National Network for Equitable Library Service

In this practical and eminently inspiring work, pastor and church planter Earl Buchan takes readers on a rich and real ride through the ups and downs of Christian ministry, offering down-to-earth insights and advice buoyed by grace and grit. "This book isn't about tearing into the church," writes Buchan in the Introduction. "It's about building up the person, you, me, those of us who know we are called to a kingdom life. This is all about rewilding ministry from he inside out." Honest and uplifting, there's no fire-breathing dragons or hellfire and brimstone here. No legalistic list of Dos and Don'ts. Just a heaping helping of "battle-hardened lessons" about "how to do the ministry in which you are called." Sensitive and sensible, Real is saturated in Scripture and soaked in hard-won sagacity. The tone is warm and winsome. There is so much to love about this book. At just over one hundred pages, it's relatively brief and written in down-to-earth terms that everyone can understand, both lay and clergy. Chapter 5, Broken, may be the stand-out chapter of the book. "Mariella." (You'll have to read the book to get that.) Recommended Reading and a FAQ section are also included (Dietrich Bonhoeffer! Miguel de Cervantes!). The text is challenging in places. It's forthright. Clear eyed. Refreshing. No pre-packaged, cellophane-wrapped sermons or pie in the sky by and by here. Real asks the reader some pretty pointed questions about the condition of their own heart. It also tells it like it is - that sometimes ministry is difficult, thankless, and dull. Meanwhile, page after page offers gentle, practical insights illustrated with personal life experiences and lessons learned. Each chapter glides seamlessly into the next, with smooth transitions that are natural and relaxed. Indeed, reading Real is like sitting down at the kitchen table with a hot cuppa and sharing a conversation with an old friend. Talk about a breath of fresh air.