When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles and Practices to Guide Your Search [Paperback]

Chris Brauns (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 17, 2010

At any given time there are thousands of churches seeking a lead pastor.  While a great resume, a friendly smile and a memorable sermon will convince many, what should local congregations focus on to find a new shepherd?  Chris Brauns believes to find a great preacher the search must focus on God's Word and how the candidate relates to it and preaches from it. 

This book is a must have resource for search committees and church leaders addressing the needs of churches in the transition of pastoral leadership.  It assists by approaching their responsibilities in a biblical way and providing critical help in key practical matters.  From the initial formation of a search committee to the final terms of agreement with the new pastor, Brauns shows you how to "major on the majors" and away from subjective approaches of evaluating candidates and their sermons.  Great also for pastors or pastoral students to know how to prepare, the book includes such practical tools as interview questions for candidates and the top mistakes search committees make.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

CHRIS BRAUNS is the Senior Pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL. Chris left the corporate world in 1990 and graduated from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 1993 with a Master of Divinity degree. Since then he has served as a youth pastor, senior pastor, and church planting pastor. In 2006, Chris received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary having completed the preaching track under Haddon Robinson. Chris is the author of Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (December 17, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802449840
• ISBN-13: 978-0802449849
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

CHRIS BRAUNS is the Senior Pator at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL. Chris left the corporate world in 1990 and graduated from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 1993 with a Master of Divinity degree. Since then he has served as a youth pastor, senior pastor, and church planting pastor. In 2006, Chris received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary having completed the preaching track under Haddon Robinson. Chris is the author of Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds (Crossway) and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search (Moody).

Visit Chris Brauns at www.ChrisBrauns.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for any Search Committee or Pastoral Candidate May 6, 2011

By Jacob Sweeney

Format:Paperback

Churches need pastors. Pastors want to serve churches. What's the best way to bring them together? Chris Brauns has some excellent ideas in his latest book out my Moody Press, When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. He covers everything from Interview questions to what makes good preaching and even some ideas on compensation.

I have never been on a search committee. I have met with dozens of them. As a Pastoral candidate I am able to determine which search committees known what they're doing and are doing it well, and those who don't really know what they're doing and what they are doing, its not very good. When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search is incredibly helpful because Mr. Brauns make sure that everything he's saying is from scripture. Nothing about church politics, or how to get the best guy to make your church the next mega church. He's concerned with the what Word is concerned with: Pastors who are godly shepherds.

I found this book helpful as an up-and-coming pastor and seminary student. It gave me tools for interviewing and for identifying healthy, biblical churches; churches who value all the right things. I also found myself encouraged to pursue godliness through reading this book. I want to be a godly shepherd and pastor. I want to care for my people and allow them to feast on God's Word through my preaching.

I hope more and more churches will provide this book for their search committees as they begin looking for another shepherd. This is an excellent resource on an ever-present issue.

NOTE: To comply with regulations of the Federal Trade Commission I would like to state that I have received a complementary copy of the aforementioned text as compensation for my review.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read For Pastoral Search Committees December 8, 2011

By Kenneth Clayton

Format:Paperback

When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles & Practices To Guide Your Search by Chris Brauns
Year: 2011
Publisher: Moody
Pages: 192
Recommended Reading: Yes
Scripture Index: No
Subject Index: No
As I am currently serving on a pastoral search committee this could not have been a more timely book to read. This book was very helpful with a great balance of biblical insight and practical advice on implementing it. The book examines what a biblical pastor will look like and how a search committee can seek the man who fits the role. A large emphasis of the book is on seeking a pastor that is a strong preacher and preaches the word of God. It is especially helpful in helping those who read it understand what a biblical sermon will look like. It gives some objective standards by which to judge a sermon preventing subjective evaluations by the search committee. The author argues for the superiority of exposisitory preaching. By this he means making the point of the text the point of your sermon, but shows also how this should be done correctly and not boringly.
In this book you also find very practical advice all along the way showing you mistakes to avoid and how to proceed in a helpful manner. The reader will also be pleased with the suggested interview questions and tips to help interview candidates. Also included is a very helpful frequently asked questions section that helps clarify some of what the author has written earlier and expands on it. This is a great place to start for anyone on a pastoral search committee. You may not agree with every suggestion the author makes but overall the book is extremely practical and helpful. I would recommend it to any church in transition between pastors.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, quick to the point. December 8, 2011

By Mattmurphymswym

Format:Paperback

Brauns book, "When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search" is a niche book aimed at churches who are undergoing a pastoral search. Brauns book is an excellent read and an ideal tool for search committees, elder boards, deacons, pastors to read as they prepare for and undergo a pastoral search. I read this book in a few hours, yet it was very informative and engaging to read. This book is highly accessible and uses language that any layperson can understand and paints pictures of both good and bad search committee techniques.

This book addresses topics such as forming a search committee, prayer, church politics and standards for discerning if you are running a search based on the Word rather than your preferences.

The biggest stand out for me was the sections on expository preaching (3 chapters). Brauns hits the essentials of expository preaching and moves the lay person beyond a position of "this sounds nice" to one that can evaluate the preaching role and assess if it really is expository and Bible based rather than charisma and illustration based. I appreciated that Brauns balanced the need to be a good preacher with the need to be a good shepherd. It's more important to be a better shepherd, yet solid preaching is also key. Brauns draws attention to the fact that most pastors are "ordinary" and most churches are the same way. Having a solid combination of preaching skill and shepherding capacity is more important than finding the next Andy Stanley or Charles Spurgeon.

I normally try to find one or two points that I believe could be better. For the purpose of this book I think he really does a good job. He does say this is not a technical manual with forms and timelines, etc. I think it could be useful to have some ideas/appendices for the reader, but Brauns hits the most important aspects of conducting a pastoral search in this book.

I think it also applies to those who are searching for a church as well. As one searching, I think having some idea of what the church is looking for is important to be able to build yourself up and pay attention to those areas that you should. I think it also gives clues on looking at a church and looking to see if they are searching for a Pastor who is centered on the Word or is a Pastor who is trying to fill a special niche with little regard for the Holy Spirit's leading.

I also appreciated his emphasis on prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit in the early section of his book, even to the point of offering suggestions on how to pray.

Overall, I find "When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search" to be an easy recommend for those who are engaged in a pastoral search.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.