• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Recent Issues
      • March/April 2021March/April 2021
      • January February 2021January February 2021
      • November/December 2020November/December 2020
      • September/October 2020September/October 2020
      • July/August 2020July/August 2020
      • May/June 2020May/June 2020
      • More…
  • Authors
      • Tony BrownTony Brown
      • Ceri DouglassCeri Douglass
      • Stuart OlyottStuart Olyott
      • Wayne ProbertWayne Probert
      • Kerry OrchardKerry Orchard
      • Jeremy BaileyJeremy Bailey
      • Alun EbenezerAlun Ebenezer
      • John SnyderJohn Snyder
      • Tom OlsonTom Olson
      • Hugh DavisHugh Davis
      • More…
  • Sections
      • Bible
      • Church
      • Comment
      • Faith
      • History
      • Life
      • Mission
      • My story
      • Prayer
      • Remembering
      • Reviews
      • Theology
  • Subscribe

Book review — Take care of yourself: Survive and thrive in Christian ministry

Book:Take care of yourself: Survive and thrive in Christian ministryAuthor: Pablo MartinezPublisher: HendricksonRetail Price: £4.99 (buy now)
Review by Christine Owens1 minute readNovember/December 2019, page 30

Take care of yourself: Survive and thrive in Christian ministry

‘In the same way that we have a ministry, we also need a ‘monastery,’ a place and time to be still and to refresh our whole person. Our public ministry will be greatly enhanced if we learn to spend time in our private monastery.’ So writes Pablo Martinez, a Spanish psychiatrist with about 40 years of evangelical ministry experience throughout Europe.

This valuable resource was given to everyone who attended the 2019 Equip Conference of the Wales Leadership Forum in Cardiff. In the foreword, Lindsay Brown describes it as ‘a gem’ which ‘could be a lifesaver’ and I agree. Chapter headings such as ‘The empty pool syndrome’ and ‘Preventing mistakes that empty the pool’ show that the author recognises the weaknesses of readers who have the treasure of the gospel in jars of clay. The book ends with the key to the healthiest renewal of all, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’

Here are some memorable lines. ‘The problem is not working too much, but resting too little.’ ‘Many Christian workers are very good at ‘cooking’ for others, but they neglect to ‘cook’ for themselves.’ ‘Most leaders’ moral failures occur when they are incubated in isolation and loneliness.’

The appendix is a useful resource to help people who are troubled by their past. ‘Be at peace with your biographical baggage’ gives many relevant scriptures to apply. Comprising five straightforward chapters and 100 pages, this book is an easy read that could be helpfully introduced to a book club or a ministers’ fraternal.

Found this helpful? Like, share or tweet

Want more like this? Get the latest articles direct by email every week:

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Your personal details are safe. We won’t spam you, or pass your details onto anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time.

About the reviewer

Christine Owens
Christine Owens taught alongside her husband Steve Owens at Cornerstone Bible College for Mission in the Netherlands. They now represent WEC International in southern Wales.

Read next

Book review — Where is God in a Messed-Up World?
by Sheila Stephen
Christmas around the world
by Christine Owens
26 likes
Living under persecution
by Christine Owens and Steve Owens
Book review — The Last Valley
by Sheila Stephen
1 like
Book review — The Names of Jesus
by Sheila Stephen
2 likes
Book review — Not Uninformed - Sure and Certain Hope for Death and Dying
by John Funnell
1 like
Working Overseas in Retirement
by Christine Owens
2 likes
Helping people out of debt
by Christine Owens
22 likes

Primary Sidebar

Like us on Facebook

Evangelical Magazine

Latest issue

Popular articles

  • Sharing Jesus with Mormon Missionaries by Tony Brown
    48 likes
  • Until we meet again by Alun Ebenezer
    182 likes
  • A Wild Harvest by Ceri Douglass
    12 likes
  • It is finished by John Woolley
    34 likes
  • Sharing Jesus with a Jehovah’s Witness by Tony Brown
    106 likes

The Evangelical Magazine is published by the Evangelical Movement of Wales.
Waterton Cross Business Park, South Road, Bridgend CF31 3UL.
Registered charity number 222407. View our privacy policy.