Ten Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing: How Leaders Can Overcome Costly Mistakes by Geoff Surratt has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating based upon 10 customer reviews, and is currently #48 in the Kindle store.  Sounds like a book I need to read as I continue to volunteer at my church, so I just downloaded it and will be diving into it shortly.  You can pick up your copy by clicking here.

 

Here’s the book description from the Amazon website:

 

Based on interviews with pastors of growing churches, as well as personal experience, this book identifies the most common mistakes pastors make that keep otherwise healthy churches from reaping the harvest God has prepared. Each chapter spotlights a common mistake, gives real-life examples, uses a generous dose of humor, and provides a practical course of action to recover from the error. The book draws from the experience of Seacoast Church as well as pastors such as Craig Groeschel, Chris Hodges, Perry Nobel, Mark Batterson, Dave Ferguson, Scott Chapman, Dino Rizzo, Ron Hamilton, and Dave Browning, Church leaders will be encouraged to realize that they are not the only ones who struggle, and that turning their situation around may not be as daunting a task as they think. This is a field guide for the common pastor based on actual churches of all sizes.

 

From the Publisher:

 

Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches from Growing Endorsements

In Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches from Growing, Geoff Surratt brilliantly exposes commonly held beliefs that hold churches back. His practical insights will empower your ministry to push through man-made barriers to reach more people with the gospel.
— Craig Groeschel, Pastor, of LifeChurch.tv

Most anyone can point out the mistakes pastors make, but only someone with a huge heart for leaders and the local church can offer proven solutions. My friend and advisor Geoff Surratt is just that person. Grab your journal and a fresh pen and get ready to take some notes–this book is like a master’s degree in church leadership!
— Nelson Searcy, Lead Pastor, of The Journey Church

Geoff Surratt has profound insights into the inner workings of the church. And he unpacks them in ways that are both practical and inspirational.
— Mark Batterson

Geoff Surratt knows what it takes to grow and build a healthy church–he’s done it as an integral part of the ministry team at Seacoast Church. Now he pulls back the curtain to let us in on the painful lessons he learned along the way and shows us how to avoid making the same missteps. It’s a helpful read that just might save your church, your ministry, or your marriage.
— Larry Osborne, North Coast Church, Vista, California

Geoff Surratt is the peanut butter and jelly for every piece of bread in today’s church. He sees things others tend to miss and knows how to frame things in a way that will lift up and encourage those who listen to him.
— Dino Rizzo, Pastor, of Healing Place Church

A veteran pastor once instructed me, “Take God seriously. Just don’t take yourself seriously.” Geoff strikes that balance with wit and wisdom. Any growth-oriented pastor will benefit from this book and probably will get a few belly laughs out of it too! The laughter helps the medicine go down.
— David Browning

Ten Stupid Things That keep Churches from Growing is a must read for pastors and staff if you want your church to grow. This book is very practical–a great read and a useful reference for leaders in ministry. I love the chapter on promoting talent over integrity. It is so easy to try to fast-track leaders and not safeguard your ministry for continued growth. Thanks, Geoff! This is a great book.
— Dave Ferguson, Lead Pastor, Cummunity Christian Church

Ten Stupid Things is an idiot’s guide to church and ministry–and that’s a good thing! Surratt’s passionate style, pithy writing, and examples help us to think about our own situation with fresh eyes.
–Ed Stetzer, Author, of “Comeback Churches”

“Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches from Growing will teach you things you will never learn in seminary but every pastor needs to know. Geoff Surratt brings a fresh, bold, and honest approach to ministry which will help you put the joy back in ministry. You’ll get more than a lesson here – you’ll get real life experiences from successful churches all across the country.
— Chris Hodges, Senior Pastor, Church of the Highlands Church of the Highlands, Birmingham, Alabama

 

 

 

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Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent has received 5 out of 5 stars based on 18 customer reviews.  You can get it by clicking here.

 

Here’s the book description from the Amazon website:

 

“When her best friend Gemma’s parents are killed in a house fire, Jessilyn Lassiter’s parents take the girl in. Trouble is, the year is 1932, Gemma is black, the Lassiters are white, and they live in a small Virginia town. Spunky Jessilyn is 13 years old, but her story will appeal to readers of all ages. Winner of the Christian Writers Guild’s 2007 Operation First Novel contest, Valent’s debut is both heartwarming and hand-wringing as it shows how one family endured the threats small and large of a prejudiced community while maintaining moral integrity. The cast of characters is rich. Jessilyn’s mother wrestles with the social cost of challenging convention, her father is a dream dad and the neighbor’s wisdom is as spicy as her cake. Jessilyn’s romantic interest and penchant for trouble keep the tone light while the plot reminds readers of the evil that ordinary human beings are capable of doing, even in the name of righteousness. The book stares down violence and terror, making its affirmation of surprising goodness believable.”

 

 

 

 

Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands by Nancy Ortberg is a book about leadership and has received 4.5 stars out of 5 based on 6 customer reviews.  You can get it by clicking here. 

