Product Description

How does one measure success in ministry? Longtime pastorKent Hughes and his wife Barbara urge readers to turn to God's Wordrather than numbers.

Every year thousands of God's servants leave the ministryconvinced they are failures. Years ago, in the midst of a crisis offaith, Kent Hughes almost became one of them. But instead he andhis wife Barbara turned to God's Word, determined to learn what Godhad to say about success and to evaluate their ministry from abiblical point of view.

This book describes their journey and their liberation from the"success syndrome"-the misguided belief that success in ministrymeans increased numbers. In today's world it is easy to be seducedby the secular thinking that places a number on everything. But theauthors teach that true success in ministry lies not in numbers butin several key areas: faithfulness, serving, loving, believing,prayer, holiness, and a Christlike attitude. Their thoughts willencourage readers who grapple with feelings of failure and leadthem to a deeper, fuller understanding of success in Christianministry.

This book was originally published by Tyndale in 1987 andincludes a new preface.

Customer Reviews (6)

I Love it!
Small church pastors look at how other ministers preside over large, growing congregations, and then they sometimes wonder what they are doing wrong and why they cannot be more "successful." R. Kent Hughes says that we are operating with a faulty understanding of success. He says that success means being faithful to what God wants you to do, it means praying regularly, loving God and each other, caring for your family, having the right attitude, believing God in all things, etc.

Hughes shares stories from his life and how he once felt discouraged enough to consider leaving the ministry, but his wife talked him out of it. She encouraged him by talking about the lives that have been changed for the better, even though the church he started was small.

This is a good book for pastors to read when they are struggling,and even when they are NOT struggling.

Refresh Your Ministry Pastors...
I have enjoyed many of Hugh's books, but this one is surly the best I have read by him.It comes at just the right time too.Having experienced the pressures of being in an Evangelical Church to increase size, grow, grow, grow, it is refreshing and reassuring to have a much more biblical approach to "measuring your ministry."A+++.A MUST READ for any pastor who struggles with these pressures.

Get back to the basics
Though written 20 years ago, this book has never been more relevant. Kent Hughes warns of the pragmatic signs of success that have infiltrated the church, but he also gives words of comfort to the pastor.

The author begins by recalling a dark time in his ministry when church attendance began to dwindle and he came very close to resigning as pastor and abandoning his call to ministry. But the Lord gave him and his wife Barbara new hope as they began to open the Scriptures and discover that true success is not measured by marketing techniques and worldly standards, but by six basic principles: faithfulness, serving, loving God, believing, prayer, and holiness. These principles define true success in ministry.

The second half of the book provides a number of encouragements and practical helps in ministry.

It's not that we should hope our churches (or denominations) will shrink in size, but we can rest assured that if we're faithful to God's Word and let Him take care of the results, we will find true success in His eyes.

If you are in any level of pastoral ministry, this book is a must.

Reminding pastors what is succcess is
Many pastors and church leaders find themselves evaluating their ministries by corporate standards.As a result, if the church or ministry does not meet particular benchmarks they feel the ministry is unsuccessful.

Kent Hughes has been a pastor for over four decades and he writes Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome for the pastor who is feeling this pressure. The book was originally published by Tyndale House in 1987 and has now been updated and republished last month by Crossway.

Hughes recounts a scene from early on his ministry where he was working on a church plant. From all accounts this was going to be a successful ministry. Hughes was blessed with a clear demonstration of pastoral gifts, a solid core group, a promising social demographic, and financial backing. However, after a short period, Hughes was on the edge of despondency and ready to leave the ministry. He goes on to articulate the depths of despair that colored these early days of ministry:

"My long-established world of bright prospects and success melted around me. I was in the darkest, deepest depression of my life. My memory of this time is of a gray, horizonless sea. A faint light falls from a threatening sky and I am treading water alone, sinking. Soon, I will be below the surface. Melodramatic, to be sure! But that is how I felt. I wanted out."

For someone like myself who is in the process of church planting, this book is encouraging and sobering, while being very practical.

Hughes goes on to describe the way in which the Lord brought him low only to bring him back up through prayer and dependence upon the God of the Scriptures. It was through this process of praying and reading that Hughes began to learn what ministry was all about. Thankfully he is now sharing his story of God's grace in his own life.

The majority of the book is made up of defining what biblical success is. The successive chapters are, Success is...faithfulness, serving, loving, believing, prayer, holiness, attitude.

