Old Testament armor bearers to the kings. Any leader would be humbled to be the recepient of such loyalty and faithfulness.

CONS: These ideas do contain danger. The leader must be an honorable person. Power hungry leaders could take advantage of such support. This book, written from the perspective of the support team, needs to be balanced with a similar book of godly leadership in which the leader copies Jesus and leads on his or her knees with a washbasin and a towel.

This book is a MUST READ for anyone called to the ministry. You must first learn how to be a servant before you can become a leader. Terry Nance tells us from his own personal experiences, how and why we should serve the leaders and shepherds that God has called us to serve under. Ministry Leaders cannot do every single thing in the church, that is why it is your job to step up to the plate and get off from warming the bench and stop watching everyone else play the game. We as servants must help fulfill the God given vision given to our Apostle or Pastor and God will ensure that our own visions and dreams come to pass. We must bloom where we are planted and be willing to submit not only to God, but also to the leaders He has set over us.

1 Peter 4:10 sums it up plainly: "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10 NIV

I found this the best written, most practical, and most encouraging book yet for associate pastors or anyone in christian ministry. I think it would form the basis of a great leadership training class for churches. I plan on using it in teaching the leadership of our church. Great read!

God's Armor Bearer:

How to Serve God's Leaders

Terry Nance

Harrison House

ISBN 0892747234

This is a great little book! It will help all Christians to see their role to support their leaders. It is written by an associate pastor who discovered these truths about his role in regards to his head pastor. Yet anyone who serves in a church can learn from these short lessons. Weather you're a small group leader, a eucharistic minister, worship leader - if you serve the body of Christ in any kind of role, this book will help you serve better.

Often people take one role in serving the church and see it as a stepping tone to advancement to a `higher' or `better' role. That is not he case. We are to serve our leaders and serve them well. `We have got to start seeing our position as one called and instituted by God. We must be willing to stay in it for the rest of our lives, if that is what God wants.' p.46

Through serving the leaders in the church we are fulfilling part of our vocational call and helping to build up the whole body of Christ.

Nance has some great insights that he shares with us: "We can see that the most important part of the Armorbearing is a ministry of prayer, watchfulness, and intercession. The Armorbearer is to prove his sincerity, loyalty, and courage in the spirit realm through prayer and intercession." p.52 and he emphatically states: "Every child of God, from leaders on down, needs to develop the character of an armorbearer. I believe that, right now in the Body of Christ, we need teaching on the development of the character of Christ. We have learned a lot about faith, prosperity and intercession, but I feel we have got to place more emphasis on character development." p.61 Nothing could be closer to the truth. Much of Josemaria Escriva's writings on the Christian life have that same emphasis. His books, The Way, Furrow and The Forge, each have sections dedicated to character.

The role of the Armorbearer is also for the whole body, "We are God's armorbearers. We are to carry the shield for one another, joining our faith together. If we will do that, we will truly become God's Great Army. We will go forth to conquer in the power of the Holy Spirit." p.63 But being an armorbearer also takes perseverance, and fortitude. We are told: "Discover what your course is, and then stay with it and never give up until you have reached your God-ordained destination and goal." p.74.

Finally I would like to leave you with two more quotes from the book. First: "It is time for us to re-evaluate our lives, and our ministries, to make sure that we are where we need to be and doing what we need to be doing." p.79 And second: "The spirit of the armorbearer is the Spirit of Christ. This is the day we see that God's children should take up the shields of others and be willing to carry them forth into battle." p.79.

This book will definitely challenge your faith and how you live it out.

Book II

Book two is just as good as Book I in this series. Also as I mentioned in my reviews of Book I there is also now available a combined book I & II as well as a newer Book III.

Nance Starts off with his reason for writing this second volume "I feel such an urgency about each member of the Body of Christ finding his place and remaining faithful, so we can be productive in God's Kingdom." p.11. This is the main premise of this second book, that each Christian has a role and responsibility to serve the body based upon gifts and calling. Each of us as Christians, if we have been called also have a job to do, Nance States: "God has a purpose in life for you to fulfill. You are not here by accident. You have a destiny in God to fulfill. You must find out your purpose by seeking God." p.21 Yet the journey to the God given goals and dreams in our lives will not be easy.

