Parents, here are a few books that I would recommend for you on ministering more effectively to your student:
One of the best books that I have read recently is “Stop asking Jesus into your heart” by Pastor J.D. Greear. This book tackles the difficult doctrine of “assurance of Salvation.” Many Christians struggle with this concept, because we put so much pressure on us and our feelings when the pressure of our Salvation rests on Jesus, and what He has done and been for us. This book challenges each believer to look beyond your feelings, and rest on the promises of God for your Salvation! I believe in the concepts of this book, and believe in its theology! That is why I am giving away this book absolutely free to someone. The giveaway ends by 10:00 am on Thursday morning so let the contest begin.
Here is an excerpt of the book:
“If there were a Guinness Book of World Records entry for ‘amount of times having prayed the sinner’s prayer,’ I’m pretty sure I’d be a top contender,” says pastor and author J. D. Greear. He struggled for many years to gain an assurance of salvation and eventually learned he was not alone. “Lack of assurance” is epidemic among evangelical Christians.
Read my full review of J.D’s book here!
Please remember to tag me in your posts or let me know about your blog so that I can be aware that you have completed it.
The winner will be announced by 10:00 am on Thursday morning, February 7th!!! Let the contest begin.
Books are a great way for you to learn how to practically do student ministry! I try to read several new student ministry books throughout the year. Here are the top “must have” student ministry books that I recommend:
1. Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields
2. Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark Devries
3. Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields
4. The Greenhouse Project by Mike Calhoun
5. Think Orange by Reggie Joiner
6. Checkpoints by Andy Stanley
7. More than Dodgeball by Josh Griffin
9. Life in Student Ministry by Tim Schmoyer
10. Raising the Bar by Alvin Reid
Honorable Mentions: “Do they run when they see you coming” by Jonathan McKee; “A disconnected Generation” by Josh McDowell.
Question: What Student Ministry books would you add to this list? Please leave them in the comment section below, we would love to hear what books have helped shape your student ministry philosophy.
My friend, Tom Shriver blogs regularly about student ministry at tomshriver.com. Tom is giving away the book, “Speaking to Teenagers” by Doug Fields and Duffy Robbins. I encourage you to stop by his blog to enter for your chance to win. The contest ends Tuesday!!
I have personally never read the book, but I have read many books by the two authors, and know that they will not disappoint. Go here to register for the freebie, and while you are there, subscribe to Tom’s blog!
My “To read” list continues to grow, because it seems that writers are writing faster than I am reading. Here are the books that I plan to read in 2013 as of now. Obviously as new books are put out, this list could change this coming year.
Question: What books are you planning on reading in the year 2013?
I have read more in this year than I probably have in any other year EVER. I wanted to share the top books that I have read in 2012 for you today! So, here they are:
1. Gospel: Recovering the Power that made Christianity Revolutionary by J.D. Greear. This is easily the best and most challenging book that I have read this year. Pastor J.D. is the lead pastor of the mega church, “Summit Church” in Cary, NC. They have several campuses throughout the triangle area.
2. Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian. This book will challenge you to realize that God’s love for you is totally dependent on Him and His character, and not on your performance!
3. The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. This book challenged me in my personal desire to walk with Jesus as much as any other book that I have read this year. I highly encourage you to read this book if you have not already.
4. Weird by Craig Groeschel. Craig is one of the best story tellers there are. He is also probably the most transparent writer that I have ever read by. This book like the last one I mentioned will challenge you in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
5. Twisdom by Matt Lawson. Matt is the high school student pastor at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, GA. He is an incredible student pastor, and in this book, he pours out some incredible wisdom relating to student ministry and leadership. It is geared toward student pastors so make sure that you purchase this book soon.
6. Greater by Steven Furtick. This was one of the most motivational and encouraging books that I have read this year. Pastor Steven has a gift of encouraging Christians to go deeper in their personal commitment to following Christ.
