Author: Dr. David Frisbie
Located in: Del Mar, California
Submitted: June 23, 2014
Tell us a little about yourself. Family counselors and authors; happily married, 26 published books to date. We serve the Nazarene denomination as Coordinators of Marriage & Family Ministries. We serve in a variety of other settings for other denominations and independent churches, plus NGO's and sending agencies.
What was your motivation behind this project? We speak at Ministers and Mates retreats regularly, plus at retreats and conferences for missions workers and their families. No group of people, anywhere, is closer to our hearts than those who serve in front-line ministry. We care about their marriages and families, their health and their fruitfulness in ministry and in life.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? This is not a book about burnout or dysfunction --- although you'll get some of those stories here. This is a book about healthy habits and best practices, about staying healthy and going the distance ---- being your best self for the long term and for the Kingdom's gain.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? We were so deeply inspired by the men and women who shared their stories with us. Some have left pastoral service as a vocation; some simply departed from an unhealthy context and began to serve elsewhere. Many of them told us "I haven't ever told anyone this before..." and then gave us richly nuanced and deeply textured stories of trying to serve in the midst of conflict, opposition, stress and spiritual struggle.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? I really enjoy reading "working pastors" who are living out their ministry rather than expounding theories. I like to read Larry Osborne, Francis Chan, Bill Hybels, John Piper and many others. I am usually reading for "practical theology" --- that is, how to do ministry better, and how to be a healthier and more fruitful minister.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: This is a life-changing and health-giving book, not because of the authors (we're ordinary) but because God is telling us His story of redemption and hope. God is showing us the way forward --- past all the battles and all of the dysfunction in congregations --- out there where ministry is bearing fruit and people's lives are changing.
