The Heart of a Servant Leader: Letters from Jack Miller (Paperback)

by C. John Miller (Author), Barbara Miller Juliani (Editor) "The letters in this section emphasize how important it is for the Christian leader to be motivated by the glory of God..." (more)
Key Phrases: grace obligation, grand cause, church planter, Rose Marie, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 319 pages
• Publisher: P & R Publishing (June 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875527159
• ISBN-13: 978-0875527154
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #247,472 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #54 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestantism > Presbyterian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Grace-Driven Book for Church Leaders, March 21, 2005

By	David A. Vosseller "davhoops" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The late Jack Miller was a man wonderfully used by God to help the American church rediscover the impact of the Gospel of Grace. The ripples of his ministry continue to have impact today. This book, lovingly compiled and edited by Jack's daughter Barbara Miller Juliani, contains many of Jack Miller's letters to all kinds of people- ministers, elders, counselors, and just ordinary Christians. His focus is always Christ and His grace. His message is always clear, humble and loving, and yet very convicting and powerful. These letters were for me, models of applying the Gospel to a lot of situations. Be warned, these letters will stretch you and expose your own self-righteousness and self-protective patterns.

The book is divided into sections by theme: Motivation for Serving: The Glory of God; The Basics of Serving: Faith, Humility, and Prayer; Perservering in Serving; and Encouragment. I found myself frequently underlining paragraphs in these letters and have already emailed some quotes to some friends for their encouragement. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ministry, growing in their faith, or just how the Gospel is for Christians and non-Christians alike!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A profound book for pastors, January 1, 2008

By	Darryl Dash "DashHouse" (Etobicoke, ON Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jack Miller was a pastor on the verge of burnout. In 1970, while pastoring a small church in Pennsylvania and teaching practical theology at Westminster Seminary, he became so discouraged that he resigned from both his church and the seminary. He had failed.

Gradually he came to realize what was wrong. He realized he had been motivated by his own personal glory and the approval of those he was serving. "He said that when he repented of his pride, fear of people, and love of their approval," his daughter writes, "his joy in ministry returned, and he took back his resignations from the church and seminary."

Miller came to a turning point. "He had been relying on the wrong person to do ministry - himself." He began to give up all dependence on himself, and began to learn the basics of doing Christian ministry in Christ's strength. The result was greater freedom and power in his life and ministry.

Over the years, Miller wrote letters to help mentor others and share what he had learned. These letters have been collected in this book, The Heart of a Servant Leader. The letters cover topics such as our motivation for serving, repentance as a way of life, facing unfair criticism, and staying long enough in one place to be humbled.

This book has echoes of Tim Keller, or maybe Tim Keller has echoes of Jack Miller. It's about as close as most of us will get to being mentored by either one of them. There are few books that are as valuable as this one for pastors to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional book of pastoral/ministry wisdom, August 30, 2007

By	Brian A. Parks (Memphis, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm almost through this book and it has been amazing. I have read many Christian books but this would be in my "top 5" of all time. Jack Miller shows exceptional wisdom and I feel I have been discipled by him as I've read. This is a book you will want to read and reread frequently. Best book on Leadership I can think of at the moment... maybe Transforming Leadership by Leighton Ford is a close second but is a different style of book. THis is a compendium of letters. It's a very personal view of this Godly leader named Jack Miller.