Summer Reading List 2024
I wonder which book has most encouraged your faith, challenged your heart or stretched your understanding? The sun’s beginning to shine – Summer may be on its way. If you are looking for summer reading, we’d love to offer up the following books that might do one, two, or all three of the above!
The Theology pick: Charismatic Christianity - Helen Collins
This book by Collins brings a fresh reflection on charismatic Christianity that is biblical, theologically robust, and deeply practical, that serves the reader by both strengthening the foundations of their charismatic beliefs, as well as challenging them in their charismatic practice. Collins brings much insight and theological rigor, leaning heavily into the Pentecost narrative (Acts 2), the scriptures on Spiritual gifts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12), and Spiritual fruit (Galatians 5).
The Inspiring Story pick: Everything Sad is Untrue - Daniel Nayeri
Writing as his younger self, Nayeri narrates the dramatic story of escape from Iran. It’s a coming-of-age memoir. It’s a Christian testimony. It’s a refugee’s inside look at religion and geopolitics. It’s the anguished cry of a boy separated from his father and the only world he knew and loved — a world that he’s not even sure he can remember.
The Spiritual formation pick: A Praying Life - Paul Miller
This book is a great companion for anyone who desires to grow spiritually in a life of prayer. Through thirty-two chapters divided into five parts, Millar takes the reader from their first unsteady steps and stammering words in prayer through the darkness of cynicism, and into the joy of asking God anything! Miller leans into the personal, Father-child relationship in prayer, and offers us help with biblical wisdom and insight to the human heart.
The Apologetics pick: Confronting Christianity - Rebecca McGlaughin
Channelling state-of-the-art research, personal stories, and careful biblical study, Confronting Christianity explores 12 questions that keep many of us from considering faith in Christ. Look more closely, McLaughlin argues, and the reality of suffering, the complexity of sexuality, the desire for diversity, the success of science, and other seeming roadblocks to faith become signposts. Jesus becomes not a relic from the ancient world, but our modern world’s best hope.
The Reconciled Church pick: Crossing the Divide - Owen Hylton
Following Owen’s visit in November 2023, we’d love to commend his book to you. Owen’s love for scripture and for the church comes through strongly in a book that marries a big view of God’s plan for a diverse worshipping people, with practical advice at a local level. It is full of real-life stories from Owen’s own journey, the journey of his church in Brixton, and Owen’s posture and tone in what can be a divisive topic is not only challenging, but encourages faith and hope for a more reconciled future.
The ‘Ready Load Fire’ pick: Fathering Leaders Motivating Mission - David Devenish
What is an apostle? And how should this biblical role function in the church of today? David Devenish, a longstanding leader within the Newfrontiers movement, has many years’ experience of working in this way with churches in the UK (including our own) and in other cultures around the world. In this book he distils what he has seen, done and learned into a thoughtful reflection on the biblical patterns of apostolic ministry and contemporary practice.