Books I’m Reading

These books are not necessarily recommended or scored in any way. They are all just random books I’ve heard about somewhere and felt like reading at the time. With a goal of reading several books a year (hopefully 10), this will be an ongoing process.

The books at the top of this list are the most current reads. Thus, the further down you go, the less I’m likely to remember about each book. If you make any comments below, please refer to book by title so we can all understand your comments better. Also, you’ll see in RED print below the book my final thoughts as I’ve finished each read.

Thanks and God bless as you seek to discover Him through the power of the written word.

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unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Kinnaman, president of the Barna Institute, was inspired to write this book when Lyons (of the Fermi Project) commissioned him to do extensive research on what young Americans think about Christianity. Lyons had a gut-level sense that something was desperately wrong, and three years of research paints exactly that picture. Mosaics and Busters (the generations that include late teens to early 30-somethings) believe Christians are judgmental, antihomosexual, hypocritical, too political and sheltered. Rather than simply try to do a PR face-lift, Kinnaman looks at ways in which churches’ activities actually may have been unchristian and encourages a return to a more biblical Christianity, a faith that not only focuses on holiness but also loves, accepts and works to understand the world around it. It would be possible to get lost in the numbers, but the authors use numerous illustrations from their research and life experiences and include insights at the end of every chapter from Christian leaders like Charles Colson, John Stott, Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis. This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence churches for years to come. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

(On my to read list: in my Kindle for Android, just waiting to finish a few others below)

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Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life by Nick Vujicic

From Booklist

Glancing at this book’s cover, it takes a moment to register that the smiling young man staring back has neither arms nor legs. That’s fitting, since Vujicic’s story is about how, despite extreme disabilities, he wants to be seen as a normal person. Readers might find extraordinary a better word, as they learn how Vujicic, born limbless (but with a tiny foot), lives what he calls “a ridiculously good life.” By learning to be a help and resource to others, and choosing to dwell on the positives in his life, including a supportive family and friends, he has overcome the despondency natural to a young person in his predicament and become a source of inspiration for those he meets as a speaker and those who see his videos on YouTube. Although much of his account is straightforward biography, he also devotes considerable space to sharing his faith in God and offering practical suggestions for making one’s life happier and more productive. The underlying message is, “I’m happy; why aren’t you?” That’s a pretty good question, as readers will see after only a few pages. –Ilene Cooper

Product Description

Life Without Limits is an inspiring book by an extraordinary man. Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic overcame his disability to live not just independently but a rich, fulfilling life, becoming a model for anyone seeking true happiness. Now an internationally successful motivational speaker, his central message is that the most important goal for anyone is to find their life’s purpose despite whatever difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in their way.

Nick tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured trying to deal with them as a child, a teen, and a young adult. “For the longest, loneliest time, I wondered if there was anyone on earth like me, and whether there was any purpose to my life other than pain and humiliation.” He shares how his faith in God has been his central source of strength and explains that once he found his own sense of purpose—inspiring others to make their lives and the world better—he found the confidence to build a rewarding and productive life without limits.

Nick offers practical advice for realizing a life of fulfillment and happiness by building trust in others, developing supportive relationships, and gaining strength for the journey. He encourages the reader by showing how he learned to accept what he could not control and focus instead on what he could.

“I do believe my life has no limits! I want you to feel the same way about your life, no matter what your challenges may be. As we begin our journey together, please take a moment to think about any limitations you’ve placed on your life or that you’ve allowed others to place on it. Now think about what it would be like to be free of those limitations. What would your life be if anything were possible?”
—Nick Vujicic, from Life Without Limits

(I bought this one fir Kindle before it was released. I’ve seen Nick’s story many times in several YouTube videos. You should look them up…very inspiring. Also on my to read list when I get finished with a few below)

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Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan

From Publishers Weekly

The author of the bestselling Crazy Love pleads passionately for the church to live by the power of the forgotten God: the Holy Spirit. Calling Christians to more than just a better life, Chan says he wants to live a life unexplainable without the Holy Spirit, so dependent on the Spirit that, he says, if he doesn’t come through, I’m screwed. He offers vivid personal stories and illustrations about how the church ought to help Christians discern the powerful gifts of the Spirit, rather than toning down radicals. Biographies of people keeping in step with the Spirit conclude each chapter. Not a comprehensive study but intended for application, it consequently lacks depth of context in most Bible references. Ultimately, though, this serves Chan’s aim to end ceaseless talk and follow God’s lead to assist the poor, the abused and anyone without hope. Chan himself has given all royalties from Crazy Love to a ministry to children trapped in sex trafficking, explaining that God said to him, I want you to love them as your own children. Chan’s voice is fresh, earthy and fiery. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

A follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives. In the name of the Father, the Son, and … the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two? As Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit–the Helper–so that we could be true and living witnesses for Christ. Unfortunately, today’s church has admired the gift but neglected to open it. Breakthrough author Francis Chan rips away paper and bows to get at the true source of the church’s power–the Holy Spirit. Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form Chan’s invitation to stop and remember the One we’ve forgotten, the Spirit of the living God.

(I’ve only made it through a few chapters so far. Our Sunday School class is studying it. It is just as inspiring as Crazy Love.)

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Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU?

It’s easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily…

BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE THAT? DO YOU?

In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple–then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a “successful” suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.

Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment –a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

(This is one of the best reads I’ve had in a long time. Seriously. Good. It should be a challenge for every Christian to take what Dr. Platt says to heart and live it. I’ve heard him speak too, he is just as passionate about this subject matter as he writes. Don’t let this one slip by you.)

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The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters by Charles Colson

From Publishers Weekly

Longtime collaborators Colson and Fickett address the very tenets of the Christian faith in order to renew ourselves as Christians and the Church as God’s people. Generally they do this well, first offering an overview of challenges facing the church and then moving on to specific core issues. Chapter builds on chapter, from God Is to He Has Spoken to Truth and so on to Last Things. Especially thought-provoking is the question of why so many people accuse the Christian faith of being dry and brittle. One answer, the authors say, is the church’s failure to teach what the faith is. Colson and Fickett call the church to rediscover the joy of orthodoxy, to renew the surrounding culture and to rethink how we live out faith. If there’s ever been a time in which renewal was essential, it is today, they say. Those who know Colson’s work will appreciate his pointed statements and bold words, while those looking for subtle shadings of doctrinal issues may be aghast at the lack thereof. The book’s strength lies not in minutiae but in opening the discussion on orthodoxy and what living as a Christian means by going back to faith’s beginnings. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

‘…a winning combination of Christian apologetics and Christian doctrine — a manifesto for looking at the world in a distinctly Christian way….’The Faith’ is moved along by stories more than by systematic theology (though there’s plenty of the latter in the book as well). Colson and Fickett bring together stories of courage and martyrdom from the annals of Christian history as well as riveting accounts of personal transformation from Colson’s Prison Fellowship ministry. The contemporary stories help readers see what the Christian life looks like today. The ancient stories remind us that we are not the first generation of Christians to live this way. The stories aren’t just inspirational. They’re informative….[T]he book indeed works as both catechesis and as apologetic, a strong defense for traditional faith without sounding overly defensive. ‘The Faith’ is more a celebration of orthodoxy than a circling of the theological wagons. Its primary message is that Christianity is true, Christianity is good, and Christianity is beneficial for the world. Its primary method is to do so by explaining what Christianity is.’ — Christianity Today (Christianity Today )

(This may be one of the more valuable books to my faith in the long run. I can see myself going back to it almost as a seminary text book or reference book. Chuck does a great job of talking through the major doctrines of Christianity. I haven’t finished it because it does get a little tedious, like Romans, but I know it’s got some great things we all need to understand.)