Hughes is deeply transparent throughout the book. His wife Barbara occasionally and helpfully pops in to add her perspective during the times of trial and growth. Her presence in the book would be helpful for pastors' wives for sure.

This would be a great book to pick up for a pastor who is feeling `beat up' in ministry. It would also be a great gift for a seminary student or young man who is pursuing ministry. Either way it is a helpful and biblical reminder of what matters and what does not. And Hughes has done it for over forty years.

A Liberating Read
This book is concise, and largely biographical. It is geared toward protestant ministers, but I think it will resonate with a wider audience since the Bible calls us to such a counter-cultural view of success. Your concept of success will be enriched, confirmed and maybe even changed. This is a timeless read, and well worth rereading. You may even want to keep a loaner, as I have! ... Read more

Product Description

Along with AIDS, antiphospholipid syndrome was the major medical discovery of the late 20^th century, so for many it is still deemed a ‘new’ disease.

The discovery of ‘sticky blood’ (commonly known as antiphospholipid syndrome or ‘Hughes Syndrome’) came out of years of observation of patients who had developed lupus. Many specialists in the 1970s were interested in the neurological aspects of lupus, and Dr Hughes, among others, spent a number of years studying the mechanisms of brain inflammation.

In the mid 1970s, Hughes observed a number of young women with a form of viral paralysis, where interestingly many of them carried an antibody in their blood actually directed against ‘phospholipid’ – one of the components of brain and spinal cord. It quickly became apparent that individuals who had "anti-phospholipid antibodies" suffered from a tendency not only to develop brain and spinal cord symptoms, but also a tendency to develop both vein and artery thrombosis.

As investigation continued it became apparent that these symptoms were not just confined to lupus patients, but occurred in others too, specifically those with severe migraines, with repeated strokes, with memory loss, and in women with recurrent miscarriage.

Customer Reviews (2)

Understanding Hughes Syndrome
This book is excellent! As someone who was diagnosed with this syndrome in 2002, I found it very helpful. The information contained in these stories are scary to some extent, but for people who have this, and their family and friends, it is so good to know everything we can to help ourselves and sometimes, our doctors, as well. I am very fortunate in that I have a doctor who specializes in this, also called Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome or Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

This is a very multi-symptom disease and this book tells of so many of them. I highly recommend this book for anyone diagnosed with this syndrome. There is more and more being found out about this syndrome every day. Thank goodness for Dr. Graham Hughes, his research and his very informative books.

Very helpful book by the doctor who 'discovered' APS!
I read the whole thing in one sitting.My daughter has APS, and the experiences she went thru before her diagnosis were frightening and horrifying.We are so very grateful that she wasn't done irreparable harm.I'm glad to see more info coming out about APS and all its different manifestations.This is a great "awareness" book, I think!! ... Read more

Product Description

Eponymous volume – edited by the investigator on the team which defined this syndrome

Customer Reviews (1)

Good, but not for the general reader
Not long ago, my wife was diagnosed with Hughes Syndrome, or antiphospholipid syndrome, and I set out to understand this condition. This book is a textbook that is highly technical in nature, and is not intended for the casual reader. It is composed of 45 chapters, organized into six sections: 1) clinical aspects, 2) laboratory investigation, 3) basic aspects, 4) therapy, 5) differential diagnosis, and 6) prognosis. Each of these chapters is written by a leading physician or researcher, or even by a team.

As you might expect from a textbook, this book is highly informative for the medical specialist, but is likely to leave the casual reader (such as myself) behind. Don't get me wrong, there is a great deal of interesting information in this book, and it is well worth reading, but I do not recommend it to the general reader. Overall I thought that this is a good book, but I give it a very guarded recommendation. ... Read more

Product Description
A moving and informative story of how a mother struggledwith the many behavioral problems presented by her son with Tourettesyndrome, ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ryan: A Mother's Story of Her Hyperactive/Tourette Syndrome
I would like a 3-4 page review of this book, please.It would mean so much to me.

