Book Reviews

I love to read.  While I definitely do not have as much time as I would like to dig through some of the amazing literature that is out there, lately I have been making more of an effort to shut my computer and open a book.  Here are overviews and reviews of the books that I have been reading lately.

Congregational Leadership

• The Church Mouse: Leadership Lessons From The Magic Kingdom, by Christopher W. Perry
• Who Stole My Church? What To Do When The Church You Love Starts To Enter The 21st Century, by Gordon MacDonald
• Well-Intentioned Dragons: Ministering to Problem People in the Church, by Marshall Shelley
• A New Church For A New World, by John M. Buchanan
• How To Wow Your Church Guests: 101 ways to make a meaningful first impression, by Mark L. Waltz
• Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible, by Elizabeth Drescher & Keith Anderson
• Straining At The Oars: case studies in pastoral leadership, by H. Dana Fearon III with Gordon S. Mikoski
• The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life,Work and Team with Positive Energy, by Jon Gordon
• Say No to Say Yes: Everyday Boundaries and Pastoral Excellence, by David C. Olsen and Nancy G. Devor

Worship & Altar Design

• Creating Holy Spaces: Worship Visuals for the Revised Common Lectionary, by Delia Halverson & Karen Appleby

Personal & Spiritual Growth

• The Furious Longing Of God, by Brennan Manning
• The Pastor: A Memoir, by Eugene Peterson
• Pastrix: the Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint, by Nadia Bolz-Weber
• Practicing Balance: How Congregations Can Support Harmony in Work and Life, by David Edman Gray

Women’s Ministry

• So Long, Insecurity: you’ve been a bad friend to us, by Beth Moore

Emergent Church

• The Hyphenates: How Emergence Christianity Is Re-Traditioning Mainline Practice, edited by Phil Snider
• Christianity After Religion: The End Of Church And The Birth Of A New Spiritual Awakening, by Diana Butler Bass
• Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets The Postmodern World, by John Dorhauer

Stewardship

• Not Your Parents Offering Plate: A New Vision For Financial Stewardship, by J. Clif Christopher

New Testament

• Sinners: Jesus And His Earliest Followers, by Greg Carey

Inter-Religious Dialogue

• Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity In A Multi-Faith World, by Brian D. McLaren