Sure, it's a little cliché to do a best books of the year list in December, but such a list is an easy opportunity for me to share three great books with you. I read a lot of great stuff each week in many different genres—not just Christian education or religion-related books—so it's hard to narrow it to three. At first I thought I'd restrict myself just to books that came out in 2008, but I'm gong to cheat and recommend one slightly older book. Here then are my three favorites. Settle in...this post is just a little longer than usual... (and click the titles to order them and support The Daily Voice.)
The Bill McKibben Reader by Bill McKibben (paperback)
If I won some great prize and could spend a day with anyone in the world, I would almost definitely pick Bill McKibben, one of the top environmentalist writers in the United States (and my favorite author). My top book of this year is a collection of essays Bill wrote for various magazines, such as Christian Century and The Atlantic. Since I rarely read the magazines he writes for, I am thrilled to have this collection. The book is divided into several sections, each representing themes he has written about frequently—home, environment, consumerism, community, heroes, and activism. The essays vary from about three pages to twenty, and all will provoke some deep thinking and, frequently, much laughter.
Bill also happens to be a United Methodist Sunday school teacher in his small country church, and has a recent little work on the biblical book of Job. Many of his writings are tinged with a social justice and faith perspective, and virtually all of them bring his keen environmentalist's eye to the topics at hand. If you have never read his articles or books before, this is a great place to begin. Start with "High Fidelity" on page 210, reading it aloud to an adult Sunday school class (as I recently did.)
Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith by Dorothy Butler Bass (hardcover & paperback)
I meant to read this when it came out in 2006 but finally just finished it last night. Now, I really wish I would have read it back then! Bass studied vital congregations in mainline denominations around the country, trying to determine what practices can sustain a church and help it to grow (in every sense, not simply numerically). The result is this book, which explores ten "signposts of renewal," including hospitality, discernment, healing, contemplation, diversity, testimony, justice, worship, reflection, and beauty. Bass describes dozens of churches and the unique ways in which their ministries are shaped by and formed around these key emphases. And while you can read the research methodology in the closing notes, this is no dry, heavily-footnoted book.
Progressive Christians will love the fact that Bass describes many "left-of-center" congregations, but what is more important is that she helps the reader to see that there are many ways for congregations to grow in today's culture and that one need not take the route many nondenominational churches do in order to attract new people. Filled with stories and quotes from the churches she visited, it's a book that begs to be discussed among friends. Fortunately, each chapter contains study questions, making this a perfect book for a staff or administrative body to read together.
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin
The final book on my list is one that was released fairly recently, though I rather accidentally had the good fortune to stumble upon an advance copy this summer. I have been urging friends since then to order a copy. Everyone in Christian education should read a "business" book now and then, and this tiny gem is by a guy who has revolutionized marketing (and Internet marketing in particular.) At the book's heart is this idea: change happens best when it is the result of of the actions of a tribe, a group of individuals connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.
Christian educators are leaders, though often leadership is one of the roles they are less comfortable with. Tribes gives a new view of what it is to be a leader today. You'll gain insights into everything from why some new ideas in your church (or online) take off while others flounder, to who would be a great person to head up a new ministry, to how to encourage the visions of others. Though the ideas get a bit repetitive and even a little disjointed (you'll get the idea Seth was a poster child for ADD!) the book is so fun, short and easy to read that you'll enjoy going back to earlier passages again and again. If you want to change lives or change the world, grab a copy of Tribes and then head to your favorite coffee shop to read it. (Other Tribes fans will undoubtedly walk by you and smile!)
~ Tim Gossett