Review: The Pastor’s Family: Shepherding Your Family Through the Challenges of Pastoral Ministry

Brian and Cara Croft
(Zondervan, 2013)

Few careers affect an entire family as much as a ministry calling. Brian and Cara Croft know this from their experience as veterans of two decades of ministry. In their book, The Pastor’s Family, the couple tackles three critical areas of the pastor’s family—his heart, his wife, and his children.

Throughout the book, both Brian and Cara speak to these areas from the unique perspective of both husbands and wives. To make the book even more helpful, they included discussion questions to ask one another as you process the material.

You’ll find a variety of books on family relationships or on the role of a pastor, but you’ll find very few that tackle the unique needs of a pastor’s family. The Crofts’ answer to the problems they face is simple, even if it’s not always easy to apply—the gospel.

“Repentance is key to this process, not just to experience forgiveness with God, but also to experience restoration in our families by breaking neglectful patterns,” Brian writes.

Because of the unique and often overwhelming stresses that replanting and revitalization put upon a pastor’s family, this book will be an important tool for families to use in their journeys. As you read it, take the time to talk through the discussion questions with your wife and let the book become a catalyst for gospel growth in your relationship.