All for God's Glory: Redeeming Church Scutwork (Book)
Louis B. Weeks, Author.  Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2008.

"Scutwork," a term euphemistically derived from Navy lingo for "garbage," refers to the administrative tasks that congregational leaders often find tedious. But Louis Weeks invites readers to consider the importance of administration for preaching, teaching, and pastoral care in the church. In particular, Weeks holds that excellent "scutwork" practices lead directly to pastoral care.

Weeks carefully defines "pastoral care" as "seeking the spiritual growth of people and congregations and empowering their faithfulness in living and proclaiming the gospel." What are approaches to administration that foster such care? The author delineates seven of them: (1) stewarding God's grace (remembering that we are stewards, not owners, of the church); (2) building teams (sharing collegial responsibility among volunteers and staff); (3) welcoming constructive change; (4) seeking to grow personally; (5) remaining modest (recognizing that true modesty comes from "competence, confidence, and healthy respect for others"); (6) cultivating intuition (relying on collective wisdom and discernment); and (7) exercising pastoral imagination.

All for God's Glory explores the complexity of church administration, the history of administration, best administrative practices, the attitudes and actions that can derail effective administration, and stories of exemplary congregations in areas where administration bears on pastoral care (such as governance, stewardship, and worship).

Readers seeking fresh approaches to administrative work in their congregations, and those open to considering "scutwork" in a new perspective, will find information, insight, and helpful examples in this book.

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See also these resources:

Imagination and the Pastoral Life: A Way of Seeing (Article)
Craig Dykstra, Author.  Christian Century. 2008.
Craig Dykstra discusses the elements of a sound pastoral imagination that responds to both God's call and a congregations' ecclesial imagination. He also explores how pastors can foster this imagination for themselves and one another.

Feeding and Leading: A Practical Handbook on Administration in Church and Christian Organizations (Book)
Kenneth O. Gangel, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1996.
Feeding and Leading will be useful primarily to pastors who function not only as spiritual shepherds, but also as leaders, managers, and servants of a diverse staff, a volunteer core, and a congregational board.