Thank you,

Karie

A must have for parents of children with Tourette Syndrome
Susan Hughes generously allows us into her familysprivate struggle with TS and ADHD. She shows how life really is as a parent struggling to control this disorder. She offers us a look into what the future might hold for anyparentthat has a child with Tourettes.This book gives parents andeducators amuch better understanding of these disorders.If there issomeonein your life dealing with Tourettes then you must get them thisbook ... Read more

Product Description
As with any delicate machine, the human body can be profoundly affected by its supply of vital running materials. Thus, the tendency for the blood to clot excessively has the potential to cut off the oxygen supply to any organ of the body. In 1983, Dr Graham Hughes and his team in London described a syndrome and subsequently developed simple blood tests to diagnose the condition. This syndrome is characterised by thrombosis (both in limbs and internal organs), headaches, memory loss, strokes and, in pregnant women, placental clotting and recurrent miscarriage. The syndrome, now known worldwide as Hughes Syndrome, or the anti-phospholipid syndrome, is common - being responsible for example, for up to 1 in 5 cases of young stroke. More important, it is treatable. This book provides the first in-depth description of the syndrome for patients. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful primer of information
This is basically a starter guide for anyone recently diagnosed with APS / Hughes syndrome.The author is the namesake of this syndrome.He writes a frank discussion of the different symptoms of complications of this disorder.Very helpful to educate yourself if you have been newly diagnosed and are looking for information.It was updated in 2001, but no significant patient data since original publication research in the late 80's.

Outdated information, usually obtained for free from your hematologist
I got this book for free from my hematologist after being diagnosed with Hughes Syndrome, or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.It is somewhat informative, but quite outdated.Hughes Syndrome was discovered in 1983, so it's a relatively new disease.This book was written in 2001, so there has been more research since it was published.This complicated syndrome can't be described in such a short book (not much more than a pamphlet) and the book fails to mention the many other physical symptoms patients may suffer from (muscle soreness & extreme fatigue to name just a few).

I would recommend Sticky Blood Explained by Kay Thackray and More Sticky Blood by Kay Thackray instead of this book.

Nothing short of excellent!
Not long ago, my wife was diagnosed with "possible MS." The symptoms were there, and my wife and I prepared for life with this new situation. However, recently, this diagnosis has been overturned in favor of "antiphospholipid syndrome" or Hughes Syndrome. This condition is characterized by the sufferer's blood clotting too easily, resulting in a number of symptoms, many of them quite serious.

In this wonderful book, Dr. Graham Hughes of St. Thomas' Hospital, London (and the man for whom this syndrome is named) gives the lay-reader and doctor alike a clear and concise understanding of what this syndrome is, what its effects are, and what treatments are currently available. Though quite short (63 pages), it is jam-packed with easy-to-read information, which is well organized, and complete with some excellent illustrations and many case studies. The case studies go a long way towards giving the reader a clear idea of what having Hughes Syndrome means to those suffering from it.

My wife and I are very glad we got this book. It is truly nothing short of excellent. Plus (as previously pointed out), its price is quite modest compared to the other Hughes Syndrome books currently available. If you or anyone you knows has been diagnosed as having Hughes Syndrome, then I highly recommend that you purchase this book!

Excellent Book!
As a patient who's been diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome since 1994, also known at Hughes Syndrome, I found this to be the ONLY book written for patients and their families on this subject.The price, compared to the other books on this disease, which are doctor focused, is fantastic.

In an easy to read style, Dr. Hughes describes this auto-immune disease completely.This is a great book for both patients and their families.I recommend this highly. ... Read more

Product Description
APS (also known as "sticky blood syndrome") makes the blood clot too easily. It is often the cause of multiple miscarriages and is potentially fatal. Increasingly common, it threatens to become more prevalent than MS and lupus. This book takes an important look at this dangerously under-diagnosed autoimmune disease and provides medical information, case studies, and patient interviews to help the reader learn to cope. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great Book on Rare Disease
Very little is known about the disease ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME. This book ,I found on AMAZON was amazing. It answered all of my questions.Thank You AMAZON

Easy reading
This book is easy reading and informative. Although I have done my own research on APS, it is nice to havea small book with some basic information. The personal stories are helpful. I wish there was a more detailed book out there that went into more detail about autoimmune disorders. Overall, I would recommend it.

Great Book,Very helpful
Great book and very helpful.I've always tried to be positive in the diagnosis I received less than 1 year ago.APS is not a fun disease,but can be managed with the right attitude and helpful doctors.A+ and hats off for this book.

