Find a greater sense of joy and encouragement in your pastoral work, whether you’re feeling stretched, weary, disillusioned or all of the above.
Though you know pastoral work is meant to be a joy and a privilege, it’s easy to lose sight of it during the everyday challenges of ministry. Whether you’re feeling discouraged or even burnt out, gain encouragement for your high and holy calling.
After 25+ years in ministry, pastor Matt Fuller understands the highs and lows of church work. With realism and positivity, he reminds you of the wonders of your unique calling and of the Great Shepherd, who cares for you as you serve him and his people.
Using gentle humour, the wisdom of ministers in centuries past and relatable anecdotes, Fuller helps you recover the sense that you have the best job in the world.
Drawing from 1 Peter 5:1-4 and many other passages, Fuller reminds you that…
Come away from every chapter feeling reinvigorated and excited about the work God calls you to... without having to add anything to your long to-do list.
1. A Sorrow Full of Joy
2. Shepherds for the Great Shepherd
3. There Is No Greater Task
4. Contemplating Christ
Interlude
5. Suffering for the Name
6. Examples for the Flock
7. Awaiting the Crown
8. Sowing by Faith
9. Manna Every Day
| Contributors | Matt Fuller |
|---|---|
| ISBN | 9781802544336 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | November 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
“The apostle Paul summarised his ministry experience as combined agony and ecstasy: ‘death is at work in us, but life in you.’ Matt Fuller well captures this paradoxical balance. A modern-day Barnabas, he writes encouragingly but honestly, coupling the hard-earned wisdom of personal experience with the field-tested insights of past masters. The Joyful Pastor is a gift to pastors, present and future—as well as to the pastored.”
“Written from the trenches, not the bleachers, The Joyful Pastor is a theologically rich, pastorally honest call to recover what we too easily lose: the breathtaking privilege of shepherding souls purchased by Christ’s own blood. Fuller doesn’t deny the sorrows. He simply refuses to let them have the last word. Every weary pastor needs this book. You will be glad you’ve read it.”
“The realities of pastoral ministry are learned not in the classroom but in the trenches of the local church. Pastors reading this book will identify with so much that Matt describes and be encouraged to keep going, understanding that there really is no greater task.”
