So I want to share with you the books I think are essential to read (other than the Bible. No one say “you forgot the Bible”, cause I didn’t). These are great books and will help you in your ministry.
1. Peacemaker by Ken Sande. You need it. Enough said.
2. Brothers, We are Not Professionals by John Piper.
3. Simple Church by Rainer and Eric Geiger. You know what I’m talking about. Stop filling up your calendar, just do what you are suppose to do. That leads me to:
4. Real Life Discipleship. This is how you do what you are suppose to do.
5. The Kingdom Focused Church by Gene Mims. Great picture with circles and lines. You plug this in with #3 and #4, then you will be set.
Those are just 5 that I can think of. There are lots of great books, but these will help in your ministry and hopefully make life easier.
I am so glad that you put on Real Life Discipleship. Couldn’t recommend it more highly. He talks about Bible Storying, which goes along with Avery Willis’ book Making Truth Stick. With Zondervan’s The Story and B&H’s Reading God’s Story, Pastors and small group leaders should have plenty of resources available to them for growing their people.
I really liked Real Life Discipleship as well, but I would add that Putman’s first book Church Is a Team Sport is a good book for background on that book also.
I just need to add the Piper book to my collection… then my training will be complete.
I would replace Mims with Journeys by Todd Wright and Marty Duren. Will have to give the rest of the list a look. I’ve been wanting to read the Piper and Peacemaker seems like a must read, too. Thanks for letting us know.
I am just curious out of you that mention these 5 books, how many of you have read the 5 classics? My 5 for suggestion:
1. Pilgrim’s Progress by bunyan;
2. LIfe and Diary of David Brainerd
3. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
4. In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
5. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
And of course, these may be more directed for personal growth and spiritual growth, compared to church and minsitry growth.
I have read most of those. Like Pilgrim’s Progress, but not for Ministry, it’s more for personal growth. Same with Life of Brainerd, even though it’s Edwards, and he is my hero. Not sure how Foxe’s Book of Martyrs will help with my ministry, wonder if you actually read what I wrote. I think In His Steps is the worst Christian book ever written, how someone can try to say “What what Jesus Do” and do try to chance society without focusing on life change first is beyond me. Just my thoughts.
Of course, with my background in English lit, I have a unique perspective.
Sheldon’s “In His Steps” was on the same order of Fosdick’s sermon “Shall the Fundamentalists Win” if I’m not mistaken. Of course Sheldon put the cart before the horse.
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs is a great read. I love it when they produce those marvelous lines as they’re burning at the stake. I found The Imitation of Christ rather dry. Dante’s Divine Comedy is well worth it. Pilgrim’s Progress is fun. And I simply adore everything I’ve ever read by C. S. Lewis.
I have read all five of the classics listed by Mr. Biser, and on Fox’s Book of Martyrs I went one step further. I took notes on the original work of which the Book of Martyrs is a condensed version, namely, the Acts and Monuments. I forget how many volumes it was, and they were big thick works…Heavy reading any time. Don’t have access to the contemporary works mentioned above in the blog.
I’m reminded of Pascal’s Pensees. Also, I’d recommend St. Augustine’s The City of God. Both marvelous classics. I think again of the concerns of classic theologians. What were they? How do those concerns differ from those of theologians since the Reformation and Enlightenment? Do we need to start asking the old questions again? The questions we ask determine our solutions. This is so essential.