My Top Ten Reads of 2011

One of the better excuses for having a blog is that I can post book blurbs. This is a good way for me to process material I’m reading, but maybe it will be helpful to someone out there looking for something new to read! I’m going to steal an idea from another pastor I respect and post my top-ten reads of 2011.

10. Gospel Coach: Shepherding Leaders to Glorify God by Scott Thomas and Tom Wood – This is a great, practical book on shepherding men in the church. It was helpful in considering how to build a more effective system of discipleship, which has been a big concern of mine this year.

9. Launching Missional Communities: A Field Guide by Mike Breen and Alex Absalom – I stumbled on this book while looking for a different book and decided to buy it. It was written by two pastors in the UK and focuses on the philosophy and methods for starting groups of 20-50 people who are united around a common service and witness to a specific neighborhood or people group. They operate like an extended family of missionaries and are meant to be the primary expression of “church” in their context. Very helpful material throughout.

8. Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith – This book was recommended by Richard Rieves. I found it fascinating and eye-opening. It is a sociology book looking at the differing perceptions of the race problem within the evangelical world. It walked me through the historical roots of the problem and challenged me to consider my own biased perspective in detail. I am guilty of approaching racialization in far too individualistic terms! I was fortunate in this case to have received a used book I bought online that came with great notes from the previous reader.

7. Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just by Tim Keller – Keller presents a clear, Biblical picture of God’s heart for the poor and oppressed. The Church cannot remain neutral in the arena of social justice.

6. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor …And Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert – A few years ago I read Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo. This book seems to echo many of Moyo’s conclusions and common grace insights, but does it grounded in a strong theological framework. Corbett and Fikkert provide a compassionate, clear, and compelling look at the problem of poverty and how we can best fight it.

5. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins – I guess I have a soft spot for popular teenage fiction. Having spent over 10 years as a youth pastor, I hear a lot of raving reviews for books like these. I have to admit, this one is very good. In fact, I think it is dark and serious enough to be considered adult fiction besides the fact that the main characters are mostly teenagers. There are redemptive themes throughout the series and you won’t want to put it down.

4. Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community by Ed Setzer and David Putnam – This book had a big impact on my concept of the mission of the church. The Lord seems to be shaping in me a greater vision for what the local church can be. This book helped me think through a lot of questions concerning the role of a missional church in reaching a particular context.

3. Church Planter: The Man, The Message, The Mission by Darrin Patrick – I finished this book today! It was convicting throughout and the title is deceptive. I recommend this for any pastor, not just church planters. The book is divided into thirds. The first covers the qualifications for elder. The second covers the preaching of the Word. The third covers the mission of the church. All three were equally helpful to me.

2. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand – Any male who considers himself a man’s man should read this book and be humbled into feeling like a wimp. This is a true story, and one that pounds you relentlessly with physical and psychological toil. The writer is extremely gifted at telling stories and she draws you in to the point that my dreams were haunted by the images. But it was totally worth it! You are starving yourself if you don’t read this story.

1. Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support by Brad House – I bought copies of this book to distribute. That’s why it is #1 on my list. This book shaped me more than any other I read this year. If you read it, you may not feel the same way. But for me it is an issue of context. Our church has not had a vibrant small group ministry in years (or arguably ever), but there are signs that may be changing. If you are a church leader interested in small group ministry, do yourself a huge favor and read this one.