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Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission by Darrin Patrick

The church planting varsity league of the 21st century, Acts 29, has finally released their first book on church planting: Church Planter by Darrin Patrick. In particular, Patrick’s work is about raising the bar for ban’s (boy+man=ban) to stop merely being humans with male plumbing, but men who are defined by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The subtitle of the book gives away its three sections: The Man, The Message, The Mission. Under “The Man” Patrick spends a chapter on each the seven characteristics of what a man should be: Rescued, Called, Qualified, Dependent, Skilled, Shepherding, Determined. Under “The Message” he says that a man’s message should be The Historical, Salvation-Accomplishing, Christ-Centered, Sin-Exposing, Idol-Shattering Message, with a chapter on each aspect. In section three, he talks about how the heart of a man’s mission is compassion, the house of the mission is the church, the how of his mission is contextualization, the hands of his mission are care, and the hope of his mission is city transformation. Needless to say, Patrick covers a wide range of material in this book that lands at a mere 238 pages.

(I found this one a pretty good challenge, not unlike Crazy Love or Radical. I think every pastor should read this one. It encourages you in that calling, but it also reminds you of the serious nature of that same calling. I can’t recall many books “telling it like it is” in such a way as to be encouraging, yet rebuking. On my must read list for anyone going into the ministry.)

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Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it? It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you’ve verbalized it yet or not…we all know something’s wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn’t working harder at a list of do’s and don’ts—it’s falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

(Easily one of my top five favorites in the last few years. We all know something is wrong with how we’ve been “doing” Christianity. That something is a lack of a true understanding of God’s love manifested in a lack of our love for Him. You gotta get this book!)

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The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist by Craig Groeschel

‘The more I looked, the more I found Christian Atheists everywhere.’ Former Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel knows his subject all too well. After over a decade of successful ministry, he had to make a painful self admission: although he believed in God, he was leading his church like God didn’t exist. To Christians and non-Christians alike, to the churched and the unchurched, the journey leading up to Groeschel’s admission and the journey that follows—from his family and his upbringing to the lackluster and even diametrically opposed expressions of faith he encountered—will look and sound like the story of their own lives. Now the founding and senior pastor of the multicampus, pace-setting LifeChurch.tv, Groeschel’s personal journey toward a more authentic God-honoring life is more relevant than ever. Christians and Christian Atheists everywhere will be nodding their heads as they are challenged to take their own honest moment and ask the question: am I putting my whole faith in God but still living as if everything was up to me?

(I’ve still got a few chapters left in this one. Craig is very good at being honest about life…his own as well as what he perceives as a pastor. I heard him speak at Catalyst 2010 and I know he stands behind the truth of Scripture. Makes me want to finish this one soon.)

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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Graphic Design

If you can dream it, you can design it.

Whether your goal is to design your own marketing materials, launch a visually compelling blog, or just have some fun creating your own CD covers, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Graphic Design is your one-stop reference. Presented in an intuitive, accessible format, here are the fundamental elements of design and design principles, as well as instruction on how to apply those elements and principles to a variety of projects.

•Covers art supplies, software, concept development, reproduction needs, and much more
•Sample projects include business cards, print and web ads, and graphic T-shirts
•Follows the success of other titles aimed at the aspiring artist, including the Complete Idiot’s Guide® titles on digital photography, drawing, and manga

(I got this one and the next as I was seeking to become a better graphic designer for my church as well as in my online graphic design business worshipguydesigns. Both books were over my head with art theory and concepts, and all I truly learned was that I’m in over my head in anything related to graphic design. So until I really dig in to these books and study them, and research their suggestions, and practice their ideas, I’ll stick to “if it looks good to me and to the client, then we’re done here.”)

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Graphic Design for Nondesigners: Essential Knowledge, Tips, and Tricks, Plus 20 Step-by-Step Projects for the Design Novice

Not a graphic designer? Not a problem! Whether the project’s a birthday card, a poster, or a flier, Graphic Design for Nondesigners is here to help. Twenty step-by-step projects for designing everything from Web sites to business cards to T-shirts are accompanied by a clear and concise initiation into the basic principles of graphic design—including the effective use of space, color, and type—presented in a way that’s easy for anyone to start applying right away. Armed with this essential primer, nondesigners will have everything they need to go forth and create effective design with polish, panache, and grace.

(see above)

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Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger

The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world.

Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.

Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus. Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.

(I read this with my staff at FBC Elberton, GA. It was a good read with great concepts on how to “do” church in a simpler way, easier on the staff and less time-consuming on the people. It will really take a devoted staff, a surrendered church leadership structure, and a changeable congregation to implement some of the changes necessary to get us back on the right track in our American Churches today. See below for Comeback Churches…a follow-up to this book.)

