Bess delivers just what her title says, tips for ministers and mates. The first chapter states with enthusiasm that the role of the minister's wife (husbands of female ministers can also get ideas from the book) is not as impossible as some might suppose, but a rewarding life of challenge.
Credibility for the suggestions she gives is based on the author's actual experiences as a pastor's wife. She passes on both ideas that have worked for her and some that don't work.
Bess discusses the personal spiritual life of the.pastor's spouse, her life as mother and wife, and her service to the church. The final chapter contains comments by other pastors' wives who tell what they feel makes life in the parsonage a success.
Some hazards discussed are overload, neglecting the children because of church obligations, expecting perfection, and failure to teach the minister's children to have an individual relation ship with God.
This book is especially helpful for the new minister's spouse who seeks practical suggestions in facing the challenges of a different lifestyle. The author is good at getting to the point by describing a given circumstance and offering realistic ideas on creative coping.
