Usually, I am an undisciplined, random reader - when something grabs my eye, I read it. There is no planning and very little intentionality about what I choose and when I choose it!

For 2018, I decided to be more thoughtful and strategic about what I read.  That doesn’t mean I won’t just grab something that looks interesting and go for it! But there are a few books and/or topics that I will be reading specifically to achieve a level of knowledge and growth in different areas of my life.  Others will be on the list because they are authors, topics, or stories that I particularly enjoy!

So - without further ado - I give you my 2018 Reading List:

Books for Professional/Ministry Growth

• Myth of the Millennial: Connecting Generations in the Church (Ted Doering) - Exploring strategies for engaging the Millennial generation in inter-generational relationships.

• Perspectives on Family Ministry: Three Views (Timothy Paul Jones) - Reviewing examples of effective family ministry

• Relational Children’s Ministry: Turning Kid-Influencers into Lifelong Disciple Makers (Dan Lovaglia)

• Beyond the Screen: Youth Ministry for the Connected But Alone Generation (Andrew Zirschky)

Books for Personal Growth

• The Power of Significance: How Purpose Changes Your Life (John Maxwell)

• Everyday Supernatural: Living a Spirit-Led Life without Being Weird(Mike Pilavachi, Andy Croft)

• The Last Arrow: Save Nothing for the Next Life (Erwin McManus)

• Jesus Among Secular Gods: The Countercultural Claims of Christ(Ravi Zacharias. Vince Vitale)

Books about Writing

• Unlocking the Heart of the Artist: A Practical Guide to Fulfilling Your Creative Call as an Artist in the Kingdom (Matt Tommey)

• How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method (Advanced Fiction Writing Book 1) (Randy Ingermanson)

• Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats (Jane Cleland)

The Challenge

• The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins)

Fiction

• Oathbringer (Brandon Sanderson)

• Destiny’s Conflict: Book Two of Sword of the Canon (The Wars of Light and Shadow, Book 10) (Janny Wurts)

• Across the Fourwinds (The Maidstone Chronicles Book 1) (Shane Trusz, Darryl Frayne)

Of course, this list is just the bones.  More will be added - probably more than I can possibly finish! But that is part of the fun.

I look forward to finding new ideas in 2018 that challenge me to grow and examine my old ones!