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Christianity Explored by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper

Product Description

This 126-page paperback book by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper is designed to make the reader familiar with who Jesus was and why he is of absolute importance to every person who has ever lived. It focuses on the Book of Mark, which provides an accurate account of Jesus’ life. The book is a supplement to the Christianity explored DVD course.

Chapter titles are:

1. Introduction

2. Who Was Jesus?

3. Jesus — His Aim

4. Jesus — His Death

5. What Does ‘Grace’ Mean?

6. Jesus — His Resurrection

7. What Is a Christian?

8. Choices — King Herod

9. Choices — James, John, and Bartimaeus

“I don’t believe in organized religion at all, but this book truly changed my life, and that of my girlfriend. I didn’t realize that salvation is 100% free, and doesn’t require us to work our own way to heaven. I cannot recommend this highly enough.” J. Driscoll

“This book is an unashamed punchy explanation of what the Christian faith is about. Anyone who thinks the Christian faith is dull, hypocritical, or for the gullible should read it to have their preconceptions challenged. What I like best about it is that Cooper and Tice allow their charming, self-deprecating characters to shine through with plenty of humor and relevant references to their own interests in cinema and sport. It should be added, that this is never at the expense of the Biblical truths- though I suspect that people over a certain age might not be au fait with references to RADIOHEAD or THE MATRIX! Not only is the book challenging, it is also unintimidatingly easy to understand and refreshingly unsentimental and sharp. Give this as a gift to your non-Christian friend, but also read it yourself to remind you of the joy of the incredible love of Jesus.” A. Goldfinch

(I heard Rico Tice speak at a CMDA Conference a few years ago and bought this book on the spot. It is about as concise a synopsis of the book of Mark that you’ll find. Not only a synopsis but a sort of “how to” or “what now” approach to application. This is a no bones about it discipleship course. If you are discipling anyone, this would be a great start.)

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The Shack by William P. Young

There has been a little controversy around this book. It’s embodiment of each person of the Trinity in differing ways has caused quite an uproar… just click on the book to the left and look up the reviews from readers and you’ll see the controversy. I will save my review until actually reading the book and not make any assumptions based on what I’ve heard about the book.

General story line is this: A loving father is horrified to find his young daughter abducted by a sexual predator. The previous four victims were never found, his daughter being the fifth victim. Somewhere in the process, his somewhat lackluster faith leads him to a meeting with each of the characters of the Trinity. What he finds there, in this shack, will change his world forever.

You can go to http://theshackbook.com/ to see the book’s website.

My review:

With all the controversy surrounding The Shack, I was going to ignore its presence. Then one day someone called and was picking up several copies and wanted to know if I wanted one, so I thought it might be nice to know what everyone seems to be talking about and asked her to get me one too. I let it sit around for several days, maybe even weeks before I got to it (I was reading some other books at the time). Then my wife picked it up, and read it in bits over a week or so. I didn’t hear much from her about it, but she did say at one point, “I can see why people have a problem with some of this.”

So, I went into reading the book with some hesitation and with some preconceived notions of my future disdain for the book and its “teachings.” I expected to feel sort of dirty by reading it; that somehow the darkness of sin and evil would overtake me. With some of the reviews I’ve read from various sources, I did not expect to enjoy this book at all.

So there, I said it…I enjoyed this book. I know, that’s probably not politically correct to say when you’re a minister, but I feel some honest perceptions need to be shared about the book.

Now, I will grant it that there are some themes that are quite odd – God the Father showing up as an African Woman, not unlike the Oracle in The Matrix movies. It wasn’t too difficult to relate to the representation of Jesus as just a normal guy…with somewhat “good ole boy” qualities. The characterization of the Holy Spirit as an Asian or maybe Middle-Eastern young woman was also hard to take…though I thought Young (the author) did a great job of trying to capture the mystery of the Holy Spirit’s essence. But, in all honesty…those were things I knew were coming. I had already prepared my heart by saying, “This is fiction…it is the author’s perception of what these characters ‘might’ be like.” And in so thinking, I didn’t have a problem with these representations…especially when the God figure explained that appearing to Mack (the main character) as a woman was for a purpose. With his horrible difficulties with his own father as a child, a “father” figure from God wouldn’t accomplish the purpose or will of God in this particular situation.

