Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry [Hardcover]

Ruth Haley Barton (Author), Leighton Ford (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2008

"I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, explores topics such as


Each chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself for those you lead.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 231 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (June 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 083083513X
• ISBN-13: 978-0830835133
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Ministry

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For those of us who lead, there are many fine books to hone our skills. But too few excavate our souls. Too few tell us stark truths, and serve up strong tonic, and give us hope and courage in the face of our calling's hardships and loneliness and moments of sheer tedium. Too few teach us how to seek and find God in the maze of committee work and the darkness of criticism and the heartbreak of betrayal. This book does all that, and well. Ruth Haley Barton has kept company with Moses, a 'pragmatic' and 'visionary' leader who found that, unless God went with him, there was no place worth going. Ruth's insights will at the very least strengthen the soul of your leadership. For some, it may make the difference in whether you finish the race at all." (Mark Buchanan, author of The Rest of God and pastor of New Life Community Church, Duncan, British Columbia)

"In the same spirit in which Henri Nouwen wrote The Return of the Prodigal Son, Ruth Haley Barton has captured the soul of Moses and has revealed him to us as a seeker of truth, wisdom and vulnerability." (Glandion W. Carney, Chaplain of the Christian Legal Society)

"A weary, waiting world cries out for God-shaped leaders who would serve more than be served, who would find power by laying down power, who would lose their lives for others. In her reflections on the life of Moses, God's radically human and holy friend, Ruth Haley Barton has given us not only a portrait of what sacrificial and redemptive leadership looks like, but has provided practice for getting there. This is a book to read alone and together. It will encourage and empower us to seek God more deeply, to listen for and embody our innate callings, to stay faithful to our solitary and even lonely journeys in community, and to love God for the long haul." (N. Gordon Cosby, cofounder, The Church of the Saviour, Washington D.C.)

"In a landscape littered with leadership books that tinker at the margins of what really matters, Ruth Haley Barton offers us practical guidance to the core of life-changing leadership: spiritual authenticity and health. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership lays bare the ancient truth that great leadership comes from the inside out, and provides a helpful road map for examining and seeking God's transformation of that largely unexamined inner core from which true leadership proceeds. This is a powerful resource for me and my own leadership team." (Gary Haugen, president, International Justice Mission, and author of Good News About Injustice)

"[This] book has become for me a companion on the way. . . . The author's style is warm and accessible. I like her insights into the inner life of the leader. . . . I am deeply grateful for the helpful practices she describes and recommends. But what draws me even more is that Ruth writes with realness and integrity out of her own intimate experience of the inner journey of a leader. . . . Reading this book will surely help you to be attentive to the God who is the strength of your soul, and the heart of your leadership." (From the foreword by Leighton Ford, founder of the Arrow Leadership program and author of The Attentive Life)

About the Author

Ruth Haley Barton is a spiritual director, teacher, author and retreat leader trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (Washington, D.C.). She is cofounder and president of The Transforming Center, a ministry to pastors and Christian leaders.

Educated at Wheaton College and Northern Seminary, Barton has served at several churches, including Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. Her books include Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Sacred Rhythms, Longing for More (all InterVarsity Press), An Ordinary Day with Jesus: Experiencing the Reality of God in Your Everyday Life (with John Ortberg, Willow Creek Resources), Ruth: Relationships That Bring Life (Shaw) and a series of articles called The Transforming Leader in Christian Management Report.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 231 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (June 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 083083513X
• ISBN-13: 978-0830835133
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Ministry

More About the Author

Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors, Christian leaders and the congregations and organizations they serve. [www.thetransformingcenter.org] A sought-after teacher, retreat leader and trained spiritual director, Ruth is the author of numerous books and articles on the spiritual life.

Educated at Northern Seminary, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church and is Professor of Spiritual Transformation at Northern Seminary.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshment for the Leader's Soul August 30, 2008

By Mike Bonem

Format:Hardcover

"Strengthening the soul of our leadership is an invitation that begins, continues and ends with seeking God in the crucible of ministry." These words from the final chapter summarize the central theme of the book. The chapters leading up to it paint a compelling picture of the fruitfulness and joy of leading from a healthy soul that is focused on God, and the risks of soul-less leadership in ministry.

