Books

Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture, by Brandon Hatmaker, is now available at most online retailers. Below is a series of video interviews where Brandon talks about why he wrote the book, and what he hopes people will take away after reading Barefoot Church.

Leadership Network is happy to announce a newly updated edition of A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders is now available. First published in 2000, the updated edition includes a new preface from author Reggie McNeal, sharing his 10-year perspective on the landscape of spiritual leadership. The book also includes questions for discussion or reflection in your personal spiritual leadership journey.

Various people contact our department through .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and my team fields those replies. Here is a recent one that I think a lot of people would be interested in: Q: I was reading a magazine article that quoted you speaking about the growing trend in healthy church mergers. I was looking into the possibility of finding another church to merge with in my area. How should I begin? A: Here’s the entirety of what I wrote: First step would be to decide whether your congregation would be the “joining church” or the “lead church.” Either way, praying for guidance at each step, the most typical path is to work through the relationships with other church leaders you know. If you’re in the joining church role...

Pioneer - that's Larry Osborne. When I think of the pioneers of yesteryear I think of individuals that were willing to venture into the unknown while at the same time being fully aware of the realities of each step of the journey. They were high risk leaders with real life sensabilities. That's Larry Osborne. I first met Larry about 8-9 years ago as Leadership Network was launching its first Leadership Community for Multisite Churches. His pioneering work in the development of video venues was, and is, shaping a significant stream of the multisite movement. In his book, Sticky Church, Larry tells the story of the DNA of his church, Northcoast Church in Vista, CA. In this interview, Larry talks about reading and writing. Enjoy!

Earlier this week, we posted a 3-question poll, asking readers to, "Please list up to 5 books you have read recently that had direct application to your ministry or leadership." The responses have varied greatly, so here are all the books people have read, in alpahbetical order. (The books listed in bold were mentioned by more than one person.)

What kinds of books do pastors and ministry leaders read to keep sharpen their skills? Do they read books from the business section? Or do they stick with books targeted toward Christian leaders? Is there a gap in the publishing world for books that are relevant and helpful for today's ...

No one doubts that steady change is happening in worship styles, motivations for participation, sizes of congregations, and themes that connect meaningfully with the unchurched. What we do not know is which of these shifts will lead to the biggest impact – and what those implications will be.

This enjoyable book calls leaders to let go of the masks they wear. Well written by a youth worker for fellow youth workers, Pinocchio vs. the Real Boy brings ready application to everyone in ministry. Author Marv Nelson was a youth pastor in the church I am part of, and is now on a youth ministry team doing great things in a downtown Pittsburgh church, which I recently visited. I am convinced he walks his talk.

Here are some of my favorite lines form what the subtitle describes as a “guide to authenticity”:

It has been a weird year for weather. Even super sophisticated Tina Brown, of Newsweek, thinks the “rapture guy might just be right.”

Linda and I are headed for our one-month sabbatical in the cool and beautiful mountain oasis of Aspen. There is no place better in the world for reading -- mornings outside in 50 degree weather next to the Roaring Fork River. Within walking distance, there are six four-star restaurants and just down the road is the Aspen Institute for our annual dose of pundits.

People often ask BJ and me “what should I be reading these days?” Here are my recommendations:

21 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read. Looks like some good reads. I was surprised about how few were on my list of "have read" or "need to read." The latter just got longer. What is on your top 21 Books Every Church Leader Should Read List? Share in the comments below or contact me via Twitter.