7. More than Dodgeball by Joshua Griffin. Joshua is the student pastor at Saddleback church. He also blogs regularly at morethandodgeball.com. It is arguably the best student ministry blog out there. He knows his stuff and is a veteran in student ministry. This book will give you practical thoughts pertaining to student ministry.
8. Simple Church by Thom Rainer. This book is a great book, and many churches need to take to the simple church model suggested in this book. I believe that over the last several years, more and more churches have gone to this model, and I look for many more to do the same soon. This book is practical, and a must read for every church leader!
9. Soul Detox by Craig Groeschel. Now, obviously you can see that I am a Groeschel fan. He is a great speaker, but one thing that interests me about Groeschel is his transparency. He admits his struggles and faults for you, and helps you practically live out your faith. This book will help you stay clean from the world and its corruption that it can bring into your life.
10. The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler. I love hearing Matt Chandler preach. He has an incredible testimony, but an incredible gift in preaching. He is definitely one of my favorite preachers out there. This is a very deep read so be prepared.
Recently, I had the opportunity to purchase the book, “Going Social” by Terrace Crawford. Terrace is a good friend of mine in student ministry, and you should totally connect with him. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to social media. He is a regular on facebook, twitter, and google+. He also is a great blogger, and shares some of the best stuff out there. Here is a little about the book from Terrace:
“If ever there was a time to leverage media to reach people with the gospel of Christ it is now! The message of this book is about doing just that – using the platforms that we’ve been given – to connect with people who are already talking. I believe today’s church leaders need to hear this important message and I believe this resource will help them!” – Terrace Crawford
Here are some popular reviews and what others are saying about the book:
“Digest this book and engage your digital world!” - Ed Stetzer, President, Lifeway Research
“Simply Genius!” – Tim Stevens, Executive Pastor @ Granger Community Church
“Terrace Crawford’s book, Going Social, is a great resource to help you develop a social media
strategy for yourself or your church!” - Josh Griffin, High School Pastor, Saddleback Church
This is a great book for church leaders in a digital and social environment.
I started the book, Gospel by J.D. Greear about 3 months ago, and got barely into it, and quit. I got busy, and stopped. Then, i picked it back up 2 weeks ago, and read the entire book in 2 days. J.D. is the lead pastor of the Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham area, and the Lord is using him in incredible ways to reach those cities and colleges with the Gospel. The book, Gospel is the best and most challenging book that I have read all year aside from the Word of God. Here are some things I loved about the book:
If you have not read the book, Gospel by J.D. Greear, pick it up today, and get to reading. Just a warning, it is a difficult book to put down (the reason why I read it in 48 hours).
About J.D:
J.D. Greear, Ph.D., (born May, 1973) did his degree work in Christian and Islamic theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He is Lead Pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC. The Summit’s vision is to plant 1,000 churches in by the year 2040. Currently, they have planted 11 and have several church planting teams stationed around the world. J.D. has authored Breaking the Islam Code (published Feb 1, 2010, Harvest House) and GOSPEL: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary(published October 1, 2011, B&H). He lives in Raleigh, NC with his gorgeous wife Veronica and his four ridiculously cute kids, Kharis, Alethia, Ryah and Adon.
Alvin Reid is one of my hero’s of student ministry. He is doing a lot of great things in student ministry, but also leadership. He is a professor of student ministry at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. It happens to be one of the fastest growing seminaries out there. He has written an e-book entitled, “STRONGER: A practical guide to physical and spiritual discipline.”
Terrace Crawford is a good friend of mine. We have connected through social networking, and have built a relationship that way. Terrace is one of the best bloggers and profiles to follow on twitter. He knows what is going on and what is working with social media, and what is not working. He recently wrote a book entitled, “#Going Social.” The book released yesterday, and I encourage you to order it. I actually am still waiting on my copy to come in the mail, but I am convinced that he will not disappoint with this read. You can enter for a chance to win a free copy by going here! Also, you can visit the #going social website by clicking here.