Barton follows the story of Moses and talks about her own journey, including struggles and victories. At times she challenges the reader to take stock and at other times she offers practical advice for refilling our souls. And at the end of each chapter, she offers a "practice" that will help readers to reflect on and apply the teaching they've just read.

I'm not one to read with a highlighter in hand, but within the first few pages I found myself thinking, "Oh, that's good," and marking a couple of sentences for future references. I kept going back to the highlighter as Barton kept taking me to places deep in my spirit. At times Barton's words were a needed wake-up call and at other times they were a source of refreshment. I'm thankful for both, and I'm sure that you will be as well.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Soul Whackers December 22, 2009

By John W. Pearson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The sidebars and the prayers in this book are soul whackers. Like Henri Nouwen's elbow-to-the-gut: "The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there."

Sometimes you're fortunate enough to chew through a book with soul-probing insights and illuminating "Ah ha!" moments. Then there are times when the content is not so soul-shattering, but the writing is poetic and almost symphonic. Amazingly, this 221-page gem is both. It whacked my soul. It raised my sights. I appreciate my God and Savior more today than I did last week.

Bill Hybels often preaches, "Speed of the leader, speed of the team." Perhaps you've had those times like this author, Ruth Haley Barton, who sighed, "I'm tired of helping others enjoy God; I just want to enjoy God for myself." If your leadership life needs not just a boost, but a divine encounter with our Holy God, read this book. Slowly.

"Strengthening the soul of your leadership is an invitation to enter more deeply into the process of spiritual transformation and to choose to lead from that place," writes Barton. "It is an opportunity to forge a connection between our souls and our leadership rather than experiencing them as separate arenas of our lives."

She rightly observes, "The market is glutted with books on leadership, and many contain contradictory messages." She takes leaders down a very slow path of spiritual leadership--focusing on sustenance for their own souls. "Then, rather than offering the cold stone of past devotionals, regurgitated apologetics or someone else's musings about the spiritual life [or might I add the latest email devotional], we will have bread to offer from the oven of our intimacy with God...."

Using the story of Moses--with fresh insights--Barton concludes each chapter with a "Practice" suggestion and serves up often remarkable prayers from saints past and present.

While I read every book I review, I typically read fast and slow down only to underline good stuff. Trust me--you can't read this rapidly. A chapter-a-day was about my limit. The soul whacks are unnerving, refreshing, penetrating and deep. For me, it would have been sinful to rush through this treasure. Don Parrott, president of The Finishers Project, encouraged me to read this book (it was on my "Read Soon" shelf), yet with a warning. "After you read it, you'll need to get away for some solitude to deal with it." I agree.

Leighton Ford's foreword pulls you into the richness of the topics like "When Leaders Lose Their Souls," "The Practice of Paying Attention," "Guiding Others on the Spiritual Journey," "Living Within Limits," "Spiritual Rhythms in the Life of the Leader," and thoughts on the loneliness of leadership, isolation and finding God's will together. It's real stuff--because Barton is a nonprofit ministry leader herself. She gets it. You, or someone close to you, will cherish this book. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Needed Aspect of Spiritual Leadership November 22, 2009

By C. S. Jones

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Strengthening the soul of our leadership is an invitation that begins, continues and ends with seeking God in the crucible of ministry. It is an invitation to stay connected with our own soul - that very private place where God's Spirit and my spirit dwell together in union - and to lead from that place" (210). Barton acknowledges that spiritual leadership is similar to any other kind of leadership in that it is susceptible to the failings of burnout and the weakness of human nature. Without the proper care for themselves and their relationships with Christ, pastoral and ministry leaders can fail in their task of being spiritual leaders. Instead of leading spiritually, they may lead from their own strengths, weaknesses, understanding, wisdom, and draw from their own resources. This will result in tragedy in their lives and in the lives of those who follow them as spiritual leaders.

Barton calls spiritual leaders to engage in a process of spiritual discipline that will allow them to reconnect with the divine presence in their lives and then be able to lead from that connection, with benefits for themselves and those they lead. Using the story of Moses, Barton sketches a process of encountering God through the practice of certain spiritual disciplines, such as solitude, silence, awareness of God's activity, Sabbath rest, and intercessory prayer. Along the way Barton addresses topics such as understanding one's calling, understanding one's own spiritual journey so as to help others on theirs, building healthy ministry teams of interdependent people, and how those teams can exercise the gift of discernment so they can do God's will together....

In Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Ruth Haley Barton uncovers a deep need within ministerial leadership, one that can often go unspoken: the very lack of spirituality among those who are entrusted by congregations to be spiritual leaders. Theological Education has emphasized the importance of seminarians learning Biblical languages, content and backgrounds, as well as hermeneutics, church history, systematic theologies, and the basics of pastoral care. Often left out of the curriculum entirely is spiritual formation. It is as if seminaries assume this will take place in the life of the seminarian on its own or in the context of local church involvement and therefore should not be attended to in the context of academic pursuits. As a result it is possible for a ministerial leader to be equipped with a world-class theological education but still not have the capacity to understand and interpret his or her own spiritual journey, and therefore have no clue how to lead others on theirs. The ramifications of this could include burnout in the life of the minister and spiritual drift or drought in the congregation in which that minister serves.

Barton outlines a process to help spiritual leaders renew or refresh their own souls, for their own benefit and the benefit of those they lead. Her suggestions provide an excellent starting place to engage in the practice of spiritual disciplines. Pastors, ministry leaders, and others can benefit immediately from reading the chapters and working through the suggested exercises. While Barton does provide an excellent starting point, in essence that is all she accomplishes - an argument for ministry leaders to pay attention to this crucial area in their lives and a way to begin strengthening the soul of their leadership. It is possible that Barton's other books will provide further direction for pursuing spiritual disciplines. Another good resource for spiritual leaders to turn to for further growth in this area would be Richard Foster's classic work Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (San Francisco, CA: Harper San Francisco, 1998).

Beyond the issue of spiritual formation and discipline, Barton touches on several topics of interest to ministerial leaders, including an understanding of calling and issues surrounding leading ministry teams. One area of note is the chapter on discernment. Barton writes, "At the heart of spiritual leadership and spiritual journeying is discernment - the capacity to recognize and respond to the presence and the activity of God both personally and in community" (192-93). Ministerial leaders are taught issues related to church polity and governance and how to lead business meetings following Robert's Rules of Order. In many cases, churches and ministry teams making important decisions will claim that Christ is the head and therefore their leader, but then will engage in an orderly process of discussions and votes where the majority rules. But how can they know if Christ is leading or simply the majority? Barton argues for spiritual leaders to be fluent in the art of spiritual discernment and how to lead groups of God's people to know and follow God's leading. She also outlines a possible process for leading a group to discern the will of the Lord when making decisions. Barton's suggestions may be provocative and humbling for leaders who have not given attention to spiritual discernment.

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership is well written, easy to read, with penetrating insights not only on the life of Moses but also on the implications of the biblical record for contemporary spiritual leadership. Barton's personal examples from her own spiritual journey are relevant and encouraging. The book is a refreshing addition to the many voices on spiritual or ministerial leadership. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What every leader ought to read! March 5, 2009

By Rev Reader

Format:Hardcover

I have recommended this book to several friends. This is a book that gets to the heart of the difficulties and struggles that leaders face. But it also offers a path to finding God's strength through it all.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't judge a book by its cover... July 17, 2009

By Quinn Tirrel

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was a little bit skeptical when I first heard the name of this book and saw the cover...but this book is another great example of why NOT to judge a book by its cover. I'm just a few chapters from being done and I am continually impressed by the depth of insight and the practical take away.