Once I got past those introductions (around chapter 5 – please don’t stop there), things started building steam towards a conclusion you will not expect. Now, honestly, yes…there were a few things or themes present that I don’t know if I agree with concerning the truth presented in the Bible. But, truthfully, I can’t think of one right now…which tells me they weren’t huge deal breakers for me putting the book down and that there were other redeeming qualities that outweighed those discrepancies. So, in a nutshell, I’d like to present 3 vague truths that I gleaned from the book that made it a worthwhile read for me, personally. 

1. God has no box. Some of the controversy surrounding God’s appearance as an African Woman has little or no basis. God appearing to Moses as a burning bush…what (or better yet, who) can say the God cannot appear in any form He desires? His form is boundless, endless, and cannot be measured. We put Him in a box when we assume He can only appear as a Gandolf-like figure from Lord of the Rings…or when we say He cannot appear in “any” form…He’s God…He has no box. When coupled with the characterization of Jesus and Sarayu (the Holy Spirit character), it was plain to me that I had created a box for the Trinity so that I could compute with my feeble brain what they “might” be like. In so doing, I limited them…and after reading this book, I am choosing not to limit them any longer.
2. Rules versus Relationship: another overarching theme that I understood from this is the concept that God is not interested in our following some set of rules. He gave us free will for a reason…the opportunity to choose right from wrong, good from bad…He wanted us to choose Him over everything else. In so choosing, a relationship is made between holy God and fallen man…a relationship the book says mirrors the pre-fall relationship between God and Adam and Eve. So, I choose to take from this book that I have not been choosing wisely when it comes to this relationship. Relationship is not acquired by following a set of rules…it is gained through love for and with the other party, namely, God. We just need to stop following our own desires and start following Jesus.
3. Love is ultimately displayed in God for His creation. When Mack is challenged to sit in judgment over his 5 children, sending 2 to heaven and 3 to hell…he simply cannot make such a horrific decision and finally comes up with the plan that he’ll gladly go to hell so all 5 of his children can go to heaven. He is then pointed to how God does the same for us…out of His infinite love, He came to earth in the form of Jesus for the purpose of taking on our sin, dying our death, and defeating death and hell by rising from the dead so that we should not have to face an eternity in hell. By understanding this, repenting of our sins and turning towards this love of God expressed through Jesus, we can “choose” life with Him, rather than life separated from Him. As a result of His love for us, and our love for Him, we should naturally seek to love everyone like He does. Reminds me of Jesus saying, “A new commandment I bring you, love one another, as I have loved you, you must love one another (John 13:34).”

So, if you can take some of the theological difficulties of the book, I think you just might find the above 3 points as well. Now, if you are seeking to find some theological guide for living; or you’re looking for the next big church growth phenomenon…you won’t find it here. This is not a theological text book, it is not a scholarly edition to be studied as truth…it is a fictional representation of what the author thinks God “might” be like in this fictional situation. Take it as such, and you just might find yourself finishing the book in a day (like me)…take it apart as anything other than this, and you most likely will find yourself disappointed, or disgruntled, or possibly even disgusted. But, please, don’t go there…it’s a worthy read, if for nothing else than to simply open your mind to the possibility that God is not in any box.

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Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald

I haven’t actually began reading the book itself yet, but I did read an article in a Worshiper magazine that was MacDonald somewhat summarizing the book and giving some specific instances from the book relating to worship.  Here is the summary from Amazon and you can click on the book to go to the amazon.com page for purchase.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. MacDonald (Ordering Your Private World) charts new territory in church growth books by turning what could have been a long list of dos and don’ts into a highly readable, even novelistic, approach to the subject. With himself as narrator, MacDonald creates a cast of church members in their 50s, 60s and 70s who meet each week to discuss where their church has been, is now and should go in the future. All I know is that someone stole my church and I’d like to get it back, says one. MacDonald delves into the feelings of the older generation as they watch new leadership take over, see changes in music and use of technology, and begin to wonder how they will fit in. He challenges their understanding of what the church is, then looks at the early church and the modern church and the many cultural influences that transform Christian spirituality. MacDonald is especially strong when he includes young people’s perspectives or brings research to bear on how people view and act on change. This is a challenging, innovative approach to a delicate subject. It’s sure to benefit church leaders and members of all ages who dream of a reinvented church. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

