Shepherding God’s People: A Guide to Faithful and Fruitful Pastoral Ministry (by Dr Tan Siang Yang)

This course, “Shepherding God’s People: A Guide to Faithful and Fruitful Pastoral Ministry”, was taught by Dr Tan Siang Yang in St Peter’s Hall in June 2023. The contents of the various sessions were drawn from selected chapters of the book by the same title. The book is currently in use by many seminaries around the world as a textbook on pastoral care.

Here is what John Ortberg had to say about the book and its author:

It is Spirit-full. Dr Tan has tremendous awareness of the role and the power of the Holy Spirit for any significant ministry. He himself relies heavily on the Holy Spirit for his learning and research, his pastoral and clinical work, and also his writing…

It is comprehensive. Dr Tan, as you will see, is a voluminous reader of just about everything… It would be difficult to think of a book that significantly contributes to pastoral fruitfulness that Dr Tan does not reference here. His viewpoint is international, multicultural, theologically both grounded and gracious, multidisciplinary, and developmental.

It is personal. Pastoring, perhaps uniquely among vocations, involves offering something that we must first possess before we can give it away… Dr Tan guides us through the personal, emotional, and spiritual life of the pastor with wisdom and reality.

We believe this course will truly enrich all who are engaged in pastoral ministry, whether that be as cell group leaders or congregation pastors.

Course Outline:

Day 1

Introduction

Session 1 – A Biblical Perspective on Pastoral and Church Ministry

Session 2 – The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit as Crucial and Essential for Pastoral Ministry

Session 3 – The Spiritual Life of the Pastor

Session 4 – The Personal and Family Life of the Pastor

Day 2

Introduction

Session 1 – Mentoring of Church Staff and Lay Volunteer Coworkers

Session 2 – Pastoral Care and Counselling

Session 3 – Small Groups and Fellowships

Session 4 – Leaving and Retiring

Instructor:  Dr Tan Siang Yang

Dr Tan Siang Yang is a distinguished psychologist and pastor, renowned for his profound insights into human psychology and how it interfaces with the Christian faith. He served concurrently as Professor of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Senior Pastor at First Evangelical Church (Glendale) in California. A highly sought-after conference speaker in the US and around the world, Dr Tan has a special place in his heart for Singapore, where he spent his growing-up years. He is uniquely able to marry the insights of the social sciences with theology, as well as Western and Asian perspectives.