The Divine Mentor - Wayne Cordeiro

In The Divine Mentor, you will discover how to enjoy a dynamic, vital, and intimate relationship with God as you learn to hear Him speak daily through the Bible. You'll embark on an adventure that will introduce you to His handpicked mentors, men and women who may save your health, your marriage, your ministry, and your future.

Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion - Wayne Cordeiro

Wayne Cordeiro found himself paralyzed by burnout. He had been in ministry for 30 years, and 10 years after founding what is now the largest church in Hawaii, he found himself depleted. Wayne took a season out of his growing ministry to recharge and refocus on the truly important. He was able to get back in touch with his life, get back in proper balance, and re-energize his spirit through Christ in a way that propelled him forward to greater levels of service. Pulling no punches, Wayne talks about the walls leaders must break through and how to move on with integrity. Included are ways to care for oneself physically and emotionally as well as spiritually.

Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home - Richard J. Foster

Coming to prayer is like coming home, Foster says. "Nothing feels more right, more like what we are created to be and to do. Yet at the same time we are confronted with great mysteries. Who hasn't struggled with the puzzle of unanswered prayer? Who hasn't wondered how a finite person can commune with the infinite Creator of the universe? ... We do our best, of course, to answer these knotty questions but when all is said and done, there is a sense in which these mysteries remain unanswered and unanswerable ... At such times we must learn to become comfortable with the mystery."

Pentecostal Spirituality: A Passion for the Kingdom - Steven J. Land

In this classic book, leading Pentecostal scholar Steven J. Land offers a constructive and controversial interpretation, a 're-vision', of the Pentecostal tradition. As Pentecostalism approaches its centennial, Land argues that the early years of the movement form the heart, not the infancy, of its spirituality, and he emphasizes the crucial importance of its Wesleyan, Holiness and nineteenth-century revivalist-restorationist roots. Land's foundational study includes - an account of the relationship of spirituality and theology - a description and analysis of Pentecostal beliefs and practices - a demonstration of how these beliefs and practices are integrated into Pentecostal affections - a trinitarian definition of Pentecostal Spirituality, arguing that a passion for the kingdom of God is ultimately a passion for God Himself.

The Selfless Way of Christ: Downward Mobility and the Spiritual Life - Henri Nouwen

In this short work Henri Nouwen offers a penetrating reflection on the challenge of the spiritual life, especially the call to imitate Christ's example of "downward mobility." This vocation is sorely tested by the constant celebration of "upward mobility", which brings to mind the temptations Christ faced in the wilderness: to be "powerful, relevant, and spectacular." To prepare us for this path, Nouwen describes the "disciplines of spiritual formation," represented by the Church, the Word of God, and the promptings of our heart.

Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church - Nelson Searcy & Jennifer Henson

Discover a step-by-step, biblically grounded, proven plan for establishing relationships with newcomers---and ultimately prompt them to become vital members of your congregation! Learn why the first seven minutes after a visitor's arrival are so critical; benefit from practical "how to" tips; read testimonials from the "recently assimilated"; and more.

Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups - Nelson Searcy & Kerrick Thomas

Is your small-groups program floundering? Learn how your church---regardless of size---can attain maximum participation in this life-changing ministry! Drawing from the startling success at The Journey Church, Nelson Searcy & Kerrick Thomas provide proven strategies and offer 12 unconventional principles for success. Includes access to online resources, downloads, and supplemental materials.

Connecting Points - Randy Helms & Steve Lambert

According to authors, Helms and Lambert, there are seven key components to reaching and then assimilating people within the church.  Dr. Mark Rutland, President of Southeastern University says of the authors "Lambert and Helms are practitioners talking to practitioners with a fresh look at an important subject."  Order this book and additional resources at www.connectingpoints.com.

Creating Community - Andy Stanley & Bill Willits

This book unveils principles and practices, strategies and steps that have empowered the team of North Point Community Church in Atlanta to connect with over eight thousand adults on a consistent basis.  PCC is a mega-church with a strong small-group emphasis!  The concepts in this book can be adapted to fit any size church where supportive relationships are a value!

Who Stole My Church? - Gordon McDonald

Recommendation and review by Terry Yancey, AGK Superintendent

I received a copy of "Who Stole My Church?" from our General Superintendent and found it VERY thought provoking.  As in any recommendation, you may find items or issues with which you won't agree.  However, the book is valuable and I believe an absolute MUST READ for anyone leading an aging or long established congregation.  It is also a good example for healthy small group dynamics.  "Who Stole My Church?" is an easy read but offers immediate, practical help to pastors AND to church people feeling like their church is changing too fast OR changing too slowly.

Jesus Life Coach - Laurie Beth Jones

An engaging book that reveals the classic and masterful coaching skills of Jesus himself!  Are you looking for a Life Coach to speak into your life and to shape your future?  Look no further - this book reveals the heart of God and his interest in seeing Christ-followers walk and live in fulfillment and "true" success!  This book will coach you in coaching others!

Leadership Coaching - Tony Stoltzfus

Creating a coaching culture within the local church is doable! "Leadership Coaching is well written, intensely practical, biblical and filled with clear examples and useful learning tools, this book will be a valuable resource for the experienced coach as well as the beginner.  I am honored to recommend it enthusiastically!" Gary Collins PhD, Author of Christian Coaching

NOW, Discover Your Strengths - Marcus Buckingham

This book is based on years of research by the Gallup Organization.  It helps readers to discover and capitalize on their specific strengths, as well as assist leaders in understanding the strengths of those people they are mentoring and coaching.  Gone is the day of focusing on your weaknesses, we have entered the paradigm of affirming, embracing and developing strengths and natural God-given abilities for maximum effectiveness! Weaknesses can be managed and God can be glorified through strength based priorities.

Coaching 101 - Robert Logan

A must-read for anyone who is interested in the fundamental principles and key concepts of coaching!  You will discover that God-centered coaching has the power to change lives!  Your life will be enriched if you will open yourself up to receiving the wisdom of this practical, insightful and powerful tool for today's relational ministry.

Christian Coaching - Gary Collins

"If you want to be a good leader, you must learn to be a good coach!" If you long to make a difference in the lives of others, this book will give you the tools and skills to use coaching to impact those around you.  The best coaches help others to envision the future and imagine doing things that they have never done before!  Through stories, insights and interviews Collins gives us a model of Christian coaching.  The principles can be used to bring vision, passion and a sense of purpose to your own life, as well as equip you to guide others!

Coaching Successfully - John Eaton and Roy Johnson

This small handbook gives practical techniques to see those around you growing and maturing due to your influence.  The clear text and illustrations cover every aspect of inspiring, supporting and empowering those you coach.  There are simple checklists included that enable the reader to help others identify and achieve personal goals and targets.

Discipleship Journal

Insightful articles that will help you understand the Scriptures and grow in intimacy with God. Each issue brings fresh thinking and practical help for your everyday life. Plus, resources and hands-on ideas that will energize and encourage you as you reach out to others.

Sister Freaks: Stories of Women Who Gave Up Everything for God - Rebecca St. James

Bestselling author and award-winning singer Rebecca St. James brings together a group of inspirational true stories about young women who gave their all for Jesus.

Divine Dance: If the World Is Your Stage, Who Are You Performing For? - Shannon Kubiak Primicerio

This coming-of-age guide for Christian girls is written by a college-age author with relevant experience and insight to the teenage years who addresses issues of self-esteem and inner beauty.

Outreach Magazine

Outreach magazine, the gathering place for ideas, innovations and resources to help you reach your community and change the world.

The magazine, published bimonthly, brings outreach ideas from churches across the country, stories to challenge and inspire you, and new products, publications and resources to help you in your efforts to reach out.

Relevant Magazine

Articles, stories and ideas that help you stay up to date with the latest on God, life and progressive culture.

Church Marketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth - Richard Reising

Over 90 percent of all Christian churches in the United States have fewer than 200 members. While they vary in shape, size, ethnicity, and denomination, they have one thing in common: the desire to grow. So why is it that some churches fail to grow for years, while other congregations in the same community increase exponentially? The problem, says church marketing authority Richard Reising, is that most churches should not be doing promotion. Instead, they should focus on the preparation that will make members eager to invite others. In ChurchMarketing 101®, he demystifies basic marketing principles for the church, evaluates them against biblical principles, and illustrates how simple changes can remove roadblocks that hinder members from reaching out. Reising's simple yet insightful approach will be invaluable to pastors and ministry leaders from churches of all denominations and styles.

First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences In Your Church - Mark Waltz

New people visit your church, you greet them warmly and they come back.  Soon they're attending services regularly. But what then? How do you encourage guests to become more engaged and connected-with God, with other people, with the ministry and mission of your church? Here's practical advice that begins with a solid biblical philosophy and moves quickly into proven practices fleshed out at Granger Community Church--designated one of America's most innovative churches of 2008 by Outreach magazine.

What Smart Churches Know: How Branding and Marketing Know-How Can Revolutionize Your Church - Ron Arnold

What Do Smart Churches Know? Are you satisfied with the number of people your church is reaching? How can you get your message out when you don t have millions or even thousands of dollars to spend on marketing? In this new book, you ll be empowered to discover and express your church s unique identity. Learn the branding and marketing secrets of smart churches as you walk through the seven steps of the BrandSmart Method.

Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them - Thom S. Rainer

A comprehensive study of the formerly unchurched explodes some common myths as to what it takes to reach people and provides insight into how the Christian church can develop effective approaches to reach the growing number of unchurched in North America.

Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within - Robert E. Quinn

Open this book at your own risk. It contains ideas that may lead to a profound self-awakening. An introspective journey for those in the trenches of today's modern organizations, Deep Change is a survival manual for finding our own internal leadership power. By helping us learn new ways of thinking and behaving, it shows how we can transform ourselves from victims to powerful agents of change. And for anyone who yearns to be an internally driven leader, to motivate the people around them, and return to a satisfying work life, Deep Change holds the key.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable - Patrick M. Lencioni

Kathryn Petersen, DecisionTech’s CEO, faces the ultimate leadership crisis: uniting a team that is in such disarray that it threatens to bring down the entire company. Will she succeed? Will she be fired? Will the company fail? Lencioni’s riveting tale serves as a timeless reminder that leadership requires as much courage as it does insight.  Throughout the story, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions that go to the very heart of why teams—even the best ones—often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team.

Leadership Above the Line - Sarah Sumner

When you're working "above the line," you're in your unique success zone - leading with excellence and character in the way that best fits your strengths. Leadership above the Line provides tools to help readers find success in their work and personal relationships by better understanding their own tendencies. It reveals which "above the line" behaviors are most productive and shows how to avoid destructive "below the line" attitudes. Using Jesus as the model of the ideal balanced leader, Sumner offers practical tips readers can use to incorporate above-the-line strengths into everyday life.

Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures - Gary McIntosh & Samuel Rima

The Christian world has been rocked by the number of prominent leaders, in both church and parachurch organizations, who have been compromised by moral, ethical, and theological failures. This pace-setting volume addresses this alarming problem and offers Christian leaders valuable guidance in dealing with the inherent risks of their work.
Using biblical and current examples, the authors describe the characteristics of five types of leaders and the problems that are most likely to develop if their particular dysfunctions develop unrestrained. McIntosh and Rima offer a series of steps for leaders to consider so they can take control of their dark side and learn to harness its creative powers.

Leading Turnaround Churches - Gene Wood

Leading turnaround churches is one of the most pressing challenges facing every denomination in America. We know that plateaued ministries soon become dying institutions if they are not guided by turnaround leaders. Where will these leaders come from? How will we recognize them? What steps must they take to change the downward spiral? The author offers hope for a turnaround situation and explores topics such as: How to assess if your are a turnaround leader, Scenarios that contribute to plateau and decline, Obstacles to initiating change, and How to develop a compelling vision for the church.

Leadership Gold - John Maxwell

Recommendation and review by Pastor Mike Purkey, Lenexa Christian Center

We all know leadership makes a difference.  As pastors and leaders in the church and community, we are called upon to touch people everyday of our life.    In John Maxwell’s  book, Leadership Gold, I found a powerful and inspiring book of leadership truths that will impact your personal life as a pastor and leader.  I believe Leadership Gold should be in the library of every pastor.  It will encourage you and enable you to make a positive and passionate difference in the lives of others. 

Growing Leaders - James Lawrence

Recommendation and review by Terry Yancey, AGK Superintendent

It appears in the Assemblies of God that the category of “ordained leaders” is shrinking and our replacement pool is rather shallow. Therefore, James Lawrence’s book, Growing Leaders, may prove to be a timely addition to pastoral libraries. It has the capacity to function as a primer for nurturing a fresh generation of aspirant Pentecostal leaders, especially in the framework of local churches. As Bishop Graham Cray states in the Foreword, “A church that does not invest in developing leaders is incapable of responding to a changing culture.”   Some may perceive this book as simplistic because it addresses familiar themes like first love, integrity, authenticity and accountability. Do not mistake “simple and familiar” as “simplistic rehash.”  Growing Leaders is a Great Commission tool that can help us to “be those who are led more by Jesus, lead more like Jesus, and lead more to Jesus.”   James Lawrence’s book is not tantalizing but it is practical, useful and worthy of our attention.