The Pastor’s Summer Reading List

Missions

May 28

Summertime in Phoenix, Arizona.

That sentence may evoke myriad responses in you: fear, lament, joy, excitement, and more. Nonetheless, summertime is almost here.

Every summer, there is an observable shift in the rhythms of Redemption Arcadia. As temperatures begin to soar to familiar heights, the dross found in our busyness starts to burn away, and we often enter a season of rest—whether intentional or not. Summer in Phoenix is a great time to escape the heat and travel with family, to break from commitments in order to rest in the Lord, and to enjoy the reading of a good book (or five).

Early in my seminary training, one of my professors told us, “leaders are readers.” That phrase always stuck with me. Rhyming aside, growing in understanding and knowledge is a worthwhile pursuit—often accomplished through the reading of a good book. C. H. Spurgeon, whose words are frequently paraphrased as “Visit many books, but live in the Bible,” spoke to the importance of reading beyond Scripture. We live in the Word, but we also seek to understand the world through good books.

That being said, a good book truly is a good gift from the Lord. As programming slows for your pastors, the opportunity to catch up on the books that have long sat on the proverbial nightstand now presents itself. This summer, we’ve decided to share some of what we plan to read in order to grow as leaders in the church.

Listed below are several of the books each of your pastors plans to read. Consider reading with us this summer as we tolle lege!

Frank’s Planned Reads

Glad You’re Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences
by Walker Hayes & Craig Allen Cooper

Ingrained: An Uplifting Memoir About Woodworking and Craftsmanship
by Callum Robinson

Living Life Backwards: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End
by David Gibson

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks
by David Gibbons

Butch, Baker: The True Account of an Alaskan Serial Killer
by Walter Gilmour & Leland E. Hale

Passions of the Soul
by Rowan Williams

Trae’s Planned Reads

Nourished by Design: A Christ-Centered Approach to Nutrition
by Andy Felton

Enthroned on Our Praise: An Old Testament Theology of Worship
by Timothy Pierce

God’s Relational Presence: The Cohesive Center of Biblical Theology
by J. Scott Duval & J. Daniel Hays

For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship
by Daniel I. Block

You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News
by Kelly M. Kapic

Tyler’s Planned Sabbatical Reads

Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
by Dane Ortlund

I'm going to read this devotionally throughout the summer, hoping for encouraging reminders.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk

Heard great things, curious about it, feeling drawn in to reading it. Not sure why.

The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers
by David Hansen

I've read it, but it's been 10 years. My step-dad gave it to me to read which I'm taking as a sign from God because he's NEVER EVER IN MY LIFE given me a book to read... So ok God, what do you have for me?

Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism
by Timothy Keller

Never read it, always heard great things.

You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News
by Kelly M. Kapic

A book recommended to me on the topic of embracing our God-made limitations.

Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City
by Timothy Keller

I've flipped through it, but never really read it, hoping to learn more about urban ministry and healthy church priorities.

The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World
by Pete Scazerro

Coming back from Sabbatical, I want to be reminded how to re-engage in healthy ways.

Zachary’s Planned Reads

A Body of Divinity
by Thomas Watson

One of the Phoenix Seminary professors recommended this and the very next day Banner of Truth Trust released a summer reading plan for it. I will be following the reading plan this summer. You can find that linked here.

The Pastor as Leader: Principles and Practices for Connecting Preaching and Leadership
by John Currie

As a young pastor, I want to grow in my leadership capabilities, in and out of the pulpit. My prayer is that this book would give me language and tools to be better equipped to lead at Arcadia.

Prioritizing Missions in the Church
by Aaron Menikoff & Harshit Singh

A new publication. The authors are writing of a longtime prayer of mine; that Arcadia would be a church that prioritizes missions. I look forward to learning more from these authors.

Pastoral Theology: The Pastor in the Various Duties of His Office
by Thomas Murphy

A historic look at the office of pastor from Thomas Murphy (1823–1900) who pastored for over twenty–five years and studied at Princeton University close to its heyday.

The Return of the King
by J. R. R. Tolkien

Having just finished The Two Towers, it is fitting to finish the timeless trilogy. I always try to accompany fiction and/or good literature in my reading to captivate my imagination and to engage in good story-telling.

PastorsReadingSummer

Zachary Hines