2012 Book List

There is this new phenomenon that I have learned about called book reviews. I know, I know. Many of you have already realized the importance of book reviews and the impact that they can make on your ministry, but I know for me, this is a new phenomenon.

You probably have heard it said, you will be the same person in ten years that you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read. Yet I have always struggled with whether or not I am being exposed to and reading the best books or not. One way to uncover the best books out there is to read book reviews. Make it a habit to read a book review a week. Subscribe to blogs like The Gospel Coalition or Scott McKnight's Jesus Creed. A lot of times these blogs will post a weekly review of one of the latest books that just came out.

Another way to beef up your choice of literature is to become a bibliography fanatic. If you find a book that really knocked the socks off of you, make sure you don't stop reading after the last chapter. Seek out the bibliography. Read the books that that author read in order to write the book. Every time I am reading a book, I keep a running list on the back cover of that book of other books the author mentions that I think might be useful in the future. I do this because if you are like me, I am reading before a meeting or while I'm relieving myself. So I make a quick note, and then go back and add these books to my amazon wish list.
Another great avenue for finding the best books is through end of the year lists. Both Scott McKnight and The Gospel Coalition came out with their best of the best for 2012. Make sure to check out their lists, but also, make it a habit to make your own. Here is my top ten of 2012. Hopefully it's helpful.

10. Is There a Meaning in this Text by Kevin Vanhoozer. This was a textbook for school and it was a tough read but one that has not only helped understand deconstructionism, but has given me the tools to critique it. For all of us pastors trained with the historical-grammatical method of hermeneutics, this book is a great asset to educate us on the mindset of an up and coming generation in relation to interpretation.

9. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. After I finished my first semester of graduate school, I was ready to just pick up a novel and have some fun. Since this movie was coming out soon, I thought I would re-read this great book. If you haven't read this classic, pick it up and spend a week or so just hanging out with Bilbo and some dwarfs.

8. A Community Called Atonement by Scott McKnight. My Romans professor at Ozark Christian College assigned this book as one of our required readings and I just couldn't put it down. McKnight does a great job at interacting with all the atonement theories but also providing a very attractive alternative that is both comprehensive and practical for our daily lives.

7.   Theology for the Community of God by Stanley Grenz. This was another book assigned to me for my graduate studies, but I cannot exaggerate the benefit that this book has had on my ministry. Grenz takes a very historical approach to his systematic theology, showing the progression of thought for all the different aspects of theology. This serves as a great reference tool for every area of theology.

6. New Testament and the People of God by N.T. Wright. I had been wanting to dig into Wright's trilogy on Jesus for years, and I finally picked up a shovel this summer. NTPG was a fantastic read about how Jesus is the fulfillment of the story and expectations of the Jews. Wright did a fantastic job at painting the picture of the contemporary political climate that Jesus entered into and how Jesus was the next step in God's story of the redemption of the world. I can't wait to read the second volume this next year.

5. Church Unique by Will Mancini. I am almost finished with this book but wanted to toss it on this list because of the impact it has made on me this year. This is a must-read for anyone who is involved with upper level leadership of a church. Mancini is well-versed in all the areas of vision leadership and really has written an exhaustive step-by-step guide on how to find the unique call that God has laid upon your church in your specific culture.

4. Simply Christian by N.T. Wright. This book has been equated to C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I have never felt like I understood the entire redemptive plan of God as clearly as I did as I read Simply Christian. Wright is truly a scholar that can put the cookies on the lower shelf. His metaphors and teaching brings to life for us simple-minded people the deep theological truths of God's plan to rescue the world through a guy named Abraham.

3. The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy. Every summer my Granddad and I exchange one book recommendation. This year he chose The Mentor Leader for me to read and I couldn't thank him enough. Tony Dungy,  the head coach of the 2007 super bowl champs the  Indianapolis Colts, has provided leaders with a concept that is so simple yet paradigm shifting. The idea is simply this...it's all about mentoring. Dungy weaves in scripture and story after story of the importance of relationships and mentoring in every organization. Every minister and leader needs to pick up a copy of this one.

2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Two months ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me this would be my number two favorite book that I read in 2012. It took me ten months of on again and off again reading to finally work my way through this four hundred paged book. It took 180 pages for me to figure out what was going on (June), three hundred pages to start getting excited about it (November), and then the last 100 pages I read in like two days. The book is INCREDIBLE. It is worth grinding through 2/3 of the book confused. I can't wait to re-read it.

1. A Work of Heart by Reggie McNeal. From a leadership perspective, I have never had a book that I felt was focused more on the development of the heart of a leader. Be prepared to take a journey inside yourself to discover how your past and your divine make-up has prepared you for the leadership position you are in today. This is a book I will come back to over and over again for the rest of my life.

Hope this list helps. If you have any book lists or reviews you want to send my way feel free to, I would love to see what God has used to refine you as a leader for his kingdom.

Merry Christmas!!!