Very good for the newly diagnosed
This book should be a starting point in the search for answers when diagnosed with APS. I have been diagnosed over 7 years by now, and have found precious little information out there. This book is listed on the APS online support group website. This book is mostly testimonial but I found it is also informative, setting a good foundation for future doctor's office visits, since most doctors don't know much more than we do at this point.Keep in mind that while doctors will be interested in your comparisons to the testimonials in this book, what they will take more seriously is medical journals and articles written by experienced doctors in the field who can confirm what you probably already know.

Really Pulls It All Together
I have done a lot of online research regarding APS.While most sites have nice information, it is usually only a page or two, highlighting bits and pieces.This book really pulls it all together, clearly linking symptoms to help define the "big picture" - both historical and forward looking.It is also in an easy to read format that covers a good amount of information without being overwhelming.Nice credibility with the Foreword by Dr. Hughes and Dr. Roubey.This is a must have for APS patients and family! ... Read more

Product Description
A follow-up to Susan Hughes best selling book "RYAN - A Mother's Story of her Hyperactivity Tourette Syndrome Child covering his particularly difficult teenage years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

absoultely wonderful
this book is about a mom of a boy with servere tourettes. I t is excellent written she is real able to convey her pain and also her hope for her children. A must read for all intrested or avected by tourettes. the last chapter is by young ryan himself it is also vey intrsting.

A heartfelt story of ups and downs
This book is a must have for parents of childrens with tourette syndrome.It certainly proved we are not alone in the daily struggles we and our familys face. Although this can be a depressing book at times, it does goto show that with an incredible amount of patience and knowledge, you canhandle anything. ... Read more

Product Description
This specialized book is devoted solely to the subject of Guillain-Barre syndrome and inflammatory neuropathies. It describes the pathogenesis, clinical features, neurophysiology and treatment of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an acute paralyzing disorder usually due to inflammation and demyelination in the spinal roots and peripheral nerves. In clinical practice, the syndrome is an important cause of neuromuscular paralysis requiring artificial ventilation. The pathogenesis is interpreted in the light of experimental models of inflammatory neuropathy induced by antibody or T lymphocyte responses directed against myelin or purified myelin antigens. These autoimmune responses are triggered by infections with viruses, including the virus which causes AIDS. The pathology and immunology of Guillain-Barre syndrome are compared with chronic idiopathic demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and inflammatory human neuropathies, such as in vasculitis and leprosy, as well as veterinary conditions such as Marek's Disease. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring contributions from professionals working and researching in a wide variety of fields, the book provides invaluable information, support, and guidance on educating a child with Fragile X. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring contributions from professionals working and researching in a wide variety of fields, the book provides invaluable information, support, and guidance on educating a child with Fragile X. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Property Management, published by Institute of Real Estate Management on July 1, 1994. The length of the article is 1512 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Sick building syndrome refers to mild work-related irritations purportedly caused by air pollution within office buildings. The symptoms include headaches, fatigue and skin disorders. Twenty-five percent of such cases are caused by a specific agent such as contamination from a fungi or bacteria, but causes of the remaining 75% are difficult to ascertain. To help property managers evaluate the validity of claims against a 'sick' building, two consecutive studies were conducted on indoor air quality involving multistory buildings over 20 years old. Regular measurements of indoor air quality were taken, followed by the manipulation of building ventilation while keeping temperature and humidity at comfortable levels. Questionnaires inquiring as to changes in symptoms were then distributed among a majority of the building employees. The results suggest that sick building syndrome may not exist as a separate illness.

Citation Details
Title: Is sick building syndrome for real?
Author: Sally S. Hughes
Publication: Journal of Property Management (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 1994
Publisher: Institute of Real Estate Management
Volume: v59Issue: n4Page: p32(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
After exhaustive attempts to heal themselves through conventional methods, the authors, a doctor and a nurse, moved beyond feeling victimized by physical symptoms. Instead, they learned how to interpret their symptoms as communications from their bodies about unexpressed emotions and various structures they had created in their lives which no longer supported them. Author promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

WOW
I bought the book because I was dealing with a health problem.I did not know what to expect but was certainly pleasantly surprised.Just reading about how the authors struggled with a major illness and were able to overcome it was an inspiration.Half way through the book I stopped and ordered three additional books and had them sent to friends and relatives who are dealing with health problems. I can not imagine anyone who is facing health problems not being inspired by this book.If they are not inspired or encouraged, perhaps they are not discouraged
enough to have an open mind.I truly believe that we do not have to know how something works in order to benefit from trying it.I believe that this books offers HOPE.

