Strength for His People, a Ministry for Families of the Mentally Ill, by Steven Waterhouse (Amarillo: Westcliff Press, 1994, 2002) 121 pp., paper, free upon request of the publisher
Pastor Steven Waterhouse writes this book dealing with mental illness, principally schizophrenia, from the backdrop of his own experience. His younger brother Mark has been diagnosed with schizophrenia resulting in many years of hospitalization and other supported housing. Steven and his brother grew up in an excellent church but found that their congregation, like many […]
The Jesus You Can’t Ignore by John MacArthur (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008) pp. 234 plus xxxvii, hardcover $16.00
In MacArthur’s preparation for writing his book Truth War he found a common theme throughout much of his reading: “That if Christians want to reach unbelieving people in a postmodern culture, we need to be less militant, less aggressive, less preachy and less sure of our own convictions” (p. ix). MacArthur determined as a result […]
Broken Down House: Live Productively in a World Gone Bad by Paul David Tripp
Paul David Tripp. Broken-Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad. Wapwallopen, Penn.: Shepherd Press, 2009. 223 pp. $12.99 (paperback). Ministry can be a very frustrating endeavor, especially when it is unclear where the ministry is heading. In one of his latest books, Paul David Tripp makes the case that all Biblical ministry is […]
Practical Aspects of Pastoral Theology, General Editor Christopher Cone
This volume, authored by 17 different individuals, is exactly what it claims to be, a guide based on Scripture for the practical aspects of pastoral life and ministry. Nineteen topics are addressed, from what a pastor is to priorities in the ministry to the role of the pastor’s wife to church discipline to missions to […]
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
Barton is a well-known contemplative church leader who has served on the staff at Willow Creek Community Church and is now president of her own organization, The Transforming Center. The Transforming Center attempts to “shape and care for the souls of clergy” mainly through teaching them spiritual disciplines (p. 229). This particular book is published […]
Growing Souls, Experiments in Contemplative Youth Ministry by Mark Yaconelli
Mark Yaconelli, in conjunction with San Francisco Theological Seminary and with the financial support of the Lilly Endowment, began in 1997 The Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project for the purpose of developing, field testing and promoting a mystical/contemplative approach to youth ministry. That the aims of the project have been successful is evident in […]
Contemplative Youth Ministry by Mark Yaconelli
Yaconelli has drunk deeply from the cesspool of Roman Catholic mysticism. Unfortunately, he has only sipped at the well of Scripture. What can I say? This book, written by the son of Youth Specialties founder Mike Yaconelli, is a handbook for mysticism (with traces of the emerging church) adapted for youth ministry. It is virtually […]
Words on Target by Sue Nichols
Words on Target is an excellent little work designed for all who wish to communicate more effectively with twentieth-century Americans. In the first chapter the author reminds us that we are not speaking and writing to past generations who perhaps had greater attention spans and abilities to listen. We are communicating the Christian message in […]
The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper
Piper has written an excellent inspirational book on the subject of preaching. This is not a book on the techniques or mechanics of preaching; rather it could be best described as an encouragement for preachers to focus their messages on the greatness of God. I found the volume delightful and plan to read it often. […]
The Puritan Pulpit: Thomas Watson by Edited by Don Kistler
This contribution to The Puritan Pulpit series, published by Soli Deo Gloria, is a good sampler of Puritan sermons. Thomas Watson, one of the best known and most beloved of the English Puritan “devines,” lived from 1620 to 1686 during a time of great political and ecclesiastical turmoil. He endured imprisonment and other hardships because […]