Books Butterfly Editorial Reviews

No Higher Calling – Editorial Review

No Higher Calling – Shepherding God’s People According to Paul by Pastor Craig Ireland is a powerful Christian Book which offers Church Leaders a chance to learn from Apostle Paul

Pastor Ireland has served in various ministry roles for the past twenty years. He has a Bachelor in Theology from Charles Stuart University (Australia), a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Chester (United Kingdom), and now lives in Rochester, New York. Pastor Ireland’s extensive experience and strong education make him well suited to write this powerful book and spread Apostle Paul’s wisdom

Books Butterfly Editorial Review of No Higher Calling – Shepherding God’s People According to Paul by Pastor Craig Ireland

Introduction & Context

Reading this book is like getting personal mentoring from Apostle Paul. No Higher Calling is the perfect guide for Church Leaders at a time when the Church faces a multitude of challenges and needs strong Bible inspired leadership

Pastor Ireland shares Apostle Paul’s wisdom and insights covering

1. Understanding the Biblical function of Church Leaders
2. Overcoming the challenges of ministry
3. Understanding the spiritual warfare of Ministry and Church Leadership

The book also covers many other areas of Church Leadership

No Higher Calling by Pastor Ireland is a Biblically Authentic Guide to becoming a stronger Church Leader

Main Review

“No Higher Calling: Shepherding God’s People According to Paul” by Pastor Craig Ireland is a compelling call for revival in modern-day Christian ministry.

Pastor Ireland draws church leaders back to the basics, reminding them of the essence of true Christian teaching, rooted in the Word of God and guided by The Holy Spirit. The author emphasizes the need for God’s ministers to emulate Paul, the supremely gifted natural leader who dedicated his whole being to God’s work

Pastor Ireland superbly breaks down Acts 20 to produce great insights into Paul’s life, ministry, and relationship with churches. All of which edify Christian leaders and individual believers

This is a very well written book, which is well structured and Biblically accurate and authentic. Perhaps the biggest achievement of this book is that it takes Church Leadership back to the Bible. The author stresses that ->

Everything that is needed for faithful and fruitful ministry has already been well established. Not in the last century, not even in the last millennia, but in the words of Christ’s apostles in the New Testament

No Higher Calling presents a revolutionary and simple way to think about Church Leadership – Learn to become a strong leader straight from the Bible

Pastor Ireland’s book is (as the author succinctly states in his Introduction) –

A rediscovery of the model and philosophy of ministry that Christ’s apostles faithfully handed down to the church

After reading this book you will be struck by the simplicity and beauty of it. The answers Church Leaders have been searching for, were perhaps right in front of them all this time – in the Bible in the words of Apostle Paul

Strengths

Pastor Ireland demonstrates outstanding knowledge and understanding of the Bible, which are crucial when writing a Christian book

Christian teaching is founded on the Bible, so writing about church leadership with limited knowledge about the Holy Book would be absurd. The many Bible verses mentioned in the book allow the reader to authenticate the author’s credibility and experience

This way, the reader is confident that the critical views shared in the book are not derived from the author’s thinking but from the true word of God. In addition, the author includes annotations in his writing, providing the readers with other valuable resources to explore. In some sections, the annotations give the reader a better understanding of the concepts covered in the text

Pastor Ireland maintains a good flow of ideas while providing supplementary information at the bottom of the page. Besides, the book is true to its purpose, which according to the author, is to bring the ministry philosophy of the Apostle Paul into the 21st century.

No Higher Calling will shake you out of your current ‘stuck/not moving ahead’ comfort zone. It has a very strong message that will open your eyes to a Biblically authentic, simple, and powerful understanding of Church leadership

Weaknesses

The main weakness of No Higher Calling is that only individuals with vast knowledge of the Bible will be able to get through No Higher Calling without constantly having to read the Bible to better understand the references

Referring to the Bible while reading is essential to ensure you get the most out of this book

No Higher Calling is insightful, thought-provoking and illuminating. It does become a bit dry at times – The reader will have to force themselves through some parts as the subject matter is very serious and requires careful thought and consideration

While not a weakness, one thing to keep in mind is that No Higher Calling by Pastor Ireland (a quote very well put by a reviewer at Amazon) – ‘cuts against the grain of much of what passes as ministry training today’

This means that you would have to fight against a lot of your current beliefs and thoughts on what ‘good Church Leadership’ is. To get the most out of No Higher Calling you would have to trust in the Bible and the Word of God over present day beliefs about good leadership

Conclusion

“No Higher Calling” by Pastor Ireland is a valuable read for the target audience, specifically current and aspiring church leaders

“No Higher Calling” is the book of choice for church ministers flailing in their position, swayed by iniquity and worldly desires; aspiring leaders seeking knowledge and guidance to fulfill their God-given mandate; and growing ministers needing reassurance of God’s faithfulness and the invaluable mission they must pursue

The book is also a good read for all Christians who wish to live like Paul, serving God wholeheartedly, in truth and spirit.

Overall Recommendation

For Church Leaders – 100/100 and very strongly recommended

For Church Leaders feeling ‘stuck’ or ‘challenged’ – 100/100 and very, very strongly recommended

Any Christians who want to better understand Christian Leadership – 80/100. We do think it is valuable for all Christians to better understand Leadership and God’s Word. Reading this book, even though it is primarily aimed at Church Leaders, would do any Christian a world of good

Where to get No Higher Calling – Shepherding God’s People According to Paul by Pastor Craig Ireland

No Higher Calling is available

1. At Amazon Kindle Store as an eBook -> No Higher Calling eBook
2. At Amazon.com for the Paperback -> No Higher Calling Paperback

You can check Pastor Ireland’s Youtube Channel for some great vidoes (238 in all)

One of our favorites was this one which has 13K views – Trampling on Snakes & Scorpions

You can get in touch with Pastor Ireland

1. At LinkedIn -> Craig Ireland (For Christ and His Kingdom)
2. At Facebook -> Craig Ireland Author page on Facebook