Several have written in asking for a different sort of reading list than the one we provided last month. I guess it’s a subjective thing… but on the whole, some were wanting books that were more inspirational than what the compiler had in mind. So … here’s your chance. Want to submit your own list of helpful books you’ve read over the last year? Just hit “Comment” below this item and have at it! We’ll try to watch for these comments and insert the Amazon.com links as time goes on. Thanks for any books you can recommend to our Brigada readership of 10,000.
here’s our list of resource books for missionaries:
http://shepsstaff.org/readings.aspx
One of the most impactful books I have read is “Safely Home” by Randy Alcorn. Howard Lisech
I loved Safely Home too. ENTREPRENEURIAL FAITH is quite insightful on the practical side of missions strategy.
SECRETS OF THE RAINFOREST by Michael Pink is tremendously challenging and faith building with great ideas throughout.
The Shack by P. William Young. Healing for many, offensive to some.
Also,
How People Grow by Townsend and Cloud.
Christian treatise on growth: all kind of growth with focus on spiritual.
“Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road: Exploring a New Path Between Two Faiths” by Paul-Gordon Chandler was so great and a golden oldie from my training days was “Spirit of the Rainforest: A Yanomamo Shaman’s Story”
by Mark Andrew Ritchie
"Secrets of the Secret Place" by Bob Sorge – 52 short insights into developing intimacy with God
"The Sacred Romance" by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge puts us into the bigger Kingdom picture.
"In My Fathers Vineyard" is a condensed with beautiful pictures version of Wayne Jacobsen's book "The Vineyard" on Abiding from John 15. Outstanding!
"The Holy Wild" by Mark Buchanan on trusting the Character of God.
I have found used or out of print books at BestBookBuys.com (they include links to Amazon.com used)
Top books currently on my Kindle:
1. Disappointed with God, Philip Yancey
2. Blink and Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell
3. Organizing Genius, Warren Bennis
4. The back of the napkin, Dan Roam
5. Crowdsourcing, Jeff Howe
6. It’s not what you sell, it’s what you stand for
7. Mother Theresa: come be my light
8. Beyond teams: building the collaborative organization
9. Yes: 50 scientifically proven ways to be persuasive
10. Corps Business
In the late 90’s I posed a question on the Brigada mailing list. I compiled and shared the list with interested members. It is presented now as it was submitted then in an excel file with a 190 books.
http://web.me.com/john.omalley/Site/Brigada.html
Before you begin another “how to” book, consider Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Be refreshed by this Pulitzer Prize winning author. And do read The Shack, but with much discernment. Observe how it gives a generation of youth who seek happiness over holiness permission to create God in their own image. Dan DeGroat ddegroat
@globaloutreachgroup.org
The new book “Life in Death: A Journey From Terrorism To Triumph” is truly an inspirational book by author Lisa Gibson
Here is what Dr. Greg Livingstone says about the book “To reflectively read this book is to go farther in coming to terms with what God truly wants to see in Christians loving their enemies. Gibson takes it from religious poetry to teeth gritting reality. How I yearn that every Western Christian who is repulsed by Muslim terrorism would follow in her steps.”
http://relit.org/library.php
If you are wanting devotionals, any of Brennan Manning’s writings are excellent. Check them out at Amazon.com
On Islam: More than a Prophet by Caner; Muslim Magic.. . by Rick Love and any of his other writings. He especially has a good one on contextualization.
