In my 22 years as a parish pastor I've said and I've heard others say, "We need to do a better job of training our elders." The truth is that many churches either elect or appoint men to elders boards, give them a list of names and then say, "Go! Be an elder!"
One of the reasons why many churches see so much turnover on their elders boards is because guys get frustrated because they're not sure what to do. Greg Schaft and Arthur Kok's new book provides help.
"The New Elder's Handbook" provides a practical guide for training elders. For the pastor who wants to train elders but doesn't have the time to develop the needed materials, Scharf and Kok have solved the problem. Coming out of their own experience, "The New Elders Handbook" offers a step-by-step guide for identifying, training and encouraging elders.
I can see this book working well as a year-long study with a pastor and his elders board. It would be well worth the time spent in reading and studying "The New Elders Handbook."
Book provided for review by Baker Books
