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Pastoral Library

Discussion in 'Pastoral Ministries' started by USN2Pulpit, Jun 5, 2003.

  1. USN2Pulpit

    USN2Pulpit New Member

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    Good afternoon Pastors,

    I'm beginning to build up a pastoral library...pretty much from nothing. What resources do you pastors recommend...

    ...in terms of books/commentaries, etc.?
    ...in terms of possible software applications?
    ...in terms of web-related resources?
    ...in terms of a personal fililng system?

    Help! I'm willing to learn!
     
  2. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    I have a list I give to people who ask. I'll email it to you, and to anyone who wants it. Soup-to-nuts list of recommended works.
     
  3. USN2Pulpit

    USN2Pulpit New Member

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    Yes, I'd be very interested in seeing your list. Thanks for the help...I'm pretty sure my e-mail tab is working...
     
  4. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Random thoughts - Stay away from "sets" of all-inclusive commentaries. Seek God's leading on a book to preach through (I just finished a year in Philippians) and get 10-15 books on that book.

    Find authors you trust and gobble up their work, like John MacArthur, A.W. Pink, G. Campbell Morgan, Warren Wiersbe, etc

    Pick up Study Bibles (used or hardback, not for pulpit) as they will give rich insights into various texts.

    More to come.
     
  5. Major B

    Major B <img src=/6069.jpg>

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    Buy stuff you will really use.

    1. Jay Adams books on counseling.
    2. ANYTHING by John MacArthur, J I Packer, A W Pink, Spurgeon,
    3. A T Robertson's Word Pictures in the Greek New Testament
    4. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
    5. Jamison, Fausset and Brown Commentary
    6. Kingdom of the Cults, by Walter Martin
    7. Any of the Puritan Paperbacks series by Banner of Truth Trust
    8. Tyndale NT Commentaries
    9. Haldane on Romans, Hodge on Romans, and Lloyd-Jones on Romans and Ephesians
     
  6. All about Grace

    All about Grace New Member

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    Add to your list books on practical ministry such as leadership, church growth, evangelism, philosophy of ministry, doing ministry in a post-modern world, etc.

    My library is about 80% academic (theology, commentaries, language tools, etc.) yet the 20% that is practical is equally as helpful to me (and more helpful at times).

    Start with the basics like Maxwell, Sweet, Andy Stanley, Hybels, Warren, Rainer, Barna, and others who are leading the way in doing effective ministry today.
     
  7. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    USN, are you a member of CBD? They have an excellent clearance sale right now.
    Reference materials, books on theology, church resources, etc.. If you're not a member become one and ask for the Summer 2003 Inventory Clearance Sale catalog. [​IMG]
    Gina
     
  8. USN2Pulpit

    USN2Pulpit New Member

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    ...as good as...my wife is a member, and what's mine is hers, and what's hers is hers. I'll have to take a look at the latest catalog. Thanks...
     
  9. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    I'm finishing up my list for you. It's going to be lengthy. :D
     
  10. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    I was standin' in lunch line at a small Bible Conference once where Dr. John Phillips was preachin'--just chit chattin' with a preacher buddy--when Dr. Phillips comes walking by!

    I tell this buddy "I'm gonna meet Dr. Phillips!"

    And so I do--and I had a chance to ask, "Dr. Phillips! Is there any advise you can give me as a preacher?" And here's what he said with that strong Brittish accent

    "My dear friend! Keep buying my books!!"

    You can come borrow any of my books you want in my library---but if you want to borrow the ones I have of him---bring your machine gun! And still I'm not sure you'll be able to breech my outer defenses!!

    You start buyin' Dr. Phillips' books---readily available at any Christian bookstore--especially LifeWay--anyway, you start buyin' his books and I promise you---you'll not go wrong---but bring along at least two twenty dollar bills for one book--you'll get a little change back, but it won't be much!

    Anything by Jerry Vines--I had a preacher buddy who retired and he gave me a few of Vines' books---you'd thought Blackbird just picked the lock to Fort Knox.

    Your buddy,
    Blackbird
     
  11. Jonathan

    Jonathan Member
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    One of my favorite preachers makes the point that it is more important to read great books and read them well than to read a great number of not great books.

    Investigate what the great books are. Then get them as the foundation of your library.

    Look at folks like John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, Brainerd, William Carey, A.Hudson, Hudson Taylor, etc... If you spend time at the beginning of your ministry immersed in the thinking of men like these, everything else you read will be challenged.

    I would also, periodically, get copies of some good church surveys like those by Barna and Rainer. You'll have to have your filters on from time to time but if you don't read them, you will miss out on cultural trends to the point where you will always be in reaction, rather than pro-action, mode.
     
  12. Jamal5000

    Jamal5000 New Member

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    To add to USN2Pulpit's request...

    ...could you gentlemen also recommend some periodicals/journals that could also go into a pastor's library?

    Thank you so much.

    In Christ,
    J5Grand
     
  13. Rev. Joshua

    Rev. Joshua <img src=/cjv.jpg>

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    I've cut my journal budget heavily, but I do get the AAR and SBL journals as well as Review and Expositor.

    Joshua
     
  14. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    Jamal---

    Periodical----"Growing Churches" by LifeWay

    Can be ordered with regular sunday school literature

    Blackbird
     
  15. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    [ June 20, 2003, 07:06 AM: Message edited by: Jim1999 ]
     
  16. baptistteacher

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    For your computer, look for "The Master Christian Library" which contains over 500 diferent reference works on 2 CD's. These are classic works, which would cost thousands to get in print. In fact, many are currently out of print.
    Includes works by Spurgeon, Moody, Wesley,some of Charles Hodge's commentaries, etc., etc,., etc.

    If you can find any of Oliver Greene's works at a used book sale, they are great.

    I had the privilege to hear John Phillips at the BBFI meeting in May, and I see why he is admired so much! I will never look at the "simple" phrase &lt;&lt;The earth is the Lord's&gt;&gt; from Psalm 24 as being so simple again! I had to acquire one of his books to add to my autographed book collection.

    For a basic 2-volume commentary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary is good. Jamieson, Faussette [sp?] and Brown is also a good one, available in either 3 volumes, or a single volume condensed one.

    Eddersheim's "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" is excellent.

    The Macmillan Bible Atlas is good, has a map for almost every major event of the Bible, and some not so major ones.

    This is a start. Happy hunting!!
     
  17. Bob Farnaby

    Bob Farnaby Active Member
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    Think the many suggestions of books already given will keep a avid reader busy for years [​IMG]

    If looking fo good internet links, for web resources the best starting point i can think of is Phil Johnson's Bookmarks. It is actually more than just a set of bookmarks, is a short intro to the good, the bad, and the really bad theology available on the net. Gives great guidance and direction for those who are seeking the way through the net.
    The link is:-
    http://www.gty.org/~phil/bookmark.htm

    Regards
    Bob
     
  18. greek geek

    greek geek New Member

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    just a thought on where to buy books. i saw CBD mentioned. and i like them...except for the shipping cost. i've just recently found that overstock.com actually has quite a bit of books that i want - and the prices are about like CBD's and the shipping is really cheep.
     
  19. baptistteacher

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    For used and out of print books, try
    Kregel.com

    They have over 200,000 titles on hand, with over 150,000 in a searchable database. If you don't find what you want, e-mail them and they will check for you.
     
  20. baptistteacher

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