Engage by Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy has written about his system for integrating first-time guests into active members, and creating a fantastic small group system. It makes sense that he would have a system for worship planning.

Divided into 4 parts, Searcy explains that a church needs a proper worship philosophy, a pastor needs to have a preaching calendar that is a year long, how to work and plan on the entire worship service, and then how to evaluate the service(s) once they have concluded.

Throughout the book you'll read personal testimonies from other church leaders who have implemented the details of Engage. (Those I skipped over...I found them distracting)

Searcy offers the same website, after each segment, where you can go and download examples and other "helps" that his church has used.

98% of the content of this book is rather useful. I enjoy Searcy's style of writing. He provides alot of information, with a kind of pep-talk, go-get-'em enthusiasm.

Engage feels just like his other books. It's based on a system of doing the behind-the-scenes work to create a better environment within your church and a more positive attitude within your congregation.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by BakerBooks Publishing.

Barefoot Church by Brandon Hatmaker

Within these 175 pages is a book on being missional that goes beyond theory. The personal stories from Hatmaker and the practical ideas presented is what every leader and layperson could ask for.

Every pastor wants his church to be big on outreach. Often their congregation says the same thing yet wanting to keep things the way they've always been. Opting for the chance that they could convince the nonchurched to become more like the churched before they have to change.

Barefoot Church offers nice ideas to spark the creativity on how your church can reach the community by serving the poor and partnering with those inside the area companies.

Hatmaker will explain how churches need to create a new metric for success, enjoy the tension that outreach creates, and allowing one's understanding of discipleship bloom from the tired description it currently carries.

May you use this book to encourage you in how the church can get back to authentically following Jesus.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.

Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow

David Murrow decided to completely revise and update this book because he's learn some things since first writing Why Men Hate Going to Church.

In the end, you'll learn that Murrow believes women have completely taken over the church: from the style of music (singing love songs to God instead of action songs about God), to the decorations (hand-made banners and lace communion covers instead of man-cave items) and even the success of Children's Church.

Murrow claims that the preaching is all about emotion, feelings and having a personal relationship with God. These are things that make men cringe. Have you ever heard of a man lovingly talking about having a personal relationship with Jesus? Murrow claims that men want to follow Christ, not fall deeper in love with him.

Some parts of this book resonated with me. I agree that many men enjoy the heroic, rescue stories told in movies and books and that churches tend to tell the loving, relationship story of Jesus and people and not so much the heroic story of Jesus rescuing the world.

Other parts I laughed out loud. I found it slightly hilarious that women will flock to the church if men are attending. Really? Women can't resist the magnetic pull? And then there was the alarming stat that if a church is over 70% women, the church is already dead...

But this isn't a slam against women, Murrow reassures us. It really isn't.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Havah by Tosca Lee

Tosca Lee is talented in her prose. This novel, told from Eve's point of view, oozes with the joy of words. It almost feels like reading poetry.

Before page 100 you'll get the creation of Eve and the Fall. So what's left to tell in the story? Enter Lee's imagination and you read over 300 pages worth of speculative fiction.

As most of this story is told from inside Eve's thoughts it can become somewhat tedious to read about the environment with so many creative words and sentences. (How awful is it for me to say that? This just proves I'm a lazy reader)

There are some interesting interpretations as to how animal sacrifices came into being. And the "look" of the serpent is a nice addition instead of just having him be a snake with legs.

The use of other names instead of Eve, Cain and Abel was a bit different. I'm not sure if these other names were to give it a sense of authenticity or other-worldly...ness.

All said, Havah is a fine read to spark your imagination as to what the beginning of humanity was like for our ancestors.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by B&H Books.

A Stand Up Guy by Michael Snyder

Michael Snyder is a terrific character writer. I have loved reading the last two books that he's written. A Stand Up Guy is exactly what I was looking for.

Inside you'll find a cast of quirky characters and a minor mystery that will keep you flipping pages until the very end.

Oliver Miles is a hotel security guard who dreams of being a stand-up comedian. While not being too funny, he come in contact with a number of people who "help" him with his act via their circumstances.

Oliver's mother has very real struggles and when there's a robbery at the hotel during his watch, his personal life and professional dreams seem to collide with unintended consequences.

The hotel has hired a new employee named Mattie and she has quite the backstory (as does every Snyder character). You will begin to see the slight hint at this being a romantic comedy between Oliver and Mattie but there's just the added bonus of Who-Dun-It of the robbery to keep me interested.

Oliver is the guy everyone cheers for. As he quests to fulfill his dream of doing his stand-up in a particular club, you'll be urging him forward with each turn of page.

Full of emotion and honesty that helps each reader understand life's choices.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.

The Rite

It's difficult to see Anthony Hopkins as anyone but Hannibal Lecter.

The Rite is a film inspired by true events which basically means everything is a fabrication except for the smallest plot detail. For this film it was true that a student went to Rome to study to become an exorcist under the leadership of a priest who had expelled many demons.

