Book excerpt: Presented as the letters of a mature pastor to several fictional recipients, Letters to New Pastors delves into the professional, emotional, and spiritual needs of those new to the ministry. In a manner reminiscent of C. S. Lewis's Letters to Malcolm and Reinhold Niebuhr's Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, Michael Jinkins connects readers with valuable pastoral wisdom gleaned from his years of ministry and from the riches of the Christian past. In these letters Jinkins explores such themes as developing one's own spiritual life, finding balance amid conflicting demands, and rediscovering the meaning of Christ's call for the church's future. Written in a comfortable, personal style, Jinkins's Letters to New Pastors is ideal not only for new pastors but also for anyone seeking to better understand the challenges facing those in ministry today.