Fred Thomas
Not in any particular order
1) The Shack -William Young (already recommended by other readers)
2) Sex God – by Rob Bell – it’s not what you think it is
3) A Skeleton in God’s Closet- by Paul L. Maier – archeological fiction
4)Today Counts – by Harold Sala- devotional
5)A Long obedience in the same direction – Eugene Peterson
6) Prayer – Philip Yancey
7) The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham
8) When Life and Beliefs Collide- Carolyn Custis James
9) Inside the Mind of unchurched Harry and Mary – Lee Strobel
10)The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus – John Cross
Here is my list of books that I read last year. Doug Nichols
Books Read in 2008
By Doug Nichols
(January 16, 2009)
– A Godward Life by John Piper*
√ A Godward Life (Book 2) by John Piper*
* April 1865 (The Month that Saved America) by Jay Winik
√ Beyond the Soiled Curtain (Project Rescue’s Fight for the Victims of the Sex-Slave Industry) by David&
Beth Grant
* The Bible (English Standard Version)
* The Bible and Black Slavery by Dr. William L. Banks
√ The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff
√ Biblical Charity by Robert Smith
* Bitesize Theology by Peter Jeffery
– Bound for Canaan (The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad, America’s First Civil Rights Movement)
by Fergus Bordewich*
– Bury the Chains (Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves) by Adam Hochschilb*
* The Call of the Master Fisher by Dr. Roger Greenway
√ Character Counts by Os Guinness
* A Crime So Monstrous: Face to Face with Modern Day Slavery by E. Benjamin Skinner
* The Courage to Be Protestant by David Wells
√ Dressed to Kill by Rick Renner
√ Eric Liddell—Pure Gold (A New Biography of the Olympic Champion Who Inspired “Chariots of Fire”)
by David M.C. Casland
* The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Dr. Steven J. Lawson
√ Fit Bodies Fat Minds by Os Guinness
– From Sea to Shining Sea (God’s Plan for America Unfolds) by Peter Marshall and David Manuel*
√ George Muller by Miller Basil*
– God is the Gospel by John Piper √
√ Gracism by David Anderson
– Heaven by Randy Alcorn*
– The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper √
√ Just Courage (God’s Great Expedition for the Restless Christian) by Gary A. Haugen
* The Law of Kindness by Mary Beeke
√ The Leadership Dynamic by Harry Reeder
– The Light and the Glory (Did God Have a Plan for America?) by Peter Marshall and David Manuel*
* Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
– The Minister as Shepherd by Charles Jefferson
– The Missionary Call by M. David Sills
– Never Beyond Hope by JI Packer
* On Being Black and Reformed (The New Perspective on the African American Christian Experience) by
Anthony J. Carter
* Pathway to Freedom (How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives) by Alistair Begg
* The Prayer of Our Lord by Philip Ryken
√ The Skeptics Guide to the Global AIDS Crisis by Dale Hanson Bourke
* Slavery and Christianity (Paul’s Letter to Philemon) by James Robbins
– Sounding Forth the Trumpet (God’s Plan for America in Peril, 1837-1860) by Peter Marshall and David
Manuel*
√ Standing for Christ in a Modern Babylon by Marvin Olasky
– Standing for God: The Story of Elijah by Roger Ellsworth
* The Truth War by John MacArthur
√ Too Small to Ignore (Why Children are the Next Big Thing) by Wes Stafford
* Under His Wings (Protected by God in China – The Story of Walter and Helen Jespersen) by Agnes C.
Lawless
* Voices Against Slavery (Ten Christians who spoke out for freedom) by Catherine House
* War of Words by Paul David Tripp
* What is the Christian Worldview: Basics of Reformed Faith by Philip Graham Ryken
√ Where Have all the Leaders Gone? By Lee Iacocca
* Why We're Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
In no particular order or genre:
– Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas (Christian; about how our personalities lend various ‘paths’ to feeling close to God)
– The Count of Monte Cristo (classic…if you haven’t read it yet, you must! Some good parallels for the Christian life too. Forgiveness, etc.)
– Ted Dekker’s “Red”, “White”, and “Black” trilogy. I’m not usually one for Christian fiction, but found these fascinating.
– anything by John Krakauer (traveler/adventurer who lives and works in Seattle)
– Malcolm Gladwell’s works (Tipping Point, etc.)
– The Gift of Pain by Brand/Yancey
– Safely Home, Alcorn
– Spirit of the Rainforest
– Blue Like Jazz, Miller (better than his more recent works, imho)
– All That the Prophets Have Spoken, John Cross
– Honeymoon in Purdah. A fascinating account of a single woman’s journey through Iran. Secular non fiction.
I could go on and on. You hit a love of mine.