Tag Archives: Books

Leaders are readers

Posted on 05. Jan, 2012 by .

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I’m pretty sure it’s Jim Wideman who I heard this quote from, but I’ve learned over the years that Leaders are Readers. There’s just not a lot of getting around that. We can learn a lot on our own, but nothing like learning from the experiences of others who have gone before us, done more than we have or have experienced a different perspective from our own? When we are intentional about what we read, we walk away with principles or concepts that transform our lives and quite possibly the lives of others.

I had many people tell me through the blog and twitter what their best book of 2011 was, but I’m curious about what concept or idea gained from a book or books impacted you the most? I’ll share mine in a post later today. So, what what your greatest learning from a book or books in 2011?

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Top books of 2011

Posted on 04. Jan, 2012 by .

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This is a hard choice. I read 16 books in 2011 and all of them were very good. However, if I had to pick my top five, they would be the books listed below. My choice in the top 5 are books that have had the most profound affect on me. These are books that shape how I think and act and I often find myself thinking about the concepts long after I finished reading. So, here they are.

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

Switch was actually the first book I read this year and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed this book along to someone else, always with the same result. Switch changed the way I think about change. Both changing things within my personal life and helping to lead other people through change. I’m convinced that there’s more science to change than there is just random chance. There’s a real psychology to it and understanding what truly motivates a person or how to design a system around their emotions is the better way to lead through change. Read this book, you will not be disappointed!

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story

I heard Donald Miller speak at Orange on two different occasions and I loved his talks. They are some of the few talks that stuck with me over the years. Why, he’s such a good story teller. People have been talking about Blue Like Jazz for years, but I have not read it yet (although I do own it now). I finally picked up this book and loved every minute of reading it. It affected me in two ways. First of all, it challenged me in the way that I’m living my life. It caused me to ask the question, “Is my life a compelling story that’s worth being told/read? Where is the adventure? Where am I overcoming conflict?” My wife and I have been talking a lot about this. Secondly, there’s a story in the book where a family jumps into a river at midnight as a “goodbye” ritual. When asked about this later, they explained that they jumped into the river to create a memory that the other people will never forget. This caused me to think about the precious moments we have in ministry with kids. Are we intentional about creating experiences that create memories they’ll never forget. This won’t happen without intentionality.

Fields of Gold

Many leaders at my church have read this book by Andy Stanley. It’s about generosity. I’ve never read a book that talks about giving to your church quite like this. I’ve read and heard many formulaic teachings, usually how in the end, it benefits the giver… almost in a selfish way. For several months, my wife and I have been talking about how we can increase what we give every year with a goal where sometime in the future, we’ve learned how to give more than we keep. Reading this book fueled that kind of thinking and made us want to make that happen as soon as possible. It’s an incredible book. Be careful though, it will change your outlook on giving!

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

I’m busier than I’ve ever been and I struggle to get everything done. I know that I have some inefficiencies in my life… we all do. I heard about this book from Gina McClain and I’m so glad I picked it up. It immediately changed how I get things done. I’ve always been a list keeper, but this book helped me get really smart about my lists. Now I start every morning naming the frogs I need to eat ASAP. Definitely a must read!

The E-Myth Revisited

I read a lot of leadership books, but not as many business books. However, I did start a side business this year and this book came highly recommended. I immediately learned many things that I was doing wrong and how I needed to fix them before I had a mess on my hands. What’s more though, I discovered that the principles apply to the ministry I lead in a very specific way. If you oversee a ministry or even a department, you must read this book. Read with an open mind and keep asking yourself, “how does this apply to my ministry.” In it is a plan to equipping others where you can do the important work of strategy and growth and not get stuck in the weeds like so many of us do.

Okay, so there’s my top five. Like I said, this was a difficult list. I read many more that challenged me profoundly. If you’re looking for some good books to read, I highly recommend these five, but I’d also encourage you to hit any of the others on my 2011 reading list.

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My 2011 Reading List

Posted on 03. Jan, 2012 by .

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I must admit, I’m very proud of myself. I think that this is probably the most books I’ve read in a year since I was in college and I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I think I did somewhere between 8-11 books in 2011. The funny thing is that I’ve been incredibly busy this year with starting up Illuminate and picking several new speaking opportunities. So, what changed?

Reading for a purpose:

There were several books that I picked up because I really needed to brush up on something or learn something for a breakout I was going to lead. Reading for a purpose seems to provide much higher motivation for me than just reading a book because someone said it was good.