Michael is the young priest who is full of doubt. He becomes a priest only to get away from his family's funeral home business. When he submits his resignation, his teacher advises him to travel to Rome to study to become an exorcist.  After describing his skepticism to his adviser there,  he is instructed to apprentice under Father Lucas (Hopkins).

Lucas has unorthodox methods (taking a cell phone call in the middle of an exorcism in one scene) and even wrestles with his own beliefs.

I'm not sure if they advertised this movie as a horror movie but it didn't scare me at all. They put in the typical cat-scream-and-jump at you for a cheap scare and the exorcism scenes are a bit intense.

This was made by the same people who made The Exorcism of Emily Rose so it will have a pro-God theme to it. Many people don't like that. For whatever reason, audiences want their evil but hate it when God and the Church is used in a positive way.

In the end, I thought this movie was interesting - there's a twist some may see coming a mile away - but not worth more than a free rental.

No Strings Attached

All romantic comedies follow the same plot thread. If you've seen on RomCom, you will be able to call out what will happen next in every other one: guy meets girl, they get together and have their romantic comedy, something happens to disrupt the relationship, they reunite before the end credits.

No Strings Attached follows this thread. Natalie Portman is fantastic. Is there a role that she cannot play exceptionally? Ashton Kutcher, on the other hand, plays the same exact character in every movie he's in.

They meet at camp as young kids and then hook up again as adults, agreeing only to have their relationship based on sex and no emotional attachment. As is the case for every Kutcher character, he falls in love with the girl and is the poster boy for charm and chivalry. Portman's Emma freaks out and it looks like the relationship has reached it end.

I will admit that I did chuckle a number of times during this movie. The humor feels real (most of the time) It does suffer from the cliched "given" scenes and lines of every romantic comedy but, when it's a date-night movie, these things can be overlooked.

Portman made this movie following her turn as The Black Swan so it feels like she did it to come down from the dreary world and relax into a mindless fun flick. Kutcher only wants to play the simple, every-woman's-dream in every film he's in.

The Day Satan Called by Bill Scott

A man's recounting 18 months of terror.

It was hard for me to believe that the stuff in this book actually happened. After movies like Paranormal Activity and The Last Exorcism, I felt skeptical. Surely this was the result of someone's imagination following the fad of these supernatural films.

Brian Scott received a phone call about 20 years ago from a woman claiming to be in danger of a Halloween sacrifice. During this phone call, he encounters a demonic voice. Scott believes he needs to help this girl out.

Once they make contact, Scott and his wife invite the girl, Roxanne, to live with them in their house. This is when the terrifying events take off. Whenever the sun goes down, Scott and his wife are in bed, the fear seems to leap out of the pages.

I did not read this book at night. There is no way I would have felt comfortable with this kind of material. I mean, who is seriously comfortable reading about demonic activity?

I like that Scott does not try to be a theologian. In fact, there are many times where he explains his confusion with what actually happened compared to what he "thought" he knew about demons and exorcisms.

There is a "twist" at the end of this story to complete the authenticity of this terribly sad story.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by FaithWords Publishing.

The Scroll by Grant Jeffrey

Sort of like Indiana Jones with much more character development.

Dr. David Chambers is the go-to guy for biblical discoveries. Yet recently he has been wrestling with a doubt that won't go away. When he's asked to help locate the mysterious Copper Scroll, it's a chance to solve the greatest Middle Eastern problem.

Twists and turns are common fare in this book. You are learning clues and information right alongside the characters. It's about the perfect blend of thrills, intrigue and history.

The question hanging over the entire journey is Will The World Come To An End?!?!

Is this another Tim LaHaye hack-job of biblical proportions?

Dig into The Scroll. You will not be disappointed.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven by Rory Noland

Noland gives us perspective on worshiping God from both the Old and New Testaments.

In part one, we learn about Growing as a Private Worshiper. Noland takes us through an overview of of David and his psalms. Through the example of David, we see that we need to:

Make Worship a Priority
Establish a Regular Routine
Smash Your Idols
Worship Amidst Adversity

This section is full of ideas for how to incorporate each aspect to your own life. Noland explains that it's much easier to establish this kind of routine while away on a retreat than to try something like this during the hectic, everyday life. Even so, he believes we can start small and work it gradually into our life.

Next comes part 2; Growing as a Corporate Worshiper. In this section we dive into the book of Revelation as a source for corporate worship.

Focus on God's Attributes
Bring God Your Best Worship
Set Aside Personal Preferences
Embrace Diversity

Finally, he ends with a great section called, Let's Worship Like We're Already There.

Noland offers advice that is basic. This is designed for the layperson in church who wants an introduction to understanding what worship truly is. Contrary to popular belief that it all depends of how the music makes you feel, worship is designed for God alone.

I wasn't able to engage this book as it seemed like stuff I had read over and over again. I really wanted to enjoy it. Honest. I simply wasn't able to. Maybe for you, this is exactly what you need.


This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan.

