Summer is a great time to refresh yourself as well as your vision for the coming fall. I have carefully chosen three practical books, which will help you to recharge and refocus for the new church year this fall. I have also added an online resource which will save you a bunch of time and money.
Who Moved My Pulpit? Leading Change in the Church, Thom S. Rainer, B&H 2016
Most of you have read at least one of Dr. Rainer’s other 25 books, so you know that he will shoot straight with you about the challenges of local churches. You won’t be disappointed in these hope-infused ideas which will help you face those challenges head-on.
Based on research from more than 50,000 churches, Dr. Rainer gives you a clear eight-stage roadmap to leading change in your church. It is a short book, but offers no shortcuts to church health. Reading this book is like getting coached up at halftime, especially if you had a tough first half. On behalf of pastors worldwide, I am grateful that we have someone who has committed his life to helping us win.
Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply, Ed Stetzer and Daniel Im, B&H
I wish I had this book when I planted a church 25 years ago! If you are planting a church or thinking about planting, partnering or launching a multi-site campus, this book will be a very useful guide for you. Ed and Daniel are practitioners who write from experience, not theory.
In this second edition of Planting Missional Churches, not only will you find a completely redesigned book with new content in every chapter, but you will also find several new chapters on topics such as church multiplication, residencies, multi-ethnic ministry, multi-site, denominations, networks, and spiritual leadership. Also included is an integration of the research Lifeway recently conducted on church planting (which you can download the State of Church Planting report at newchurches.com/register).
The Pastor’s Family, Brian and Cara Croft, Zondervan 2013
I found this book to be extremely practical and personal, which is no surprise because Dr. Croft genuinely loves pastors. Brian and Cara never speak from the vantage point of the other side of the finish line. They run alongside pastors and spouses with words of practical encouragement that make you really believe that you can win both at home and at church.
If I had the authority, I would make every single pastor read this book before starting day one of ministry, marriage, or parenting. Preachers will love how Dr. Croft walks through 1 Timothy 1, Titus 1, Ephesian 5-6, and 1 Peter 3 with us. Brian Croft connects with pastors regularly on practicalshepherding.com.
myWSB (my WORDsearch® Bible)
I only recommend what I like and what I use. I have been using my WordSearch library for years, but have only recently become a regular user of myWSB.com. If you are tired of wasting a bunch of valuable money and memory on a cumbersome library or carrying books from place to place, check this resource out.
This free web app was created to help you read and study the Bible online wherever you go. You can use myWSB to research your Bible studies, seminary homework, sermon creation, or lessons. Once you’ve added a book to your library, not only is it available on myWSB.com, but it will also sync to the WORDsearch® mobile apps. Save your work in either of these places, and you’ll be able to access it no matter what device you happen to be using.
