Books

Bradley N. Hill's favorite books for ministry

What are the best books for ministry written in the 21st century? We asked seven pastors to pick their favorites. — Ed.

On the basis of case studies of 400 churches, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger assert that vibrant churches are simple churches that say yes to a clearly defined mission and no to everything else. Churches united around this process grow in mission and in power. Their book is Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples (B & H Books).

Using the metaphor of construction, Constance Cherry’s The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services (Baker Academic) provides a way to think about the elements of worship: foundation, rooms, load-bearing walls, doors, windows, and style. The driving question that pushes the reader deeper into the heart of worship is: How do we know whether our worship is pleasing to God?