Barry’s List of Book Recommendations
Re-Visioning: How to Stay Sharp at Every Stage of Your Church’s Life
by Greg Surratt
This is a very encouraging book for pastors leading churches at any stage or size. Greg is the founding pastor of Seacoast Church in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina and co-founder and president of ARC an organization working with church planters and church leaders to provide support.
Hero Maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders
by Dave Ferguson
We absolutely must multiply leaders in order to grow and in order to handle growth well. This book will give you clarity about vision for multiplying, but also some practical steps to take so see it happen in your ministry and church. Dave shows the importance for us to shift to becoming a hero maker of others rather than continue to try to be the hero ourselves. Dave pastors a large multisite church in Chicago and leads a church planting network. He also founded the Exponential Conference, which aims to multiply leaders and churches around the globe.
Leadership and Self Deception
by The Arbinger Institute
Having already sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, this book will get into your “stuff.” It is a very practical book that will help you navigate relational difficulties at work, at home, and in the church. It is not a “Christian” book with theology, yet the principles are biblical and this is guaranteed to make you think differently about interpersonal dynamics. It describes a box that we can get ourselves into but also helps us get out of the box. Very useful.
No Ego
by Cy Wakeman
This is a secular leadership book about drama in the workplace but also has implications for family and organizations like a local church. We all have egos and need to learn to manage them and deal with the egos of others. Cy issues a call to greatness through self-reflection and accountability. He says that “engagement without accountability creates entitlement.” He maps a way to reduce drama in organizations and raise the level of engagement toward goals.
Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion
by Wayne Cordiero
Wayne, a Pastor and Church Planter shares his own story of burnout, how to detect it, and what to do to heal from it and then prevent it from happening again. Excellent book.
Sticky Teams: Keeping your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page
by Larry Osborne
Larry explains how to get your team back on the same page while he tells his own story as a pastor. This book is written with church leadership teams in mind but does apply to startups and mega churches alike.
Simple Church; Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples
by Rainer and Geiger
This is an outstanding book that every pastor and church planter should read regardless of the size of church. Biblical, yet based on current research and very helpful.
Start With Why; How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to take Action
by Simon Sinek
Until people understand the why behind what we do, they will not fully buy into our vision. Leaders must learn to communicate the why clearly and repeatedly to help an organization satay focused.
The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World
by Peter Scazzero
Healthy leaders create healthy organizations. This book examines the components of health and offers practical help in reaching and maintaining health in your life.