 

Here’s the book description from the Amazon website:

 

Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands is an engaging and insightful look into the qualities, attributes, and practices that turn ordinary leaders into extraordinary ones. Nancy Ortberg’s unique twist on vision casting; managing tensions; nurturing healthy conflict; motivating those around you; fostering creativity, passion, and trust is unlike anything you’ve ever read before! At times challenging, at times candid, but always inspiring, Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands will bring out the best in even the most seasoned leaders.

 

 

By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer has received a perfect 5 of 5 stars based on 27 customer reviews.  You can get it by clicking here.

 

Here’s the book description from the Amazon website:

 

Inspirational suspense novelist Singer (Directed Verdict) hooks readers from the opening courtroom scene of this tasty thriller, then spurs them through a fast trot across a storyline that just keeps delivering. Catherine O’Rourke is a seasoned reporter who covers trials for Norfolk, Virginia’s The Tidewater Times. The latest sexual abuse case she covers hits a little too close to home, and she has a series of disturbing “visions” that suggest first-hand details of the crimes. Soon she finds herself on trial as the “Avenger,” a Bible-quoting serial killer. Are her visions spiritual? Or does she have a split personality? She’s unsure of her innocence or guilt-and so are her lawyers, including the likeable high-rolling Vegas attorney, Quinn Newberg, who is famous for his insanity defenses. Singer tosses out plot twists with abandon, shattering readers’ assumptions but rarely straining their credulity. The characters’ lives unpeel like onions, with layers of interesting revelations. Christian faith plays a role in the “visions” but never feels forced. Smooth point of view changes, snappy dialogue, interesting details and unexpected humor enrich the storyline. Like the best suspense novels, the character development is sophisticated enough that readers won’t know the villain’s identity until the final pages.

 

 

 

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Not too sure about a Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton – remember, this is not my genre – but is has an average 4 of 5 star rating from a whopping 325 reviews, so someone likes it; it’s currently rated #4 on the Amazon Kindle store and you can get it by clicking here.

Here’s the review from the Amazon web page:

Laurell K. Hamilton revitalized vampires, werewolves, and zombies in the popular Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books. In this new series, she updates faeries. A Kiss of Shadows introduces Merry Gentry, a.k.a. Meredith NicEssus, a faerie princess of the Unseelie Court, where politics is a blood sport. Merry, who’s part sidhe (elvish), part brownie, and part human, never really fit in. She’s short, not skilled in offensive magic, and mortal because of her human blood. These are real liabilities when your family, especially aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, is out to kill you. Merry has been in hiding for three years, living in Los Angeles and working for the Grey Detective Agency, which specializes in "supernatural problems, magical solutions." A new case sets her against a man who uses forbidden magic to seduce fey women and drain their power. A plan to trap him goes awry and Merry’s cover is blown. Now Andais knows where she is. But things have changed in Andais’s court, and Merry is changing too.

Despite the selkies, brownies, goblins, and ogres in this book, it’s not for children. The fey are "creatures of the senses"–and in the Unseelie court, sex and pain go together. Merry is sexually adventurous and surrounded by gorgeous, powerful males, most of whom want her badly. She’s politically savvy and no coward, though she’s not the warrior Anita is. Hamilton fans and readers of adult fairy tales like Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels trilogy will want to give Merry a look. –Nona Vero

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Adoption is a Family Affair, by Patricia Irwin Johnston, is currently #116 in the Kindle store and #1 in several parenting and family related categories. It has received an average 4 out of 5 star reviews from 24 reviewers and you can get it by clicking here.

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The Hunters, by Jason Pinter, has been slammed with its latest reviews – its only received five – as it appears to be a novella vs. a complete book. I can understand that as people were expecting a free book, but you can’t argue with the price (i.e., free). Why not give it a shot? You can get it by clicking here.

Here’s the book description from Amazon:

After one of the most harrowing weeks of Henry Parker’s life, night has finally come. Settled in with Amanda Davies, he sleeps before preparing to chase a story alongside his mentor, Jack O’Donnell. Meanwhile Jack sits on the other side of town, fresh out of rehab, hoping to salvage a once-great career derailed by public humiliation. This is Jack’s last chance to leave his mark. Elsewhere in the city, two killers are on the move. They are brutal, calculating, and after tonight their decade’s long plan will come to fruition. But before the morning comes they have a few stops to make… THE HUNTERS: The thrilling lead-in to THE DARKNESS

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Better grab this one before it goes back to its regular $16.95 digital price – The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 1: Volume 1: The Shadow Kingdom.

Here’s the link to get it from the Amazon site – I just downloaded it tonight – click here.

Here’s the excerpt from the Amazon page:

“Stories such as ‘The People of the Black Circle’ glow with the fierce and eldritch light of [Howard’s] frenzied intensity.”
–Stephen King

“Robert E. Howard was a true storyteller–one of the first, and certainly among the best, you’ll find in heroic fantasy. If you’ve never read him before, you’re in for a real treat.”
–Charles de Lint

“In this, I think, the art of Robert E. Howard was hard to surpass: vigor, speed, vividness. And always there is that furious, galloping narrative pace.”
–Poul Anderson

“For headlong, nonstop adventure and for vivid, even florid, scenery, no one comes close to Howard.”
–Harry Turtledove

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