Who’s Reading What? is a monthly feature at Lifeway Pastors. We survey 8-12 pastors, business leaders, theologians, professors, writers, and other culture shapers with these four questions:
What are you currently reading?
Who is the author?
Which genre is it?
Why are you reading it?
No reviews. No summaries. It is a quick list to help expand the borders of your intake.
Enjoy!
Dan Hyun, pastor of The Village, Baltimore, MD
What: Crossover Preaching
Who: Jared Alćantara
Which: Preaching/Cross-Cultural Ministry
Why: Another pastor recommended it so I picked it up to help me in my dissertation on multicultural preaching development. Very helpful in learning how preaching will need to adapt to a growingly multicultural society through the lens of the work of the noted preacher Dr. Gardner Taylor.
Carmen LaBerge, host of The Reconnect with Carmen LaBerge
What: God, Revelation, and Authority
Who: Carl F.H. Henry
Which: Theology
Why: Because I need to re-read it. Evangelicals are often considered both anti-intellectual and concerned only with the soul and not with society. Carl Henry reminds me that we can’t out-think God. He reminds me that the Bible, as the Word of God, is fully sufficient to answer the questions of our day and every day. He also compels me to engage in the culture with fierce faith and focused concern.
Daniel Im, Director of Church Multiplication for NewChurches.com.
What: Designed to Lead
Who: Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck
Which: Church Leadership
Why: Leadership development is critical for the church to live out its mission to make disciples. This book lays out the conviction, culture, and constructs to make this a reality.
Gregory Thornbury, President, The King’s College, New York
What: Antifragile
Who: Nassim Taleb
Which: General Psychology/Business
Why: It is an investigation of how to make decisions in a world of profound opacity and uncertainty.
Julie Masson, Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategist, ERLC
What: Content, Inc
Who: Joe Pulizzi
Which: Business/Marketing
Why: In my role as the Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategist with the ERLC, I’m constantly thinking about how each piece of content can be beneficial to our audience. This book is giving me a framework for understanding why exactly content marketing is such a winning strategy for practically any brand. In my other role as a volunteer Director of Communications at my church, I manage our blog and social media accounts. Content, Inc has helped me stay laser focused on why we are producing content for our church and who that content is for.
Eric Geiger, vice-president, Lifeway Resources division, Lifeway Christian Resources
What: One Nation Under God
Who: Bruce Ashford and Chris Pappalardo
Which: Culture
Why: It’s a helpful perspective during the political season.
What: Grit
Who: Angela Duckworth
Which: Leadership/Development
Why: It’s similar to a Gladwell book, lots of research and pithy insight—which also can provide great illustrations.
Ryan Abernathy, pastor, West Metro Community Church, Yukon, OK
What: Lectures to My Students
Who: Charles Spurgeon
Which: Pastoral Ministry
Why: One of my goals each year is to read challenging books by a single author. This year it’s Charles Spurgeon.
Marty Duren, Executive Editor, Lifeway Pastors
What: Moving Mountains
Who: John Eldredge
Which: Spiritual Growth/Christian Life
Why: I need the occasional reminder about prayer.
What: Hillbilly Elegy
Who: J.D. Vance
Which: Biography/Sociology
Why: It’s a popular book in culture right now and the topic of a lot of conversations.
