I love the approach of "The Eric Trap" because the writing style and variation between Eric's story and personal testimony, coupled with the challenging reflection, really gets you as a pastor involved in working through the traps. I love how each chapter concludes: "Don't fall into the same trap as Eric. Go beyond reading inspirational words and stories, and measure your life and ministry agains the traps many in ministry fall into as did Eric. Open up your journal or notebook, and take time to answer the questions below. Allow the principles in this chapter to translate into the context of your life and ministry." The book does just that. We read about the mistakes of Eric, learn how to work through those mistakes, and then take a look at our own context to see how we can improve.
The chapter that touched my life and ministry most was, "Leadership Under Authority." In this chapter we learn about how our dreams and visions drive us. We want to find the newest resources and tools because we want our ministry to be the best. Often times we become absorbed in these driving forces and lose sight of God's call or the direction our Pastor is driving. We need to avoid this trap!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is new to ministry, and not just children's ministry, or to anyone who is feeling the weight and pressure of working in a church. Maybe you too are falling into the traps that Eric faced. I encourage you to grab this book, and begin the process of getting out of the trap and back on track!
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