How to Thrive as a Pastor's Wife
- Christian Living
- Women
- Work, Money & Leadership
- Publisher: Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
Every pastor's wife is a faithful servant and leader in her own right. She has great influence on her church, her community, her family, and her husband, and she finds joy in seeing God move in the lives of others. Yet she also faces unique challenges that too often go unnoticed and unaddressed. At times, a pastor's wife may feel she can't talk about her struggles even with those who are closest to her, which can leave her feeling alone, depleted, and misunderstood. She may settle for this way of living, but that's not God's desire for her. Christine Hoover knows firsthand the unique struggles and opportunities afforded a pastor's wife--she's been filling that role for more than 20 years. Coming alongside as an understanding friend, she offers encouragement and guidance to the struggling pastor's wife, showing her how to make meaningful personal relationships with God, her husband, her children, her church community, and other women--relationships that will sustain her and help her thrive.
Endorsements (11)
“What an excellent book Christine Hoover has written. How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife is so thorough and thoughtful, giving serious consideration to the many challenges pastors’ wives face in their unique roles. You won’t find cliches or pat answers here! It is theologically sound and spiritually mature while also being very practical. Thank you, Christine, for this gift to ministry wives!”
“I read this book on a Saturday, between preparations for all my ‘pastor’s wife’ responsibilities on Sunday morning. Oh, how this book kept me joyful and true as I was being tempted by pressures to perform. Christine Hoover’s wise and compassionate voice speaks into the lies in which I am often entangled and shows me a way out of the deadly labyrinth of self-trust. Her words must have come at a great cost. Her counsel is not some general encouragement but points to specific, blood-bought promises of God, written in the ink and tears of a pastor’s wife who knows.”
“In How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife, Christine Hoover lovingly frees us from the trap of trying to live up to a title. She understands our specific calling as pastors’ wives and speaks directly to our significant role in kingdom work. She writes with authentic vulnerability about the distinctive temptations faced in ministry marriages—from bitterness to blaming to burnout—always pointing back to our kind King who will faithfully provide for each of our needs. Read her biblical advice and, for the sake of our marriages and ministries, learn to thrive as pastor wives!”
“The role of pastor’s wife can seem lonely and enigmatic. We are not all alike, but we are all hoping to fulfill a similar calling. Christine writes as one who has been there and is still there. From my tendency toward the savior complex to the complexity of parenting pastor’s kids, I found kinship, courage, and wisdom in her words. I encourage every pastor’s wife to read this book.”
“Christine helps us navigate the complex role to which we have been called. I, too, am not the ‘typical’ pastor’s wife and never fit the stereotype. She is the friend I wish I had in my early years to help me avoid unhealthy pitfalls and embrace the unique gifts God gave me to serve the body of Christ out of joy and passion instead of duty. Let this book from a seasoned pastor’s wife encourage you as she gives words to your insecurities and struggles and guides you through to full engagement with God’s Word and purpose. In Christ, you are uniquely gifted and equipped—embrace the call, celebrate the privilege!”
“Christine Hoover is a rich, trusted source for any pastor’s wife. Whatever she writes on the subject should be read. Her words are honest, vulnerable, and imminently helpful. She speaks to the most critically important compartments of our worlds with a freeing reality and helpful life-giving truth. This book will generously nourish the soul of any pastor’s wife. Don’t miss it!”
“Christine Hoover honestly and effectively voices the challenges and rewards of life as a pastor’s wife. Her vulnerability and grace will encourage your heart, while her practical wisdom offers guidance to navigate the unique challenges pastors’ wives face. Whether you’ve been living the ministry wife life for minutes or decades, this is a must-read, reference, and keep resource.”
“As a pastor’s wife of over twelve years, I found Christine’s book to be an intricate mosaic capturing the beauty, pain, and tension of being a pastor’s wife all in one place. Like an intimate chat in the home of a seasoned pastor’s wife—honest, vulnerable, and deeply encouraging—How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife paints an authentic picture of what it looks like to not just survive but truly thrive in this beautiful calling.”
“Christine Hoover has given pastors’ wives a true gift in How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife. She explores our place in ministry, faithfully reminding us of our identity as believers in Jesus first and foremost. She helps us see how to guard our marriages and families practically while still serving Christ in our local churches. This was the book I needed twenty years ago, and I commend it to pastors’ wives everywhere.”
“How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife is a welcome compass for navigating church ministry and a beautiful offering for the sisterhood of pastors’ wives who gracefully serve Christ’s precious body. Even after twenty-six years of leadership, I soaked up this reminder from Christine that my role is the gift by which I serve the church, but ‘pastor’s wife’ is not my identity. Through seasons filled with growth, harmony, and great joy and seasons of heartache, disappointment, and discouragement when people mischaracterize your church and leave, she lovingly calls us to rhythms of rest and renewal with the God who sees and knows us, and she helps us move untangled by performance and free to flourish in our uniqueness.”
“The pains and pressures of ministry can be daunting for a pastor’s wife. Expectations from yourself and others can feel inescapable. But what matters most is this: What does Jesus want from you? In How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife, Christine Hoover serves as a trusted friend to help sisters steward their unique calling. Whether you’ve always dreamed of being a pastor’s wife or never expected to be one, I trust this resource will help you faithfully walk on the path Jesus has called you to.”
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