Money Matters in the Church is one of the first books of its’ kind. It’s written specifically for leaders on the subject of stewardship and best practice in the area of finances. It’s amazing to me that a book like this hasn’t been written before. The book is about 200 pages and there’s no fluff! It’s great info. Excellent content and easy to read. The first chapter encourages the Pastor to develop a theology of stewardship. Most Pastors have a terrible theology of stewardship, because contrary to the folks on TV, most Pastors hate to talk about money! But I … Read More

First, let me say that I loved Wild at Heart and have read just about everything John Eldredge has written. But Mark recommended this book to me the other night and I decided to pick it up. You have What it Takes contains some of the ideas from Wild at Heart and focuses them on a dad’s role in a child’s life. It’s a great little book. A great gift. And a great primer for someone who wants to know what being a dad is all about. It’s only about 50 pages, so you could read it in less than … Read More

First, let me say that I love many of John Maxwell’s books. I have purchased multiple copies of several of John’s books for staff and friends, including The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader within you, and Developing the Leaders around you. Having said that, The 360 Leader wasn’t my favorite Maxwell book. It was too drawn out. I think if you read Bill Hybel’s Chapter on the 360 Leader in Courageous Leadership you’ll get the gist of it. If I was in middle management of an organization (as I once was), I think the book would have … Read More

I heard so much about The Dip by Seth Godin that I had to go buy it. Small book, but a powerful message: When is quitting the best thing to do? When is quitting the worst thing to do? I won’t ruin the book, but needless to say it applies to most people in any area of life. I see myself recommending this book to a lot of people. Ben has a series of posts on how The Dip translates into the world of church planting.

The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki is a great read. Very insightful. To the point. Most books are 50 pages too long. This one was just right. The book is about starting a company, but there are chapters that are universal to anyone who deals with people in any organization. The art of bootstrapping – you don’t need tons of money to do something great. “Bootstrap it” or make it work with a little. This chapter alone is why guys who come from big churches fail in church planting. They don’t have tons of money to throw at … Read More

Leadership on the Line by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linksy was a really good read. It deals with the realities of leadership and the challenges that leaders face. I know a lot of leadership books make this claim, but this book gets to the reasons why we lead, the motivations of our heart, how to not lose yourself in your role, and how to get out of your role and see the big picture. There’s so much I could write about this book, but I’ll give you a few of my favorite quotes: – “Leadership is about disturbing people – … Read More

Since we’ve hit the All-Star break for Major League Baseball (which the Red Sox have the best record in the game), I thought I’d share the all-star books that I’ve read so far this year. Honestly, I’ve several good books, but only 3 blew me away as all-stars: 1. The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan 2. The Feiner Points of Leadership by Michael Feiner 3. Cut to the Chase by Stuart Levine If you read something amazing this year, let me know…

When I closed the book last night after finishing it, I said the same thing I said after reading the first chapter: “How is it that a book on this subject hasn’t been written before?” Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels is a great book for those seeking to find their one true passion in life. His premise? Find out what drives you so crazy that it forces you to stand up and do something about it, and that’s probably your passion. Bill shares some great stories from his own life and from those he has met in his travels to … Read More

I really liked Go Big by Bil Cornelius and Bill Easum, so when I saw that Go Big with Small Groups was out I quickly ordered it. Honestly, the book starts out a bit slow. But it picks up and gets good! They lay out what some great practical wisdom and share some of what they do at Bay Area Fellowship. What I really liked about the book: – The practical wisdom in training leaders – How to organize groups based on affinity – How to handle difficult people in groups – The emphasis on personal relationships – The type … Read More

Quite simply, The Feiner Points of Leadership by Michael Feiner is one of the best leadrship books I have ever read. If you know me, you know that I hate Pepsi, but as a former Pepso Co. executive, Feiner gives 50 leadership laws that are just so true. Here are some highlights: – What gets rewarded determines what the real values of your organization are – Leaders show people they are building a cathedral, not just cutting stone – Commitment means that to get loyalty, you must give loyalty – People need to know the score, to know how they’re … Read More