Reading on the iPad allows me to multi-task

It was in April or May that I installed the Kindle app on my iPad and I started taking it with me to the gym while on the treadmill. I spent several months in the spring preparing to hike some mountains in Colorado and I found that the Kindle App allowed me to read while exercising. I love it. This alone helped me read more and kept me motivated to keep working out. Many times I went to run just because I wanted to read.

Here is the list of books:

Tomorrow I’ll share with you my top 5 favorite books of 2011 and why. I’ve written reviews of several of the books already, but those I haven’t reviewed, I’ll do so in the coming weeks. Maybe one of these books will end up on your 2012 reading list.

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2011 Reading List: What book was your favorite?

Posted on 03. Jan, 2012 by .

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Back in 2010, I published my reading list for that year. It was a disaster. I posted 18 books and when it was all said and done, I think I read 3 of them. I wasn’t a total slacker, I did read 8-11 books total, but my list just changed. Many of the books on that list have still gone unread. In 2011, I didn’t publish a reading list. Because I tend to jump into books as people recommend them, I decided not to set a goal of what books to read… but just to read more book. I’ll share my 2011 reading list with you later, but first I’d like to know what your favorite book of 2011 was. I’m trying to decide what books to start on next, so I’m curious as to what you might recommend.

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Resources for the sex talk

Posted on 18. Jan, 2011 by .

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Since we’re on the topic of helping parents be prepared to talk to their kids about sex, let’s talk about what resources you know of. I’ll be perfectly honest. My son is three, and we’re not even remotely thinking about the sex conversation yet, so I have no idea what books or resources there are. Some of you have already gone through this with your kids or you already actively recommend some books. Please share here. What books would you recommend and for what age is it best suited for? Please share in the comments!

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What should I read next?

Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 by .

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So, back in January I posted my reading list for 2010. I had 18 books on the list. For some of you, that’s a leisurely weekend of reading. For me, that’s an undertaking! So, we’re a little halfway through the year and here is where I stand.

So far I’ve read 5 books total, essentially 1/3 toward my goal of 18. I’m really not sure I’ll hit 18, but I still think I can kick it in high gear and get pretty close. Unfortunately, of the books on my 2010 list, I’ve only read 2, Orange and Mad Church Disease. I’m starting Parenting Beyond Your Capacity this weekend (another book not on my list), but I hope to hit my list again next.

I know a lot of you have read the books on my list. Based on what you’ve read, what book should I read next? Below is a little poll. Whatever book gets the most votes, I’ll read it next. I was going to suggest comments on what book needs to be on my list, but I think I just need to focus on the 16 I haven’t read next. Maybe next year I’ll crowdsource my reading list.

Okay, vote below (you can vote for more than one book… just to make it interesting). I’m anxious to know what I’m going to read next.

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Ultimate Parent Resource List (in the works)

Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by .

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Screen shot 2010-04-20 at 12.13.27 PMSeveral months ago there was a Google Wave that accumulated a master list of books and resources for Parents/Kids and Parenting. I’ve had to consult this list many times in the past few months and I thought I’d simply transport it over here and share with those of you who weren’t on the Wave. I don’t take credit for this list, it was a collaborative effort by several people. Also, I didn’t read all of these… yet. Feel free to suggest others.

Just for Parents

Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Revolutionary Parenting
Grace Based Parenting (Tim Kimmel)
Scream Free Parenting
Raising a Modern Day Knight
Raising a Modern Day Princess
It’s Better to Build Boys than Mend Men
The Most Important Place on Earth
Never Mind the Joneses
Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family – Patrick Lencioni
Parenting with Love and Logic
Boundaries with Kids

Marriage Helps

For Men Only
For Women Only
Choosing to Cheat
Sheet Music
Sacred Marriage
Creating an Intimate Marriage

Children 0-5

Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers: The Gospel
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers: The Trinity
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers: The Scripture
Read with me Bible for Toddlers
Day by Day Begin-to-Read Bible

Children 6-9

Day by Day Kid’s Bible: The Bible for Young Readers
Jesus Storybook Bible
Read with me Bible
Growing With Jesus Devotional

Children 10-12

Big Truths For Young Hearts
Case for A Creator for Kids
Case for Faith for Kids
Case for Christ for Kids
Get off My Case for Kids

Kid’s Bibles

NIrV Kids’ Devotional Bible
GOD’S WORD for Girls
GOD’S WORD for Boys
The Adventure Bible for Early Readers (NIrV)
The Super Heros Bible (NIrV)

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New books from Jim Wideman

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by .

