CHRIS BRAUNS: HOW TO PICK A PASTOR: Guidelines For Pastoral Search Committees

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MP3 Available Here

CHRIS BRAUNS, senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL, will address the theme of his doctoral thesis: "HOW TO PICK A PASTOR: Guidelines For Pastoral Search Committees".

Dr. Brauns describes his guidelines for Pastoral Search Committees this way:

"Arguably, the most strategic decision that a local church makes is calling a preaching pastor. When a local church calls a lead or senior pastor, they almost always want a pastor who will preach with excellence. Yet, often pastoral search committees do not know how to go about achieving that goal.

"Unfortunately, there are essentially no resources available designed to help pastoral search committees / pulpit nominating committees succeed in calling an excellent preaching pastor.

"Books and resources designed for pastoral search committees / pulpit nominating committees focus on areas other than preaching, and these areas are important. Yet preaching is the center of what their next pastor will do, and there is nothing available to help churches call a pastor who will preach with excellence...

"...The purpose of this thesis-project is to develop a manual to motivate and equip pastoral search committees to call a pastor who will preach expository sermons. The manual will target churches where a search committee either chooses a new pastor or makes a recommendation to the congregation. The manual will define expository preaching and attempt to persuade readers that it should be a central objective of their pastoral search to call an expository preacher. Having argued for expository preaching, the manual will seek to equip pulpit committees to evaluate sermons. It will first conceptually describe the process that a preacher must go through in order to preach an expository sermon. It will also provide and defend a sermon evaluation form that will equip pastoral search committees to evaluate sermons. This teaching will also equip a pastoral search committee to interview candidates about preaching..." (Read entire article here).

Dr. Brauns earned his MBA from Northern Iowa University, MDiv from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of his recently published controversial book "UNPACKING FORGIVENESS: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds", and has studied and spoken extensively on the topic of forgiveness. You can hear a two-part "Iron Sharpens Iron" interview with Dr. Brauns on forgiveness by clicking Here (Part One) and clicking Here (Part Two).

CHRIS BRAUNS: "UNPACKING FORGIVENESS: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds" (PART TWO)

MP3 Available Here

CHRIS BRAUNS, senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL, will continue to address the theme of his new controversial book, "UNPACKING FORGIVENESS: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds".

He earned his MBA from Northern Iowa University, MDiv from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has studied and spoken extensively on the topic of forgiveness.

In "Unpacking Forgiveness" Pastor Chris Brauns examines God's Word to form a sound theology of forgiveness, helping readers move beyond the wounds and baggage of bitterness, disagreements, and broken relationships. This book is engaging and accessible. It is a helpful resource for pastors, Christian counselors, and anyone who has been burned and struggles to extend forgiveness.

“True or false: most Christian pastors and counselors agree on what forgiveness is and how it should take place.” This question is part of Pastor Chris’s Forgiveness Quiz that draws readers into his book and gets them thinking about the subject of forgiveness. The truth is, pastors and counselors disagree profoundly on this subject. "Unpacking Forgiveness" combines sound theological thinking and honesty about the complicated questions many face to provide readers with a solid understanding of biblical forgiveness.

Only God’s Word can unpack forgiveness. The wounds are too deep for us to find healing on our own, and the questions are too complex to be unraveled by anything but the wisdom of God. This book goes beyond a feel-good doctrine of automatic forgiveness, balancing the beauty of God’s grace and the necessity of forgiveness with the teaching that forgiveness must take place in a way that is consistent with justice.

Here are two powerful commendations for Pastor Chris's new book:

"Forgiveness of one another is one of the most important subjects in the Bible, and yet one so often misunderstood. Now Christopher Brauns has done a magnificent job in helping us understand the true nature of biblical forgiveness. Every Christian will profit from reading and applying this book.” ---Jerry Bridges. Author of many books including The Pursuit of Holiness and The Discipline of Grace

“There is no more common or urgent pastoral need in the church today than to cultivate the Gospel practice of forgiveness. Christians need to know what the Bible teaches and live it out, radically. Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds is an engaging, convicting but emphatically encouraging treatment of this hugely important (and sometimes mindbogglingly challenging) part of life. Dr. Brauns writes from the standpoint of a faithful, wise, experienced and caring pastor who has seen the heartbreak of an unforgiving spirit at work in the lives of people, but also the power of grace in the hearts of Christians who have learned to forgive and be forgiven.” ---J. Ligon Duncan III, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS

CHRIS BRAUNS: "UNPACKING FORGIVENESS: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds" (PART ONE)

MP3 Available Here

CHRIS BRAUNS, senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL, will address the theme of his new controversial book, "UNPACKING FORGIVENESS: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds".

He earned his MBA from Northern Iowa University, MDiv from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has studied and spoken extensively on the topic of forgiveness.

In "Unpacking Forgiveness" Pastor Chris Brauns examines God's Word to form a sound theology of forgiveness, helping readers move beyond the wounds and baggage of bitterness, disagreements, and broken relationships. This book is engaging and accessible. It is a helpful resource for pastors, Christian counselors, and anyone who has been burned and struggles to extend forgiveness.

“True or false: most Christian pastors and counselors agree on what forgiveness is and how it should take place.” This question is part of Pastor Chris’s Forgiveness Quiz that draws readers into his book and gets them thinking about the subject of forgiveness. The truth is, pastors and counselors disagree profoundly on this subject. "Unpacking Forgiveness" combines sound theological thinking and honesty about the complicated questions many face to provide readers with a solid understanding of biblical forgiveness.

Only God’s Word can unpack forgiveness. The wounds are too deep for us to find healing on our own, and the questions are too complex to be unraveled by anything but the wisdom of God. This book goes beyond a feel-good doctrine of automatic forgiveness, balancing the beauty of God’s grace and the necessity of forgiveness with the teaching that forgiveness must take place in a way that is consistent with justice.

Here are two powerful commendations for Pastor Chris's new book:

"Forgiveness of one another is one of the most important subjects in the Bible, and yet one so often misunderstood. Now Christopher Brauns has done a magnificent job in helping us understand the true nature of biblical forgiveness. Every Christian will profit from reading and applying this book.” ---Jerry Bridges. Author of many books including The Pursuit of Holiness and The Discipline of Grace

“There is no more common or urgent pastoral need in the church today than to cultivate the Gospel practice of forgiveness. Christians need to know what the Bible teaches and live it out, radically. Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds is an engaging, convicting but emphatically encouraging treatment of this hugely important (and sometimes mindbogglingly challenging) part of life. Dr. Brauns writes from the standpoint of a faithful, wise, experienced and caring pastor who has seen the heartbreak of an unforgiving spirit at work in the lives of people, but also the power of grace in the hearts of Christians who have learned to forgive and be forgiven.” ---J. Ligon Duncan III, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS