"The Congregation in a Secular Age" (Andrew Root)

TITLE: Congregation in a Secular Age (Ministry in a Secular Age)
AUTHOR: Andrew Root
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, (288 pages).

What time is it? It's secular time! In a three-part volume about Christian life in a secular age, author, and professor Andrew Root paints for us the challenges surrounding youth ministry; pastoral ministry; and ministry to the congregation. The first volume deals with the reasons why young people's faith had flipped from a culture of "difficult not to believe" to "difficult to believe" within 500 years. The key is to move away from talking about faith to practicing faith in love to the young ones. Root looked at the state of authenticity and how it interacts with duty-bound individuals. The second volume looks at the challenges of pastoral ministry in a secular age where the challenge is for pastors to communicate hope even to people who refuse to see any hope. Thus, the second volume aims to encourage pastors with hope through historical examples and that ministry unveils God's presence to people by helping them recognize and perceive "divine action" in their midst. From youth ministry to pastoral ministry, now author Andrew Root helps us look at congregational ministry in an age of secularism. His key thesis is this: Congregations are unable to keep up with the changing tide of cultural changes leading to burnout, depression, and a shift from sacred living to frantic behaving, from faithfulness to a "drive for vitality." The solution is to go back to the fundamentals of ecclesiology and to help local congregations do the same. 

"The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching" (Matthew D. Kim and Scott M. Gibson)

TITLE: The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching: A Guide from Genesis to Revelation
AUTHOR: Matthew D. Kim and Scott M. Gibson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, (640 pages).
 

One of the most popular and powerful methods for preaching is the late Dr. Haddon Robinson's "Big Idea Preaching." It is simple in its basic concept and widely applicable in communications, especially in the area of preaching and teaching. This book essentially applies the Big Idea to the whole Bible. Most of the contributors, if not all of them, have benefitted from Robinson's teachings and have applied to all 66 books of the Bible. It can be the preaching version of the abridged commentary of the whole Bible. Taking each biblical book, contributors worked through chapters, pericopes, and selected segments to give us the key exegetical idea, the subject, and the complement for each of them. On top of that, each book would come with:

1. An introduction to the major idea of the whole book
2. Tips on how to divide the segments
3. Guidance through difficult passages
4. Cultural contexts
5. Recommended resources

"Discipleship in Community" (Mark E. Powell, John Mark Hicks, and Greg McKinzie)

TITLE: Discipleship in Community: A Theological Vision for the Future
AUTHOR: Mark E. Powell, John Mark Hicks, and Greg McKinzie
PUBLISHER: Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 2020, (192 pages).

Who are the "Churches of Christ" and the "Disciples of Christ" organizations? What do they believe in? What is the Stone-Campbell movement and their "restoration perspective?" For the authors of this book, the key operative word answer is "discipleship." Thus, the title for this book. Such discipleship mirrors the two greatest commandments: Love God and Love People. Discipleship is about participation in the life of the Triune God as well as building up a community of disciples in order to share in God's mission. This theme of discipleship is anchored on six fundamental convictions:

1. A Trinitarian vision of God
2. An eschatological outlook
3. Strong biblical orientation in its teaching and spirituality
4. The Believers Church tradition
5. The sacramental presence and working of God, especially in baptism and the Lord’s Supper
6. The church’s participation in God’s mission  
   

"Better decisions, Fewer Regrets" (Andy Stanley)

TITLE: Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets: 5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move
AUTHOR: Andy Stanley
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2020, (192 pages).

What should I do next? What should I do with my life? What do I really want? Why do I want to know what's my next move? Tell me the answer and I will do it! For Christians, one of the classic questions would be to ask: "What is God's calling for me?" These perhaps are some of the decision making questions that challenge us daily, and for some, the question might even linger on for a lifetime. Indeed, making decisions is one of the most important things we do. So much so that for some, not making a decision is an easy way out. While popular wisdom says that there is no such thing as a dumb question, it is always helpful when we learn how to ask better questions. Some answers would challenge the mental while others might just appease the curious. The most powerful questions are those that help us determine our calling and purpose in life. "What do we do next?" is a question that needs to be asked at regular intervals of our lives. Instead of allowing our emotions and desires rule over our decision making, we need to involved the mental calmness and objectivity in asking hard and honest questions about what we are seeking. Enters the five questions which Andy Stanley hopes will help unlock ourselves toward a meaningful journey of self-discovery and good decision making. The questions deal with one's sense of identity, purpose, and desire for fulfilment. These five questions are:

"Holy Sexuality and the Gospel" (Christopher Yuan)

TITLE: Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story
AUTHOR: Christopher Yuan
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook & Multnomah, 2018, (256 pages).

One of the biggest issues in our modern world is in the area of human sexuality, in particular, homosexuality. This topic has divided many parts of society. Whether it is between tradition and modern convention; older generation vs younger generation; East vs West; or any distinctive people group, it is a controversy that has torn apart many relationships. For Christians and the Church, it hits home at the heart when members of our Church or even our families confess they are gay. Even the theological community has been split in the interpretations or re-appropriation of the Bible verses that speak about homosexuality. Even love has many different definitions and expectations. For many, it is a theoretical and theological exploration on what God is saying with regard to homosexuality. For others, it is using the Bible to defend what they believe in. However, for those who are trapped in the middle, it could be arduous and tormenting. In 1993, author Christopher Yuan announced to his parents that he is gay. Due to his family's conservative Asian background, it is particularly hard on their relationship. Worse, Yuan after coming out into the open about his sexuality, his new found "freedom" led him to some destructive behaviour including promiscuity, illicit drug use, drug peddling, and unbelief. He was subsequently caught and jailed. This was the moment that forced Yuan to spend more time reading and praying over the Bible's teachings. Right thinking must come before any intentions. Any relevance or pragmatism must never come at the price of Truth. This book is Yuan's personal journey to discover this Truth, believing that "right knowing" comes before any action or behaviour. 

"101 Leadership Insights" (Bob Phillips and Del Walinga)

TITLE: 150 Essential Insights on Leadership (Legacy Inspirational Series)
AUTHOR:  Bob Phillips and Del Walinga
PUBLISHER: Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2021, (176 pages).

How does one lead to inspire? How could a leader motivate another to improve and to do better? How do we go about discovering our own personality profile and leadership styles? What does it take to be a leader? What do we do when our leadership is challenged? How do we move from dealing with differences to learning to make a difference in the lives of people? How does one deal with criticisms? What does it take to be a forward-looking leader? How could a leader learn to distinguish between rights and responsibilities? What about avoiding burnout? How does one form a vision? What does it take to develop resilience in leadership? What about loneliness? How do we balance the different expectations on us? These and many more form the basis of this large volume of leadership insights. Filled with lots of famous quotes and illustrations, it is a fascinating look at the many different perspectives of leadership. There are chapters on leadership styles and behaviors to help us determine the most appropriate attribute for different occasions. Authors Bob Phillips and Del Walinga have given us a book filled with insightful advice and powerful examples of leadership. Knowing the highs and lows that come with leadership, they encourage us to learn and to keep on learning.