This is a book that tries to help church members step back and see the bigger picture. An effective pastoral relationship is more like a couple who loves to dance together or a band that plays wonderful music. If we spend too much time on the details, without remembering that we want to dance and sing, our church will not have much to offer to Gospel ministry.This book, then, seeks to blaze a new trail for churches who want to thrive in authentic, faithful ministry with their pastor. In other words, it is a book for churches who want to get along with their pastor. It is a book for church deacons, elders, and other officers who recognize that a healthy, trusting, respectful relationship between pastor and congregation becomes the foundation for the church's vitality. It is a book designed to give you the tools you need to help your pastor become the best pastor that she orhe can be with you.Statistics show that approximately thirteen hundred American pastors unwillingly leave their congregations each month. These sudden changes have negative long-term effects on both the pastor and the congregation. Thompson believes it is extremely important to find practical, easy-to-understand ways to train pastors and churches on how to approach disagreement much more constructively, and shows how to do so in this new book.

George B. Thompson Jr. is Professor of Leadership and Ministry Practice at The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA. Thompson is the editor and coauthor ofAlligators in the Swamp: Power, Ministry, and Leadership (2005), and author ofChurch on the Edge of Somewhere: Ministry, Marginality, and the Future (2007).