Reading and Leading

Perhaps you don’t consider yourself a reader. Perhaps you make comments like “reading just isn’t my thing” or “I don’t read books. I wait for the movie.”

I understand this mindset, but my reply is – you just haven’t found something that you would like to read or need to know.

Perhaps you don’t consider yourself a leader. Perhaps you make comments like “I’m a better follower. Others can take charge.”

I understand this mindset, but my reply is – you likely haven’t realized that a) you are likely a leader to someone in some way and b) you may find yourself in a leadership position, so maybe some minor preparation is in order.

Today, I’d like to recommend 3 very different books that ministry readers and leaders should read. They are not leadership books, though certainly those can be helpful. Instead, I’ve suggested books to help you see the world differently … a past world, an invisible fictional world, and a present and future world.

Augustine, The Confessions. Consistently, this book ranks in the top 5 of “Christian classics” and for good reason. The majority of the work is autobiographical, set as a prayer, by the most significant theologian after Paul the Apostle. His theology has influenced both Catholics and Protestants, and this work is insightful and compelling. St. Augustine, in his own words, retracing his early steps from his pear-snatching youth to his trips into false teaching.

C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters. An exercise in creative writing, Lewis penned 31 letters under the guise of one demon training and guiding a younger demon in the art of dealing with their assigned human patients. Throughout Screwtape gives his protégé Wormwood advice on how to handle his patient, whether in romance or attending church or through the phases of undulation. On the one hand it’s entirely a work of fiction, but each time I read it Lewis opens up a new window to consider a range of issues, including: spiritual warfare, temptation, and the like.

Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself. There are several books with a similar theme, but arguably the best is Corbett and Fikkert’s work. It’s a good mix of theory and application, and if you want to read more about the issues they address, they have other books addressing the same topic but with different applications. How best should Christians, especially North American wealthy Christians help those in need? Whether across the globe or around the corner, Corbett and Fikkert diagnose the problem and offer solutions.