My Recommended Reading List
During the first year I was in full-time ministry, I made a New Year’s goal to read 50 books that year. Looking back, I realize that’s a bit aggressive, considering they were all non-fiction for the most part. At the time, it sounded like a great goal to me. I was transitioning out of the education system and a volunteer ministry position and into full-time ministry. I knew I had a lot to learn, and I was motivated.
During my first year in ministry, I was still teaching middle school health (doing both at the same time was one of the top 5 worst decisions I’ve ever made), and I made the wonderful mistake of telling the 54 students I was mentoring through a three-year leadership course that I made this goal. Dang it for accountability.
They asked me about it EVERY WEEK of the WHOLE YEAR. I’m not quite sure if they were doubting I would actually do it, or if they really were just curious about what book I was reading and what number I was on. The good part about this was it made me keep working to reach my goal. I mean, I couldn’t be a bad example to them, I couldn’t lie to them, and I felt like I was letting them down if I didn’t do it. It pushed me to keep reading. And I am so glad I did. Because I learned a lot. About myself, God, ministry, leadership, and about the Hunger Games.
Over the years I have continued to read as much as I can, because I still have a lot to learn. So I have put together a list of 50 of my favorite books that have been influential in my life over the last eight years.
My 50 book recommendations (in no particular order):
- Visioneering – Andy Stanley
- Think Orange – Reggie Joiner
- Lead Small – Reggie Joiner, Tom Shefchunas
- Creating a Lead Small Culture – Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy, Elle Campbell
- The Ideal Team Player – Patrick Lencioni
- How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership (too many authors to list)
- Start with Why – Simon Sinek
- Building A Story Brand – Donald Miller
- Good to Great – Jim Collins
- The Core Issue – Christine Caine
- 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John Maxwell
- Communicating for Change – Andy Stanley
- Deep & Wide – Andy Stanley
- 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader – John Maxwell
- Crucial Conversations – Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler
- Blink – Malcolm Gladwell
- Leadership Axioms – Billy Hybels
- A New Kind of Leader – Reggie Joiner
- It’s Just A Phase So Don’t Miss It – Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy
- Goliath Must Fall – Louie Giglio
- The Myth of Balance – Frank Bealer
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni
- Caught in Between – Dan Scott
- Wooden on Leadership – John Wooden
- Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry – Doug Fields
- Middle School Ministry – Scott Rubin, Marko Oestreicher
- Make Believe – Ben Crawshaw & Kevin Ragsdale
- Find Your Voice – Sam Collier
- Love Does – Bob Goff
- Undaunted – Christine Caine
- The Bible Tells Me So - Peter Enns
- Switch on Your Brain – Dr. Caroline Leaf
- inGenius – Tina Seelig
- Chasing the Light - Dave Adamson
- Everybody Always – Bob Goff
- White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White – Daniel Hill
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? – Beverly Daniel Tatum
- Left to Tell – Immaculee Ilibagiza
- Kisses from Katie – Katie Davis
- When Helping Hurts- Steve Corbett, Brian Fikkert
- Wrecked – Jeff Goines
- There Is No Me Without You – Melissa Fay Greene
- 28 Stories of Aids in Africa– Stephanie Nolen
- Honor & Shame – Roland Muller
- The Road Back to You – Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile
- Naked Confidence – Christen Shefchunas
- Quiet – Susan Caine
- Daring Greatly – Brene Brown
- Beyond the Swipe – Kristen Fry
- THE ART OF GROUP TALK for Teenage Girls and Boys– Ashley Bohinc, Crystal Chiang, Tom Shefchunas, Jeremy Zach, Brett Talley (I had to include this… because I think it’s the most important book on this list… but I am biased clearly)
I wish I had space (or time) to tell you all the reasons why I included each and every one of these on this list. Maybe next time...
So… What books do you recommend for me?