If I had to choose one go-to book that I think every pastor should have on their shelf, it would have to be “The Heart of a Great Pastor: How to Grow Strong and Thrive Wherever God has Planted you.”  This book has tremendously helped center me in my call as an under-shepherd.  I first picked up this book over 20 years ago when I was starting out my pastoral ministry years.  It undoubtedly helped me as a young minister and still has valuable reminders for me today. 

The book deals with matters of the heart that all pastors must be aware of, and it ranges in topics such as the holiness of the pastoral calling, growing as a pastor, loving the sheep, spiritual health, living above reproach, and the importance of prayer.  There’s an abundance of gold nuggets in this book to assist the local pastor in their current ministry setting by turning obstacles into steppingstones. My dear pastor friend, Victor Chayasirisobhon, always reminds me to not lose my pastor’s heart.  The thief will work hard to disrupt pastors from having a heart that is sensitive to the Lord’s calling. This is why I recommend that every pastor -whether new in the ministry or a seasoned veteran- spend some time with this book to assist in the evaluation and preservation of their own pastoral heart.