(Finished Who Stole My Church with a fire under me. How can a fictional book have such insight? Sounds like the author has visited my church (Former FBC Elberton, GA). This is a must read for anyone…staff or member…of any church in any town in any country. Change is inevitable, how you handle change is not.)

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Comeback Churches: How 300 churches turned around and yours can too by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson

This is sort of a follow up book to Rainer and Geiger’s Simple Church which our pastoral staff studied together for 10-12 months and made some structural changes in our church as a result of that study. This follow up book, talks a little further about some of the struggles and successes these “Comeback Churches” went through in that process. Again, below are some reviews, and click on the book for a direct link to purchase at Amazon.

Dr. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church
“As a successful pastor, church planter, researcher, and advisor to thousands of churches, Ed Stetzer speaks from a wealth of experience with all kinds of churches. Now, in one volume, your church can benefit from his wisdom. This book is a winner!”

Thom S. Rainer, author of Simple Church, president/CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources
“First and foremost, it is biblical. Second, it is well researched. And third, it is immensely practical and applicable . . . this book should be in the hands of hundreds of thousands of pastors, staff, and church leaders. Simply stated, it is just that good.”

(I’ll be honest with you and say that I skimmed the last several chapters. Though the great stories and testimonies of great and awesome comebacks were riviting, the banter in between about the “how” seemed to contradict the author’s opening statements of “Don’t try these at home, they most likely won’t work for you like they did for these churches.” Still a good read, especially for someone on staff of a church.)

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Handel’s Messiah: An Oratorio
Schirmer Edition

You may think it funny that I’ve got a musical score on my “Books I’m Reading” list. Well, honestly, I actually spend more time in this book than the other two on my list. Our community chorus is presenting this amazing work in December, with me as conductor. That means I’ve got to know my stuff! So, I spend quite a bit of time in score study – which, for you non-musical types, means I’m looking at every part’s (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) notes and rhythms, trying to learn them myself so I can sing them as examples in rehearsals, looking for potential problem areas so we can rehearse them correctly the first time, and, quite frankly, I study the score to figure out how in the world I’m going to conduct it (recitatives, anyone?) I do enjoy the study, but it’s not just an open up and conduct and perform type piece. It will and is taking a lot of work.

I mention Schirmer edition under the title above – this is probably the most widely performed edition, though the Watkins/Shaw edition is surely pretty close behind. This particular edition sought to go to the most original Handel scores rather than trying to create the edition from a copy of a copy of a copy of Handel’s score (where mistakes get copied and new mistakes might be added). You can order the full score for many pages of history, reasons for editor’s choices, and performance suggestions for this work (I found it very helpful).

(I am obviously still reading this one. Along with the Schirmer full score [with the dreaded tenor clef tenor line] and another slighlty less intensive full score I used at Seminary, I find this work most intriguing. I’ll be sure to let you know how our concert on Dec. 7, 2008 goes.)

(12-16-2008)- Our performance of the Messiah went very well. There were, of course, a few hitches here and there, but few performances ever go perfectly, if any. We hired professional strings (three 1st violins, two 2nd violins, two violas, and one cello), professional vocal soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and lyric baritone), a trumpet soloist from the University of Georgia, and three of our own (our drummer as timpanist, pianist as harpsichordist on a keyboard, and organist as, well, organist). We had 44 singers in the chorus. My goal was 45 and we would have met that goal were it not for a few unavoidable circumstances. But still, the 44 were wonderful to work with. I greatly regret that we did not have even more time together. We had a wonderful time. The Schirmer score below wound up being less of an influence on my study than I originally thought. I spent way more time in my other score (more details when I’m in my office). It was the score I used in my studies at Seminary under Dr. David Keith. It was a gret experience.