{"product_id":"loving-and-leaving-a-church-a-pastors-journey-9780664264345","title":"Loving and Leaving a Church: A Pastor's Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003eBarbara Melosh's story was a common one. A second-career seminarian, she arrived at her first pastorate brimming with enthusiasm and high hopes. The blue-collar congregation to which she'd been called had a glorious past but an uncertain future. Certain that she could turn around its slow yet undeniable slide into decline, Melosh inaugurated a number of church growth and outreach programs. Most of these efforts had little effect, and the ones that did seem to work soon suffered reverse outcomes and eventual demise. In the end, Melosh had to conclude that the members of the congregation liked their church the way it was and that she could not drag them into a future they did not want.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet while the congregation failed to change itself, Melosh notes, it succeeded in changing her. Simply put, it made her a pastor. At times heartbreaking and hilarious, \u003ci\u003eLoving and Leaving a Church\u003c\/i\u003e offers a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities of ministry in a mainline church.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Westminster John Knox Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/24\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780664264345\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 214\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.64lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.45d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/26\/2018\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Barbara Melosh","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42353014210741,"sku":"9780664264345","price":22.1,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_daf881f8-c939-406f-b717-9d3bdcb85b3e.jpg?v=1661842344","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/loving-and-leaving-a-church-a-pastors-journey-9780664264345","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}