Pastor Hansen decided that pastors don't need another "how to" book about being a pastor so he used his personal experiences and tied them together in a "how to" book.
This revised book is divided into twelve chapters:
Beginning
Call
Holy Spirit
Temptation
Eschatology
Preaching
Prayer
Friendship
Sacrament
Leadership
Leaving
Reward
As you can see, each chapter deals with those specific topics with Hansen's life experiences as the backdrop. This is an enjoyable way to read a "how to" book. It's fun to read someone else's experience and think, "oh I've dealt with that" or "This is something I hope I never experience".
You don't have to agree with his theology in order to enjoy this book. There's a new foreward and preface to the revised edition and there's a fairly decent epilogue to close things out. This would make a nice gift for any pastor-in-training or even someone just getting their feet wet in pastoral ministry.
I enjoyed the gimmick that this wasn't a "how to" book while still being a "how to" book. It's a how to book that doesn't promise to give you the answers. I really resonated with that idea because I'm a big proponent that ministry is messy and each situation is going to be different. Nothing is cookie-cutter while still being successful.
This book was provided for review, at no cost, by IVP Press.
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