Alan Rudnick
Judson Press, 2012, 160 pp., $14.99
I love case studies because they ground theory in practice, and The Work of the Associate Pastor is filled with case studies. Alan Rudnick offers an excellent introduction to understanding the important role of an often undervalued position of an associate staff member who specializes in any number of ministry areas such as children, youth, young adult or worship ministry.
While exploring the diversity of associate responsibilities, Rudnick consistently points to the value of the associate minister as much more that a minor league team of people honing their ministry skills until they are called to the major league of a senior pastorate.
Discussion questions at the end of each chapter make this an excellent book for a group of youth ministers to discuss as they work through a myriad of issues related to their own identity as youth ministers, their lives in youth ministry and their places on church staffs.
