LEADERSHIP MATTERS by Roger Yancey, D.Min.
It’s summertime, which means you will find opportunities to read those books you have stacked up waiting for you. I wanted to share with you some books you might find of interest, as well as those that some fellow pastors have recommended. Full confession, the book descriptions are taken from the descriptions you can find on Amazon, as are the links to purchase the books if you are interested in doing so. Whether you read one of these books or others on your own list, allow your summer to be one for personal growth.
Diary of a Pastor’s Soul tells the story of a fictionalized pastor, embarking on his final year before retirement, who reflects on the experiences and relationships that have formed his vocation and shaped his soul over a lifetime of pastoral ministry. Through 52 weekly thematic entries, Barnes presents spirituality in narrative form through a collection of interwoven stories about learning to love others with curiosity, amazement, vulnerability, and most of all, gratitude for the grace found in flawed lives. Barnes’s fictionalized diary approach creatively shows how the pastoral vocation forms mind, heart, and soul, helping pastors make sense of their own calling. With unvarnished honesty, this book eloquently illustrates a lifetime of ministry, revealing how “the Holy haunts the landscape of life.” https://a.co/d/iLx5QFc
Rembrandt is in the Wind How do art and faith intersect? How does art help us see our own lives more clearly? What can we understand about God and humanity by looking at the lives of artists? Striving for beauty, art also reveals what is broken. It presents us with the tremendous struggles and longings common to the human experience. And it says a lot about our Creator, too. Great works of art can speak to the soul in a unique way. Rembrandt is in the Wind is an invitation to discover some of the world’s most celebrated artists and works and how each of them illuminates something about God, people, and the purpose of life. https://a.co/d/5kzBTT5
The Elements of Story. Most writing books dwell on common issues of style and grammar. Yet most writers also confront complex problems of story design. This fifty-rule guide by Francis Flaherty, a New York Times editor, offers much-needed solutions and sage advice to address these concerns. “Sometimes, say things sideways,” Flaherty writes. “The reader will be grateful.” “White is whitest on black,” he observes. “Let contrast work for you.” Through such hard-won, story-level insights, sprinkled with examples from real stories and leavened with a good dose of newsroom memoir, The Elements of Story merits a spot on every writer’s shelf. https://a.co/d/b7Huvkh
Through the Storm by Pastor Jim Newton is a heartfelt and inspiring account of one pastor’s life-changing journey of faith and leadership. Early in his ministry, Pastor Newton implemented strategies that brought rapid growth, but it soon became clear that the success was built on worldly methods disguised as spiritual progress. After a church split and a humbling confrontation with God, Pastor Newton realized the importance of leading through God’s wisdom, not his own. In this book, he shares 14 transformative lessons God taught him during this challenging time. https://a.co/d/eFYZQ8y
In Hero Maker, you will learn how to bring real change to your church and community by developing the practical skills to help others reach their leadership potential. Drawing on five powerful practices found in the ministry of Jesus, Hero Maker presents the key steps of apprenticeship that will build up other leaders. With rich insights from the Gospels, Hero Maker is packed with real-life ministry stories ranging from paid staff to volunteer leaders–from established churches to new church plants. Whether you lead ten people or ten thousand, Hero Maker will not only help you maximize your leadership impact, but in doing so, you will also help shift today’s church culture to a model of reproduction and multiplication. https://a.co/d/5R7F5wC
Enjoy your summer reading!
In Kingdom service,
Executive Director, AMS
