A friend recently asked me to make some reading recommendations in the areas of Church planting and Anglicanism. To get the conversation started, I suggested:
Good practical Church Planting books:
Other more conceptual books:
Anglicanism: (this is harder)
I would love to hear what you’re reading on these topics, too. Please post your suggested reading in response to this blog.
August 19th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
As a rookie Anglican and one who has never planted a church in my life (but nonetheless is on the C4SO network team as a coordinator), I have been reading stuff like crazy, just so I can feel somewhat less like an idiot. Here’s what I’ve read and what is on my shelf to be read that has been helpful thus far:
Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by Church Planters, Griffith/Easum
Evangelical is Not Enough, Thomas Howard
Beyond Smells and Bells, Galli
Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail, Webber
How the Irish Saved Civilization, Cahill
The Celtic Way of Evangelism, Hunter
Have on my shelf to be read:
Chapters in Church History, Powel Mills Dawley (Anglican viewpoint, shorter paperback…may be out of print)
The Spirit of Anglicanism (Hooker, Maurice, Temple), Wolf/Booty/Thomas
Ancient-Future Evangelism, Webber
Never Silent, Barnum
August 19th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Transforming Mission – David Bosch
Right up there with Leslie Newbigen. Bosch is one of the leading missologial theologians. He articulates the centrality of the kingdom.
The Celtic Way of Evangelism – George Hunter
The apostle of the missional moevement – St Patrick
August 19th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I have a few books that I always recommend to those who are reading up on Anglicanism, some of which have already been mentioned. I do have a few to add to the list though:
Anglican Spirit, Michael Ramsey
Love’s Redeeming Work: The Anglican Quest for Holiness, Rowell, Stevenson, Williams
The Study of Anglicanism, Sykes, Booty, Knight
Anglicanism and the Christian Church, Avis
Anglican Identities, Williams
And (as a brief take on the priesthood in Anglicanism), Being Salt by George Sumner
In terms of church planting/development, I’d recommend a couple in addition to those already mentioned (such as Planting Missional Churches):
The Nomadic Church, Easum & Theodore
Simple Church, Rainer
On the more conceptual side, I would recommend anything by Newbigin and a collection of essays entitled “Confident Witness–Changing World: Rediscovering the Gospel in North America” ed. by Craig Van Gelder.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
to add:
History
The Descent of the Dove, Charles Williams
Pastoral, Worship & Prayer
Pastoral Theology: A Reorientation, Martin Thornton
For The Life of the World: Sacraments & Orthodoxy, Alexander Schmemann
The Living Church, John Stott
Christian Proficiency, Martin Thornton
Seeing God: The Way of St Benedict, Esther De Waal
The Spirit of the Liturgy, Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict 16.
Vocation:
Jayber Crow, Wendell Berry
August 29th, 2009 at 5:54 am
Thanks everyone–this list is growing nicely!
September 11th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Liturgy-
BEYOND SMELLS AND BELLS by Mark Galli
Great accessible introduction to the liturgy. Easy read – 142 pages – The book is an “attempt to explain how liturgy shapes us as we participate in it week after week, year after year.”
great for your people who are coming from non-liturgical background – thinking about liturgy.
FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD – by Alexander Schmemann – Eastern Orthodox Priest
This is a tougher read- ie – i am on my third round of reading this book and i am just getting this stuff! but it is profound! It is the sacramental life of the church that fuels mission – that gives us life- that propels us to mission! all this from an eastern orthodox priest- great read- he also has a book on THE EUCHARIST – that i am just beginning-
some quotes:
“The Church is not a society of escape-coperately or individually-from this world t taste the mystical bliss of eternity. Communion is not a “mystical” experience” : we drink the chalice of Christ, and he gave Himself for the life of the world. the bread on the paten (plate) and the wine in the chalice are to remind us of the incarnation of the Son of God, of the cross and death. And thus it is the very joy of the Kingdom that makes us remember the world and pray for it. It is the very communion with the Holy Spirit that enables us to love the world with the love of Christ.” 44
“The Eucharist is the sacrament of unity and the moment of truth: here we see the world in Christ, as it really is, and not from our particular and therefore limited and partial points of view. Intercession begins here, in the glory of the messianic banquet, and this is the only true beginning for the Church’s mission. It is when “having put aside all earthly care.” we seem to have left this world, that we, in fact recover its reality.”
44-45
November 15th, 2009 at 3:51 am
Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis
Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll
The Celtic Way of Evangelism by G. Hunter III
Ancient-Future Faith by Robert Webber
Missional Church by Darrell Guder