You Lost Me by David Kinnaman

David Kinnaman made the splash with the bestseller, unChristian. This book, You Lost Me, is the perfect companion. Kinnaman, in his role as President of the Barna Group, has researched why young adults are leaving the church. Then he offers what the church can do to recover.


First and foremost I need to talk about the print size. This book is a thick and heavy work yet the type is incredibly small. I don't know the actual size, but I would guess it's around 3 or 4 font size. That is the first thing you will notice.

Once you get used to the tiny print, you will discover that this is quite similar to the information found in unChristian. While that book dealt with how people outside the church view those inside, this book deals with how people who have left the church view it. Many of the arguments and complaints are the same. These "nomads, prodigals and exiles" say that the church is:

Overprotective
Shallow
Antiscience
Repressive
Exclusive
Doubtless

After Kinnaman helps explain these reasons for why the young Christians are leaving the church, he attempts to provide ideas to reach out to them and, dare I type it, be relevant in their lives again. He includes 50 short blurbs from other influential Christians on what church leaders need to do.

This book isn't as analysis-heavy as Barna books have been in the past. Instead this resource is a fine example of humble openness to how church leaders and those interested in the next generation(s) can engage and connect.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by BakerBooks Publishing

Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley

This is the Andy Stanley book that everyone in leadership needs to read. I've been hit-or-miss with Andy Stanley's work. I was beginning to think there wasn't much I could connect with from him and then I read Next Generation Leader.


Stanley provides 5 essentials for anyone in a leadership position or who desires to lead:

Competence (do less, accomplish more)
Courage
Clarity
Coaching
Character

Notice he follows the well-played pastoral approach to having them all begin with the same letter.

Each "essential" comes with 3 chapters that help define the idea. This is a very quick read that happened across my desk at the best possible time. I sunk my teeth into this book and felt like a sponge. Most, if not all, of these points have been talked about and lectured on over the years; nothing really new to absorb here but there was something about how Stanley presented these "C"'s and provided practical application in any setting.

This is a terrific book.


This book was provided for review, at no cost, by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

Revelation for Everyone by N.T. Wright

The big question people will ask before even opening this book is where does Wright stands on Tim LaHaye's Left Behind theology. I can gladly say that the scholarly Wright disagrees with practically everything found in the Left Behind books.


Wright is known for his thick books that delve quite deep into theological issues. Like previous "for Everyone" editions, this volume is quick and easy. You'll read portions of the book of Revelation and then Wright will provide a clever story to open the commentary. Nothing inside will confuse you. In fact, it is fairly light on theological issues.

Wright falls on the side of scholars who view much of the content of Revelation to be symbolic and written for the people of its time. (Not so much for the American Christian of the 21st Century)

Because it's such a short book, I figure this would be a great personal study guide for the preacher as well as the inquisitive. Just because it's about Revelation doesn't mean it's beyond our understanding. N.T. Wright makes sure everyone can follow along.


This book was provided for review, at no cost by Westminster John Knox Press.

The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook by Jeff Kinley

It was bound to happen, right? Zombies became all the craze once The Walking Dead hit the airwaves. And then the Christian market had to mass produce books explaining how zombies relate to Christianity. This happened with The Matrix movies, Harry Potter, vampires and now zombies.

Jeff Kinley uses his love for story to weave a fictional tale of zombie survival along with preaching-like exegesis of how zombies are like those with sin. He writes one chapter of the story and then the next chapter is the explanation.

I found this execution to be a bit disconnected. I had to continue to remove myself from a great zombie story to read "christian inspiration". I wasn't sure if I should just skip every other chapter to keep reading the novel first or sludge through.

The biblical explanation is exactly what you'd think it would be when comparing sin to the zombie "virus". You won't really get too much out of that. The greatest strength is in the tale of Ben Foreman and his survival.

I think this may be for the uninitiated in zombie lore or even - heck - this might work as a resource for youth workers. But zombie enthusiasts will not enjoy this book. And some hardcore Christian parents may find some of the scenes a bit too disturbing.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

Erin Healy's third solo novel stuck a chord. I absolutely loved The Baker's Wife.

Aubrey, her husband, Geoff and son, Ed have had their fair share of pain. Following a horrible scandal, Geoff is forced out of pastoral ministry and the family begins a new life with a bakery. As Ed and Aubrey are driving to work their car strikes a scooter belonging to the wife of the town's stern police detective.

An ex-con has stumbled into their lives and she couldn't have picked a worse moment to bring her baggage into an already tense situation.

Healy drives this plot with tension as thick as the fog in her tale. While you may figure out some of the twists and turns, you won't know how things will turn out (good or bad) until after the last bullet is fired.

I wasn't a big fan of Healy's first two novels, but this book really took off and kept me hooked.

How does God want us to deal with suffering? How often do we suggest that we need to walk in someone else's shoes without actually attempting to connect with them? Can "good" Christians really be as bad as some claim?

Each character adds a new dimension to a complex scenario.

This story fulfills to complete satisfaction.


This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing