SUGGESTED READING & RESOURCES
Click each bullet point below to see a list of books for recommended reading.
Prayer
- Be a lover of God, seeking to live in the love of Christ above all else
- Simply Christian by NT Wright
- Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
- Knowing God by JI Packer
- Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin’s Path to God by Brennan Manning
- Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster
- The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
- Radical Grace by Rochard Rohr
- The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
- The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer
- The Reason for God by Tim Keller (Advanced)
- Befriend silence.
- Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life by Henri Nouwen
- Thoughts In Solitude by Thomas Merton
- The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen
- Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
- Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
- Allow Holy Scripture to shape and form Christ in me.
- How to Read the Bible for All its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
- The Last Word by NT Wright
- Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading by Eugene Peterson
- Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals by William Webb (Advanced)
- Abusing Scripture by Manfred Brauch (Advanced)
- To integrate contemplative practices and rhythms
(e.g. Daily Office, Sabbath-keeping) to slow down my life. - Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero
- Begin the Journey with the Daily Office by Pete Scazzero
- A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God – by Norman Shawchuck (Editor), Rueben P. Job (Editor)
- Tradition of the Ancients by Martha Ford
- Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
- Sabbath-Keeping by Lynne Baab
- The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle
- Sabbath:Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives – by Wayne Mueller
- Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community – Harper, San Francisco
- John Cassian: The Conferences (Ancient Christian Writers) (Advanced)
Rest
- Value my own dignity as a human being made in God’s image through self-respect and self-care.
- Surrender to Love by David Benner
- The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery – by David Benner
- Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning
- Not the Way it’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary on Sin by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. (Advanced)
- Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.
- The Attentive Life by Leighton Ford
- The Life You’ve Always Wanted By John Ortberg
- Remember God’s history of faithfulness with each new challenge.
- Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster
- The Healing Path: How the Hurts in Your Past Can Lead You to a More Abundant Life by Dan Allender
- Whose Religion is Christianity? by Lamin Sanneh
- The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez
- Water from a Deep Well by Gerald Sittser
- Longing for God by Foster and Beebe
- Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Eliot
- The Source by James Michner (Novel)
- Surprised by Hope by NT Wright (Advanced)
Relationships
- Love my neighbor as I love myself giving first priority to my spouse and children as my first neighbors, or embracing my singleness while bonding with others and bearing fruit for God.
- The Mystery of Marriage by Mike Mason
- Twelve Hours to a Great Marriage by Markman and Stanley
- Celebration of Sex by Douglas Roseneau
- The Mystery of Children by Mike Mason
- Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman
- Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
- The Thrill of the Chaste by Dawn Eden (for Single Women, in particular)
- Walk in community while respecting each person’s uniqueness.
- Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
- No Man is an Island by Thomas Merton
- From Brokenness to Community by Jean Vanier
- Sacred Companions by David Benner
- Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer
- Apply emotionally healthy practices in order to love well.
- The Emotionally Healthy Church by Pete Scazzero
- A Grace Disguised by Gerald Sittser
- Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
- The Cry of the Soul: How Our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions About God by Dan B Allender Ph.D. and Tremper Longman
- Extraordinary Relationships by Roberta M. Gilbert
- Listen more than I speak.
- Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton, Heen, and Fisher
- Live in truth, asking the hard questions.
- Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
- Glittering Images by Susan Howatch
- The Dark Side of Leadership by Sam Rima
- People of the Lie by Scott Peck
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover (Novel)
- I Quit by Geri Scazzero (to be released in 2010)
- Bridge racial, cultural, economic and gender barriers for Christ.
- Exclusion and Embrace by Miroslav Volf
- Free of Charge by Miroslav Volf
- More than Equals by Perkins and Rice
- Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church by Mark Demayz
- The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah
- Gender & Grace by Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen
- Malcolm X by Alex Haley (Biography)
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Novel)
Work/Activity
- Savor the sacred in all I do — at work, rest or play.
- Doing God’s Business by R. Paul Stevens
- The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity and Caring by Parker Palmer
- Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
- The Call by Os Guinness
- Remember the poor and marginalized.
- With Justice for All by John Perkins
- Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ron Sider
- Share my gifts, talents and resources, in and beyond our community.
- The Will of God as a Way of Life by Gerald Sittser
- In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
- Culture Making by Andy Crouch
- The Total Money Makeover by David Ramsey