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Two weeks ago I got to spend a few days with Jim Wideman. If you’re  a Children’s Pastor and you’re not familiar with Jim Wideman, what rock have you been hiding under? This week I’m going to share a little about the impact this man has had on my life over the past 3 years. The cool thing is that he’s not this “far-from-reach” guy, but very approachable and so willing to mentor the next generation of leaders. More on that later though.

While with him I picked up three new books. One of them is a book he’s had out for a while (I’ve just never read it) and the other two are brand new.

41xulavd4+L._SS500_Connect with your kids has been out for at least a few years. I really don’t know a lot about it other than I’ve had a lot of people recommend it to me (other than Jim). My boss here at Gateway met Jim several years ago and picked up a copy and had told me about the book on many occasions. In addition, my friend Jonathan Cliff has given out TONS of these books as gifts to his paretns. So, I picked up 15-20 of these little books. I’ll write a review in a few weeks so you’ll have more info about this as a resource. Click here to order a copy for yourself… or a dozen.

51yXZD4pr+L._SS500_One of Jim’s newest books is this one: Beat the Clock. If you’ve spent any time at all with Jim in a conference or any kind of mentoring relationship, you’ve heard about time management strategies. He’s the guru when it comes to managing his time. I often joke with people that he schedules his bathroom breaks. The amazing thing is that he’ll tell you that he never was naturally organized this way. This has become a learned behavior which has given me hope. I haven’t read this one yet, but I know it’s going to be worth your time… and as a result it will probably save you time. Click here to buy it!

51No44vaR2L._SS500_I know absolutely nothing about this book, but I’m very excited about reading it. I’m betting that this is going to be a great resource for our parents, especially those with kids who are a little bit older. I’ll be reading this one in a few weeks and I’ll review it for you as well. Click here to pick up your copy.

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Lee Strobel makes a case for kids

Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 by .

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case_for_christ_for_kidsLast year while visiting North Point, I spent a lot of money in bookstore! One resource I picked up was a series by Lee Strobel for kids linked to his “A Case for Christ/Creator/Faith” books. I picked up the following books:

I’m half-way done reading through “A Case for a Creator”. It would only take an adult 20-30 minutes to read through the whole thing. Each book is only eight chapters long and would make for a great small group study for older elementary kids. I’m looking to launch a prototype small group study for older elementary kids and I might use this as a resource. If I do, I’ll probably write some supplemental curriculum to guide the time we’re meeting together and the kids will have to read the chapters on their own each week. I’ve got a few hurdles to overcome, but I think it might be a good study.

I’m a big believer that kids need some theology/apologetics in addition to Bible stories and virtues. Sometimes this can all be done together, sometimes not. So, we’ll see what happens. Once I move forward on this, I’ll post an update and share any resources I might develop. Regardless, I figured you might be interested in checking out this resource.

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Need Bibles or books?

Posted on 26. Aug, 2009 by .

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index_02About six or seven year I ran into these guys at the CPC in Atlanta. I didn’t really have a definitive source for Bibles or other books. When I needed to buy Bibles by the case, I haven’t found anyone who can beat Harvest. When I was using curriculum from one of the major publishers, I found that I could buy it at a discount from Harvest rather than the publisher. As churches, we’re always looking for opportunities to save some money and stretch our ministry budgets. Harvest can help with that.

Here’s a little secret though. Don’t rely on just their website. Several years ago I was designing a small group/discipleship program for elementary aged kids. Depending on what grade you were in determined what books and supplies you needed. There were books that I’d picked up from trade booths at conferences and from the shelves at local Christian bookstores. Once I knew what I wanted, I sent Harvest the list of books and Bibles I needed. They always beat the best prices I could find and often floored me with the savings. So, if you need to pick up Children’s Ministry books and Bibles, be sure to check with Harvest before you make a purchase.

In case you’re wondering, I wrote this post simply to pass the information along. Harvest doesn’t know I’m writing this. Other than a case of gift Bibles for Child Dedication I ordered six months ago, I haven’t ordered from them in a few years. The truth is that I had misplaced their information and a few days ago I came across their site. I figured I’d blog about them to share the love and so that I wouldn’t loose their information again. Yes, I blog for me as much as I do for you… it also serves as my public address book and idea pot.

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