Ultimate 2016 Summer Reading List

After New Year and Back to School season, summer is the most popular “reset” time of year. Who wants to be out of shape, behind the curve, or overwhelmed when “beach” is such a viable option? Heck, the words “summer” and “reading” practically go hand in hand, right? Summer is the perfect time to course correct on a few squandered New Year’s resolutions, especially catching up on lost bible reading or sharpening some otherwise dull iron!

I sent emails, texts and phone calls out to leaders all across the country. A good number have yet to get back to me, but the fastest to their phones were Boyd Bailey, John Woodall, and Joel Thomas. For this reason, I’ll let them go first with their top current reads and recommendations.

Boyd Bailey – Founder, Ministry Ventures; President, Georgia National Christian Foundation; Founder & Author, Wisdom Hunters

• The Power of the Other – Henry Cloud (Subtitle: “The startling effect other people have on you, from the boardroom to the bedroom and beyond-and what to do about it.”)
• 7 Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness – Eric Metaxas
• Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe

John Woodall – Director [7] and Men’s Groups, North Point Community Church

• A Grief Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss – Jerry Sittser
• The Gospel of John – John, the Apostle… yeah the apostle that Jesus loved the most. John Woodall makes a great point in our conversation – “The bible is still the best for me.”
  So, let me ask you – what sections of God’s word are you going to dig into most this summer?

Joel Thomas – Lead Pastor, Mission Community Church

• Colors of Good-bye: A Memoir of Holding On, Letting Go, and Reclaiming Joy in the Wake of Loss – September Vaudrey (note: second leader I polled who’s actively studying grief and loss – something to learn here, no?)
• Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business – Charles Duhigg
• (Un)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things – Steven Furtick
• The Four Elements of Success: A Simple Personality Profile that will Transform Your Team – Laura Beth Jones

Scott Mawdesley – Campus Pastor, 12Stone Church; Blogger, Leaderkick.com

• An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization – Kegan, Lahey, Miller, et. al. 
• Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business – Charles Duhigg
• Meditations of Marcus Aurelius – Marcus Aurelius
• Favorite read of 2016 – Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World- Cal Newport

 

Michael Todd Wilson – Author, Christian Counselor, Sexual Integrity Coach, Intentional Hearts Ministries

• We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking Truth to a Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, and the Very Meaning of Right and Wrong – Dr. Albert Mohler
• God Meant it for Good – R.T. Kendall
• Close Calls: What Adulterers Want You to Know About Protecting Your Marriage – Dave Carder

Personally, I’m diving back into the Old Testament – specifically,

• Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah. I’m also re-reading
• Greg McKeown’s “Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less“, and have
• Newport’s “Deep Work” and
• “Gotta Have It!: Freedom from Wanting Everything Right Here, Right Now” by Gregory Jantz on my list.

Matt Chandler – Author; Lead Pastor, The Village Church

• Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion – Os Guinness
• The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments  – Thomas R. Schreiner
• Sensing Jesus: Life and Ministry as a Human Being – Zack Eswine
• Reformed Dogmatics: Abridged in One Volume – Herman Bavinck
• A Separate Peace – John Knowles

NOTE: Just met with Ron Dunn, CEO of Carpets Plus and leader of One Th1ng for Men – this summer, he’s reading through as much of Andy Andrews as he can. But also re-reading Psalms and taking a deep topical approach to the bible from the perspective of “What’s God Say My Role is as a Man?” A worthy reading plan, no?

Further, anyone familiar with Crawford Loritts knows that he’s an avid reader. He’s recently been reading the following:

• A Peculiar Glory: How the Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness by John Piper
• First Dads: Parenting and Politics from George Washington to Barack Obama by Joshua Kendall
• Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction by Caleb Kaltenback

Ken Boa – Author; President, Reflections Ministries; President, Trinity House Publishers

• How Dante Can Save Your Life: The Life-Changing Wisdom of History’s Greatest Poem by Rod Dreher
• The Road to Character by David Brooks
• How the West Won: The Neglected Story of the Triumph of Modernity by Rodney Stark

 

What’s on your list and how can I help you blaze through it?

in Christ,

AP