"The Book Your Pastor Wishes You Would Read" by Christopher Ash

The Book Your Pastor Wishes You Would Read by Christopher Ash is a quick read about how to be an encouragement to your pastor.  The main point is to remember that your pastor is human, not perfect.  I thought it was okay and that it gave some interesting insights.  I liked that it was short and went quick!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Who Stole My Church" by Gordon MacDonald (Writer's Workshop--Last Book I Read)

Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald is about a pastor of a church who decides to meet with a group from his congregation every week to get feedback and to discuss what is going on in their church.  This was very different from books I usually read and was dry for me.  There really isn't much to get excited about--it was like going to a long church meeting.  I did find the life situations people were going through outside of church interesting.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Karen's review of 5/30/19:
When our Sr. Pastoral candidate said if he were called to be our Senior Pastor at Parma Heights Baptist Church, Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald would be required reading, I went home and ordered it from the library. In an introductory meeting with the leadership of the church, one of the questions asked of him was what book other than the Bible has had an influence on your life. His answer was Who Stole My Church?.

This is a thought-provoking fiction book about a typical congregation of a few hundred people in New England and a Pastor who wants to make changes to reach more people for Christ. An older segment of people in the church oppose spending lots of money on upgrading a sound system in the sanctuary, feel as though everything revolves around the young people, miss singing the old hymns and feel like they are in a war fighting to keep their church the way it’s always been. The pastor and his wife are based on the author’s real experiences. In the book, the Pastor creates a small group of 15 seniors who are core people in the church to meet once a week to discover their church and to understand why many things about the way they have made church work must change and reflect new realities. It is about how people face change when it threatens their comfort zone.

I thought the beginning was pretty dull when it discussed the importance of loving the church, but things picked up. I liked how easily I could relate to those in the Discovery Group and can see why our Pastoral candidate (who has accepted the call by the way to become our Sr. Pastor) recommended we read this book. It showed why changes are necessary and how both the young and older generations need to understand each other in order to work together towards a common goal—reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I found the history of music chapter very interesting and whenever it mentioned a hymn, I would start singing or humming it! This is a book that definitely challenges some introspection and made me see things a bit differently when I was done. I too would recommend it to anyone who is involved in a church that is interested in seeing their church grow and reach the younger generation with the gospel. (4 stars)

Teaser from page 113: “Does all the music we love have to be thrown out the window just because the young people want something different?” Lillian asked. “Isn’t there anyplace for the music we grew up loving?”

See more posts inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.  (Blog Hop)


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"In Between--Katie Parker Production" by Jenny B. Jones - book 1

In Between by Jenny B. Jones is a delightful Christian fiction YA book 1 in the Katie Parker Production series.  This is about Katie, who moves from the group home that she is in because her mother is in prison for dealing drugs, to a foster home with a Pastor and his wife in the little town of In Between, Texas.  She has a very low opinion of herself and doesn't trust anyone at the beginning of the story, but after making some poor choices and experiencing kindness, her attitude slowly changes and she adjusts to her new life. 

I really liked the writing style and the story.  I liked how the church youth group welcomed and accepted Katie and how Frances was such a good friend to her even when Katie resented her a bit.  The grandmother was hilarious and I enjoyed the humor and the close relationship that developed between her and Katie.  The characters were believable and the story moved along quickly.  I was drawn into it right from the start and was never bored.  It was heartwarming to see the growth in Katie throughout the book.  I recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about teens and their personal growth.  This is the first in the series and I hope to continue in it.   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Book 2 - On the Loose (Loved this one too!)

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"Stepping Down" by Michelle Stimpson (Christian Fiction with Strong Message)

Stepping Down by Michelle Stimpson is about a Pastor's struggles to balance his ministry, family and stay true to God in the face of scandal and the pressure from his board of advisors.  Their adopted 13-yr.-old son, Amani, is becoming disrespectful and heading for trouble.  Sharla, the Pastor's wife, is at the end of her rope and desperately wants her husband to get home earlier and spend time with his family.  When the Pastor is involved in a car accident on his way home from church with Bria in the car, rumors start to fly.  God uses it to bring their family closer together, the Pastor finds his passion for preaching the truth again, and Amani gets to meet his birth mom.

This is very believable Christian fiction that includes some scripture and an invitation to trust in Jesus.  Through the characters, the reader sees an example of common struggles and how it's not always easy to let go and let God work, but that when we do, God really does work all things together for good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

I liked this one because the characters were very believable and it dealt with the issue that many churches face when they strategize ways to grow. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Cat That God Sent" by Jim Kraus is a Favorite of Mine!

Great Book--Petey even looks like me!

The Cat That God Sent by Jim Kraus is a delightful Christian fiction novel that is about a preacher who lost his faith and Petey, a cat who helps him.  I enjoyed this book very much because it is both humorous and yet deals with some serious issues.  Jake just got called to a small country church after being fired from a large one, and is very unsure of himself.  Petey, a cat, hung around him when he arrived and turned out to be quite a hit with his congregation when the cat followed him into the church and sat on the platform with him as he preached!  Parts are so funny that I actually laughed out loud!

Although the cat shares its thoughts with the reader, it acts like a real cat and does not talk English but communicates the way real cats do.  For me, this gave the book more credibility.  There are even discussion questions in the back which could make this a good book club read.  I liked the idea of how God used the cat to help both Jake and Tess and to get more people to come to church.  I loved it and look forward to reading this author's other book, The Dog That Talked to God!  This is a must read for all cat lovers!

(Karen's review, 5 stars!)

Hey, if you like cats, you have to read this one!  Petey, the cat is sent by God to help the new preacher who is struggling with his faith.  He also has to protect a young girl named Tess who got dumped by her boyfriend.  He likes going to church and people come just to see him!  He is a good cat, like me and even looks like me as you can see in the picture of me with the book.  This is a must read for all cats and cat lovers!
(Manny's review) 

Author's blog:  Jimkraus.com

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