Nance tell us that "If you do not exercise faith in life to reach a goal or vision, you will never achieve it. You are going to have to get up and work toward your goal." p.27 Growing in the spiritual life is work and much like getting the body into shape, the spiritual life requires a workout plan, moderation of intake (books, TV, Movies...) and discipline. If we are faithful and diligent in the small things God may call us to greater things or reveal more gifts in us. "You also have talents in your life that will come forward as you trust God's grace n the small things. We are what we are by His Grace. If you always obey His Original Instructions, you will see things begin to work." p. 32 and "God wants to develop His character in you before He Exalts your ministry." p. 33. God cares about who we are on the inside far far more than what we present to others on the outside. Our whole live in Christ comes down to Character and obedience. Without those two it is all for naught. Nance later States: "I believe God is challenging us to take steps of faith that we have never taken before. God wants to move us out of our comfort zones." p.34 The Christian life will not often be the easy path or the past of least resistance, and much more so for those who try to serve Christ as a leader. To become a leader your must serve your leaders faithfully and with a pure heart.

If we look at the parable of the sower, we as Christians are not all one type of seed. "God determined the type of seed you are and where you were to be planted." p.19 Therefore like Nance stated in the subtitle of this book we should `Bloom Where You Are Planted' We each have specific fruits we are to bring to the Body and serve the body by using our fruits well for the Glory of God!

Also Available in this series:

God's Armor Bearer Book II:

Bloom Where Your Planted

Terry Nance

Harrison House

ISBN: 0892747331

God's Armor Bearer Book I & II

Combine Edition

Terry Nance

Destiny Image Publishers

ISBN: 0971919321

God's Armor Bearer Book III

Running With Your Pastor's Vision

Terry Nance

Destiny Image Publishers

ISBN: 076842299X

Books I & II have also been translated into 4 different languages all available at Amazon.com.

This book will help you gain an understanding of how to come along side your leader and how being a good servant of that leader can bring success to your own life. The principles in this book can be applied both in the secular workplace and in churches. As they are applied, unity and success are inevitable.

All of the reviews are correct. This is an awesome book, as is Armor Bearers II. Our entire church participated in bible studies on these two books. All Christians are called to be Armor Bearers, not just the leaders. Our leaders need our support. We need to be a help, not a drain. Read the building of the wall in Nehemiah. We are all called to build our part of the wall with a sword in one hand and a tool in the other. And while we build, we need to stand firm with our leaders.

An excellent book, easy to read with real-life examples. A must for every church member. This book changed my life and showed me some negative characteristics about myself that needed to be changed in order for me to properly serve my Pastor. I know that I am a better armourbearer because of this book. Thanks Terry!

Must reading for those who are called into leadership positions. If we can't be an Armourbearer first, then we will not succeed as a leader.

This is a hard hitting book that will get you where it hurts the worst...your attitude! That being said, this book does more to encourage than it does to chastize. It is truly a work that causes you to think and pray about attitude and dedication to your pastor. I'd recomend it to every Christian!

I read this book as a requirement for a job application for a Christian ministry and was not really sure what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book and really appreciated the insights given by the associate pastor who authored the book. I have grown up as "PK" or pastor's kid and have seen many rebellious and independent minded parishoners over the years wreak havoc in the church. They had an agenda and were going to pursue it no matter what leadership thought about it or what the church staff may have felt the leading of the Lord was for the congregation.

If you are not an associate pastor or other lay person on staff at a church you may have to think a little harder how this book applies to you as you read it but it is worth the extra effort. The idea of honoring the very responsibility laden position pastors have with support, prayer and loyalty is a lesson for all of us. If we laid our personal agendas down and instead offered loyal service to our pastors we can fully expect God to honor us and fulfill our purpose here on the earth.

I feel that many people out of fear believe that if they do not MAKE their ministry happen it will be lost but Jesus said we must lose our lives to find them. I think this is the essence of what Mr. Nance is saying an armorbearer must do.

I know there are some negative reactions against this book but I caution that the author clearly states that this book is written for church members working with Godly pastors who are in obedience to the Word and not people operating completely outside of the Word of God and truth. Matthew 18 clearly lays out a pattern for church discipline and I do not believe that Mr. Nance is preaching the idea of condoning sin.

The idea is to be loyal, supportive and willing to do spiritual battle for our leaders. Praying for them when they stumble and doing everything to restore them instead of tearing them down. Because after all, isn't this what we would wish for ourselves when we go through a tough time? How much more do our church leaders need this support!

It is a very short book and easy to read but really full of wisdom and encouragement. I definitely recommend it!