Robert D. Lupton, Renewing the City: Reflections on Community Development and Urban Renewal. IVP Books, 2008. Referenced in: Urban Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is an inspiring story on urban renewal taken from the Old Testament narrative of Nehemiah. From the Publisher When an expatriate bureaucrat toured a devastated city, he saw more than ashes and
Gary A. Haugen, Just Courage: God’s Great Expedition for the Restless Christian. IVP Books, 2008. Related volume: Haugen, The Good News About Injustice Referenced in: Theological and Philosophical Foundations of Social Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is an excellent introduction to the real and pervasive social evils that exist internationally, and a call to be courageous
Alvin C. Bibbs, Crazy Enough to Care: Changing Your World Through Compassion, Justice and Racial Reconciliation. IVP Books, 2009. Referenced in: Strategies for Social Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is an excellent 12-lesson small group study curriculum that helps awaken perspectives and practices for social justice. As the title suggests, it divides social ministry into three
Tim Stafford, Shaking the System: What I Learned from the Great American Reform Movements. IVP Books, 2007. Referenced in: Strategies for Social Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary In an attempt to help today’s activists be more historically informed, Stafford takes a look at four significant American social reform movements of the past: abolition, prohibition, women’s suffrage, and
Kevin Blue, Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World. IVP Books, 2010. Referenced in: Strategies for Social Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is an excellent introduction to social justice for those who are sheltered from it but feel impulses toward it, yet do not know where to start in making a difference. Blue is disturbing
Mark Labberton, The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor: Seeing Others Through the Eyes of Jesus. IVP Books, 2010. Prequel: Labberton, The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God’s Call to Justice (2007) Referenced in: Missional Lifestyle, Discipleship, Spirituality Social Ministry Strategies LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is as a prophetic but gracious, gentle, theologically informed, and personal
Bill Hull and Dallas Willard, Choose the Life: Exploring a Faith That Embraces Discipleship. Baker, 2004. In association with T-Net Disciple-Making Churches Closely related: Hull, Disciple-Making Church Referenced in: Strategies for Church Renewal: Diagnostic/Prescriptive – Disciple-Making Ministry Involvement and Gift-Based Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a project of T-Net International Disciple-Making, a comprehensive process used
Thom S. Rainer, High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church. Broadman and Holman, 1999. Referenced in: Welcoming and New Member Ministry LifeandLeadership.com Summary Reflective of Rainer’s skill as a researcher, this is based on a study of 287 Southern Baptist churches that compared the practices of higher-assimilation churches with lower-assimilation churches.
Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger, Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples. B and H Books, 2006. Referenced in: Strategies for Church Renewal: Disciple-Making Strategies for Church Renewal: Simple, Minimalist LifeandLeadership.com Summary Thom Rainer is probably America’s leading researcher on effective congregational life. Here he teams with Eric Geiger. They write about the
Charles Halley, The Heart of the Matter: Changing the World God’s Way (TCP Leadership Series). Chalice Press, 2006. Referenced in: Strategies for Church Renewal – Diagnostic/Prescriptive, Disciple-Making Strategies for Church Renewal – Integrated Spiritual/Strategic LifeandLeadership.com Summary This excellent resource distills the insight of a seasoned minister and business executive who came to the realization that
