The Ministry of Small Things is available for pre-order here and will be widely available towards the end of February 2026.
The Ministry of Small Things
Wisdom for Those Who Serve the Church
What if it’s the little things that matter most in ministry?
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Christians are encouraged to attempt great things for God. But pastors in particular need to see the significance of the little practices and regular habits in a ministry of caring well for other people.
It is texting someone to see how they’re doing after their knee operation.
It is showing up when there’s a family crisis, and praying together, and reading a Psalm.
It is spending an hour with a young person over a cup of coffee to hear about their life.
It is asking the right question on a pastoral visit and then taking the time to listen.
It is not being surprised by sin, nor cynical about the possibility of change, nor captive to praise or criticism, but believing that God’s goodness and Holy Spirit are always operative in his church.
Our apparently trivial acts of care and minor moments of service—these are what Christ uses in order to bless and grow his church. This book encourages pastors to have a “small ministry” when caring for the church. Its thirty chapters are short, focused explorations of the moments of ministry that are outwardly simple yet used by God for great impact.
“What’s the first item in a pastor’s job description? Preach the Word. Beyond that? We might list a number of items, but a crucial one is pastoral care. For that, you’ll find Bredenhof's book uniquely helpful and insightful. I’ve not read one like it, but I would strongly encourage every elder to read it. What’s especially pertinent is how the book envisions the pastor not as a showman, a late-night television host, or business visionary, but as a biblical shepherd who works to know and live with his flock. Behind this book is an overall vision of ministry that needs to be recovered by many today.”
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—Jonathan Leeman
President, 9Marks
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“The ordinary is seldom in vogue. Yet faithful pastoral ministry is forged in the crucible of small, ordinary, powerful moments of faithfulness—the Puritans would have called them ‘holy habits’—done in faith in the presence of God (coram Deo) and for His glory (soli Deo gloria). Like compound interest, such habits snowball in impact over the long-term. They are much like the barely visible yeast that makes all the difference in a loaf of bread. With seasoned pastoral skill, Dr. Bredenhof shepherds his fellow shepherds, catechizing them in these simple but eternally-valuable habits of a faithful ministry: Loving the sheep. Praying with the sheep. Listening to the sheep. Showing up for the sheep. Private ministry—or house-to-house ministry, as Paul calls it—complements the public ministry of Word and sacrament. In the kingdom of God, the least is the greatest. And so it is in the rhythms of pastoral life; often the smallest acts of faithfulness have the greatest impact, and, like the cup of cold water given in faith, leads to the greatest eternal reward. Here is a manual of faithful shepherding—not in the limelight or the ivory tower, but in the trenches of daily ministry. Every pastor would do well to heed to the wise counsel contained in these pages.”
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—Joel R. Beeke
Chancellor of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and pastor of Heritage Reformed Congregation, Grand Rapids, Michigan