Not a self-help book, but the appendices are good
Others have pointed out the shortcomings of this book... the long narrative, the lack of solid how-to advice, the hodge-podge of techniques mentioned but not thoroughly explained. Yet there are some good things if you read it with a grain of salt and don't get bogged down.

The authors point out the importance of attitude but it's their examples of misguided attitudes in the first part of the book that make their point. They knew they were very sensitive to chemicals and mold and yet stayed in toxic environments and then were really really upset when they had severe reactions. This is understandable at first but when they keep doing this the reader gets a bit impatient. Then they seek out supernatural advice through mediums and such and also try bodywork and kineseology and they eventually improve. Yet it's not clear exactly what cured them, or even how much better they are. So the book is a little frustrating.

There is a series of appendices which I actually found useful. If you are looking for help with MCS/EI, read Pam Gibson's reports on what helps and does not help, but consider getting a copy of this book at the library, or buy a used copy. Skim through the text, keeping an open mind about the channeled guidance - it may or may not have happened exactly the way they understood it, but they were there and advice was coming from somewhere, so I can accept that something was happening and eventually it was helpful. Anyway, the appendices are worth looking over.

Puuuhleeeeze!! Don't Waste Your TIME!
They don't even have a clue! This is a very old - outdated book. It needs to be out of print!

Opened My Mind
This book helped me to look at my illness in a new way.Although parts of the authors' story were a bit longwinded, I found it helpful to read about their process in detail.I could feel (and relate to) how consumed they were by trying to create a "safe" environment in the external world- and how this obsession did little to improve their health.I felt encouraged as they discovered new ways of relating to EI and how they were transformed by their intense inner work.

I had never heard of "channeling" and I wasn't really into energy healing when I first read this book. I benefitted from its basic message nonetheless.I still refer back to it, especially Appendix IV which is a summary of the authors' observations on healing CFS/EI.As the authors note, not everyone has to do what they did to heal the illness, but if you have tried "everything" are stuck, this book could be helpful to you.

If this book is too "woo-woo" for your taste (and even if it isn't), I recommend "Healing Environmental Illness from Within" by Marcia Murphy.It is the story of woman who wholeheartedly tried the more conventional treatments for EI, but failed to break through it until she included mind & spirit in her healing process.

Disappointing but interesting
As a longtime CFS and EI sufferer, I couldn't wait to get this book. I'm now very open to "channels" and messages from angels or highly evolved beings, and also the incredible helpfulness of energy medicine in the very necessary changing of beliefs, letting go of emotions, as well as the physical avoidance of toxins (at least in the healing stages) and attention to diet, allergies, etc. Although I'm almost 100% healed and even starting a new business at age 52, I was enticed by reviews that this book would uncover the mental and emotional reasons people get EI and CFS at this time and place.

I eagerly went to bed each night to read another few chapters, but as each night went on, I was anxious for the story part to be over (it was interesting and validating, even though each EI sufferer is affected quite differently) and the "answer" part to begin. I was disappointed to say the least. Any evolved being who would admonish a human and cause them to suffer and cry with guilt, rage, shame, etc. is NOT a very evolved being!

This being talked in circles that were very hard to follow, and the authors blamed themselves for not getting it! Any entity from the Light is going to feel like a loving parent and bathe them in higher vibrations that feel good, not bad, while releasing the negative energy so many of us have. We need positive loving messages, not more depression!The insights I receive from Highly evolved souls and entities are always helpful and make me feel better; that's how I differentiate them from messages from the "dark side" whether that's a religious belief or your own shadow side.

I don't know what treatments the authors use for people who visit them (another disappointment with the book), but they hinted at NAET, which does have value. Allergies (or more accurately, energy toxins) to everything from foods, inhalants, everyday products, almost ANYTHING) can have a huge impact on the immune system, and in my case, my moods and muscles. NAET neutralizes these substances to much relief, but I found early on that I was so sick, I couldn't hold the treatments, even though I did them for 2 years.

It wasn't until I met the folks at Quantum Techniques (www.quantumtechniques.com) that I was able to release the viruses, bacteria, past emotional traumas, beliefs- all kinds of things that didn't seem at the time to be connected to EI, TOTALLY PAINLESSLY. It's been an amazing journey, though not cheap. I also recommend Machaelle Small Wright's MAP book- Medical Assistance Program from beings of the Light who are there to help humans heal. And it's free, and it feels good! ... Read more