Book Name
The Resilient Practitioner: Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Self-Care Strategies for the Helping Professions‍

Author: Skovholt, Thomas M., and Michelle Trotter-Mathison
Publisher: Routledge

Introduction:

Practitioners of a broad group of career fields (counselors, therapists, teachers, professors, social workers, clergy, nurses, doctors, physical therapists, other health professionals, and more) work together seamlessly to enhance the lives of others. Taking care of others needs a tremendous amount of effort. It would be ironic if practitioners could help others but ended up burnout themselves. Practitioners should know how to use their own self as a method of change, prevent burnout, and maintain professional vitality. They should establish a balance between self-care and other-care. The book The Resilient Practitioner: Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Self-Care Strategies for the Helping Professions aims to provide students and practitioners with the hands-on tools they need to create their own care plans for themselves and others. If you are a practitioner and struggling with your work-life balance, this book is the one you should not miss.

Book Name
The Emotionally Strong Leader: An Inside-out Journey to Transformational Leadership‍

Author: Stern, Carolyn
Publisher: Figure.1 Publishing

Introduction:

Many people see the words “emotional” and “strong” as contradictory terms to each other especially when describing the kind of leaders who can transform their own lives, the lives of their colleagues, as well as the future of their business for the better. Emotions can carry a lot of power over us, despite our best efforts to steer clear of them. We are culturally averse to being emotional and we dislike appearing emotional. It is so often we suppress our emotions as they have been given a bad reputation; however, neglected feelings can make us do and say things we regret later. Emotion is one of the gifts given to humanity during God’s creation so that they can protect themselves under certain situations. We can gain emotional skills and mental strategies to be stronger and more intelligent than our feelings, and to help others learn to explore their emotions. The Emotionally Strong Leader: An Inside-out Journey to Transformational Leadership is an actionable book for a leader who is both emotionally connected and powerful in their ability to understand and regulate their emotional reactions. This book directs its readers to accept their shortcomings and confront the sometimes brutal truth, which will astoundingly influence their performance, their results, and their happiness. This book is for those who want to start on a life-changing journey to improve their personal, interpersonal, and professional effectiveness.

Book Name
Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again‍

Author: TerKeurst, Lysa and Nelson Books (Firm)
Publisher: Nelson Books

Introduction:

Jesus teaches us to forgive people seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-22). This means we should forgive someone's sin as many times as possible. Unable to forgive someone means self-suffering. Suffering brings adverse emotions and it leads to the production of harmful hormones in our bodies. Stop getting stuck in a cycle of unresolved pain and playing offenses over and over in your mind. If you don’t know what to do to forgive someone in your journey of life, this book is for you. The book Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again helps you to let go of bound-up resentment and overcome the resistance to forgiving people who aren’t willing to make things right. From the book, you will learn how to move on when the other person refuses to change and never says they're sorry. This book will walk you through a step-by-step process to free yourself from the hurt of your past and feel less offended today. You will also learn what the Bible says about forgiveness and the peace that comes from living it out right now.

Book Name
Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry‍

Author: Paul David
Publisher: Crossway

Introduction:

How often people will think that they know themselves well? The Apostle says that now we see in a mirror dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12). Pastors are not perfect. No one is perfect except the Son of God, Jesus. This book does not talk about how hard is the ministry but is about the issue of the often unhealthy shape of pastoral culture. The author tries to put on the table the temptations that are either unique to or intensified by pastoral ministry. This book aims to call the readers to humble self-reflection and change. The readers of the book Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry should know that all their sins, weaknesses, and failures have been fully covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The author says that this book is a diagnostic book that aims to help the readers take an honest look at themselves in the heart- and life-exposing mirror of the Word of God in order to see things that are wrong and need correcting and to help them place themselves once again under the healing and transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Book Name
Holy Friendships: Nurturing Relationships That Sustain Pastors and Leaders‍

Author: White, Victoria Atkinson
Publisher: Fortress Press

Introduction:

Pastoring churches always facing various types of challenges. It is not rare to hear that pastoral leaders sacrifice critical relationships with their loved ones, lack time or complete priorities, and end up with frustration, isolation, loneliness, and even burnout. People serving together in the church is more than mere relationships as colleagues. They are eternal holy brothers and sisters in Christ. It is so beautiful for pastors and Christian leaders who serve together creatively, effectively, and joyfully for the church of God. “Friends” is more than in search of clicks, likes, or emoji-ed responses. Holy friendships are mutual and sacred relationships deeply rooted in the love of God. Christian leaders need a circle of holy friends to walk alongside them in facing the challenges in ministry. The book Holy Friendships: Nurturing Relationships That Sustain Pastors and Leaders, through several meaningful stories, gives readers light to invest in their own resilience, sustainability, and flourishing by cultivating and nurturing their own holy friendships. Pastors and spiritual leaders should know that they are never alone.