I’m a big fan of Rick Warren’s, so when I saw “The Purpose of Christmas” I naturally picked it up. I really this book. I thought it was just going to be a transcription of a series by the same name that he did a couple of years ago, but it was much more. I think this book is a great evangelistic tool as well as a great resource for Pastors who have to write Christmas messages every year 🙂 I encourage you to pick up the book. I believe you’ll enjoy the conversational style and the heavy Scriptural content.

If you’ve never experienced at night at the Ritz-Carlton, then you’re missing out on some of the greatest customer service available on the planet. That’s why I’m so glad that Joseph Michell wrote “The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company”. The book was incredibly thorough and tells the story of the Ritz-Carlton not just for the sake of telling a good story, but to paint the picture of their commitment to serve those that are staying at their hotel. I was blown away by the commitment to the … Read More

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, then you know that I’m a huge fan of Disney. I’ve probably been to Disney World more than 30 times and I look forward to going every chance I get. What I’ve also become a fan of is their leadership and training materials. Their book, “Be our Guest” is required reading on our staff as Disney has really set the bar on how to create a “Wow” experience. So when I saw that the Disney Institute had put out a book on leadership, I ordered Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense … Read More

Here’s a couple of books I’ve read over the last week that I want to put on your radar: 101 Ways to Market Your Business – This is obviously a business book, but it has some great ideas that churches could use. I walked away with about 25 ideas ideas that we couple implement immediately. If you’re a Pastor, this is a good book to pick up. Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln – I’ve been hearing about this book for a couple of years and I finally got around to reading it. It’s 21 principles for public speaking. I … Read More

Here’s a couple of book reviews of some helpful books I’ve read in the last week: – Conversational Capital – The question this books asks is, “Why do people talk about certain products?” The authors try to break down the reasons people love telling the stories of certain companies. It was an interesting book. The section on a company’s mythology was fascinating. – Reach More, Spend Less – This little book was really helpful. I enjoyed the potential marketing plans he laid out based on the size of your budget. I think this books will be helpful for any church … Read More

Here’s a review of a couple of books I enjoyed reading recently: – Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven ways to be Persuasive – This was a fascinating book. I really enjoyed reading it. Some of the book is just interesting quirks about human behavior, but another 1/2 of the book is great insight about how to be persuasive. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to be a more persuasive person. What I also loved about this book is that it was 50 short (4-5 pages) chapters. All books should be written like this. – The Ultimate Sales Letter – … Read More

Here’s a few book reviews of books I’ve read in the last week or two: 101 Survival Tips for Your Business – I loved this book. I love books that have short, to the point chapters and no fluff. This was one of them. This is a must read for church planters. This book is filled with practical wisdom and insight into surviving and thriving in ministry. The Ultimate Marketing Plan – I sometimes get on a kick with authors and read everything they’ve written. I’ve done that recently with Dan Kennedy. While I don’t recommend everything he writes, he … Read More

I’ve read a bunch of books on time management, but No B.S. Time Management by Dan Kennedy is one of the best. Dan forces us to think about how much our time is worth and then realize how much is costs us when we waste time. Here’s a few of my favorite quotes: – “If you don’t know what your time is worth, you can’t expect the world to know it either.” – “The most productive meetings last under an hour.” – “Leadership is not about outworking everybody.” – “If they can’t find you, they can’t interrupt you.” – “Conversations … Read More

I read 3 books this week that I wanted to put out there… – The Powell Principles – Bill Hybels referenced this book at the Leadership Summit, so I picked it up and enjoyed it. It’s Colin Powell’s leadership proverbs that have guided him throughout his career. If you’re a leader, it’s definitely worth a read. – Overcoming your Shadow Mission – I’ve read just about everything John Ortberg has written, but I really believe this is his best. This book is based on a fabulous talk he gave at last year’s Leadership Summit and it was a great read. … Read More

Bill Hybels’ terms and phrases have become common speak in the church. He has made terms like, “Fully devoted follower of Christ”, “Umbrella of mercy” and “The big ask” famous in the world of contemporary church. So when I saw that Bill had written a book about the phrases that are commonly used around Willow that he has turned into leadership proverbs, I ordered it without hesitation. Needless to say, Axiom did not disappoint! This book is full of leadership wisdom at any level of an organization. I going to buy a copy for every member of my staff because … Read More