We are now 1/3 of the way through 2021!

Crazy.

This weekend is Katie’s 40th birthday celebration.

But before the festivities begin, I wanted to share my favorite books, podcasts, and blogs of the last couple of weeks. I hope it helps you grow!

Favorite books:

An entertaining book I read recently was A Man at Arms: A Novel by Steven Pressfield. The story was great, but it also made me really think about what it took for the letters in the Bible to get to the places they got to. Things that I kind of just assumed or took for granted. 

One of my favorite podcasts is The Learning Leader with Ryan Hawk, and his book Welcome to Management: How to Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader was fantastic. I highlighted so much in it and took away so much from it. If you are in a new role, entering a new role, or wanting to grow as a leader to take on more responsibility at your church or company, this is a book worth picking up.

Favorite podcasts:

I really appreciated the recent podcast conversation Carey Nieuwhof had with Derwin Gray about racism, our country, and what it looks like to lead a multicultural church. There were a lot of things that stood out to me as a pastor and a father.

Favorite blog posts:

If you’re a pastor like me, you are trying to navigate this new hybrid world and rebuilding your church. You are also wondering, who is coming back? Who is still a part of my church? Will everyone come back? And how will I handle that? What will we do? Karl Vaters lays out 7 Reasons Some People Might Not Come Back To Church, which I think are important things to be aware of as a pastor. In my church, #3 is one I’ve heard a lot of.

Mark Clark and Carey Nieuwhof shared 5 preaching trends that will shape the future, and I think they are spot on. A great read for pastors and church leaders.