the reluctant leader

Top 10 Books I Read in 2011

Someone really famous, important and/or smart person once said, "readers are leaders" or maybe it was, "leaders are readers." I don't know, but I hope you are a reader and a leader.

Here are some of the best books I read in 2011, in random order. (And here's the 2010 list, and a bunch of other random & interesting top 10 lists - you never know what will show up on one of my top 10 lists. Back to the books...)

1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Amazing true story of a WWII hero. Warning: once you start reading, it's impossible to stop.

2. Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir & Michèle Fitoussi. True story of Morrocan Muslim brutality. The result of reading this book: I'm praying that the Lord of the Harvest would send workers to Northern Africa. Who will go?

3. Living a Life of Fire by Reinhard Bonnke. Just when you think you have accomplished something with your life, you pick up a Bonnke book.

4. Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney by Lee Cockerell. Recommended for all church planters, pastors, missionaries and anyone who leads people and/or organizations.  

5. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience by Carmine Gallo. One of the best how-to communication books ever. Confession: I have never seen a Steve Jobs presentation. But I still think every preacher, teacher, presenter and small group leader should read this one. Here's a review of the book, using the presentation secrets of Steve J.

6. Contempt of Court: The Turn-of-the-Century Lynching that Launched a Hundred Years of Federalism by Mark Curriden and Leroy Phillips. A gift from my friend, Melvin Malone. This tragic story reads like a Grisham legal thriller. Summary: In 1906, an innocent black man was found guilty of raping a white teen & sentenced to die in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Two unknown black lawyers took the case all the way to the Supreme Court & won a surprise stay of execution. Local rednecks responded by lynching the innocent man. The result forever changed the way the Supreme Court views the authority of state courts.  

7. The Confession by John Grisham. Speaking of Grisham legal thrillers, gotta love it when a law-breaking pastor is the hero.

8. Where Has Oprah Taken Us: The Religious Influence of the World's Most Famous Woman by Stephen Mansfield. I have never watched an episode of Oprah, but I am glad I read this book. It is not so much about "Pastor Oprah" as it is about modern religion. Every pastor who preaches in the West should read this insightfully scary book by my friend.

9. Decision Points by George W Bush. No matter what you think about Bush, Republicans or American foreign policy, this is a great leadership book. Not the typical presidential memoir, this is a book about leadership decisions. Bush tells us the why behind decisions including why he stopped drinking, why he ran for governor of Texas, why the surge, why he hired and fired certain people, and other difficult decisions both personal and political. He also freely admits many mistakes, which in presidential memoirs, is rarer than a Sasquatch sighting. If you are a decision-maker, you should read this one.

10. Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin' in Flip-Flops and the Philippine's Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball By Rafe Bartholomew. Written by a young American basketball fanatic while on a Fullbright schlarship in the Philippines. I don't know the author, but I do know several people who show up on the pages of his book. Fun book for all who love the Philippines and the PBA. 

2011 Snubs: Other good books that did not make my list include works by Tim Keller, RT Kendall, Philip Yancy, Vince Flynn, Gavin Menzies (interesting views on history) and lesser known writers. And, I read and snubbed that book about love by a former pastor (glad I read it but not glad he wrote it).

Next year's list will include the Eric Metaxas Bonhoeffer book which I started last week but will not finish until 2012, and Joey Bonifacio's "Lego Principle" which I read in 2011 but will not be published until fall of 2012.

What good books did you read in 2011?

Almost forgot, one more book you should buy - would be good to read it too - but you definitely should BUY 1 or 2 or 10 copies of THIS BOOK.

 

 

 

Top 10 Things You Need to Know to Succeed in Campus Ministry

I am speaking tomorrow at the Every Nation School of Campus Ministry in Manila. So much to say, but I finally narrowed it down to the 10 things you must know in order to succeed in campus ministry long term. Here they are:

1. You must know that God loves you & accepts you because of who he is & what he did for you, not because of who you are & what you do for him.

2. You must know that God called you to do campus ministry, no matter what other opportunities are offered.

3. You must know that God will provide.

4. You must know that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, otherwise you will resort to all kinds of goofy & powerless ministry gimmicks designed to attract people to meetings.

5. You must know how to forgive. The longer you do ministry, the more opportunities you will have to practice this one.

6. Because you will face endless needs & countless open doors, you must know how & when to say NO. Knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do. Focus is necessary for success.

7. You must know how to ENGAGE your culture & community. You had to know that one was coming, and the next three also...

8. You must know how to ESTABLISH biblical foundations, or your disciples will be temporary.

9. You must know how to EQUIP believers to minister, or you will end up doing all the ministry, resulting in either burn out or very little fruit.

10. You must know how to EMPOWER disciples to make disciples, because that is the whole point of being a campus missionary.

In summary: honor God & make disciples.

Top 10 List: Martin Luther King Jr Quotes

There are enough MLK quotes to easily make a top 100 list. But, here are my current top 10 with my brief comments:

10. A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. (That helps me.)

9. Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. (Reminds me of that Raiders of Lost Ark scene.)

8. Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness. (Easier said than done, but important to do.)

7. A man who won't die for something is not fit to live. (Reminds me of that Ninoy quote about Filipinos being worth dying for.)

6. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood. (This is what I love about Bethel.)

5. An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. (Powerful!)

4. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. (Read that one again, slowly.)

3. I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. (Simple, but profound.)

2. In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. (I never want to be a silent friend.)

1. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. (Character!)

Top 10 List: Best Books of 2010

Read lots of books this year. Some good. Some bad. Some life-changing. Some painfully boring. Here’s my 2010 top 10:

10. Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunis

Former MTSU prof, Nobel Laureate, Bengladeshi national hero – this guy really did change the world.

 

9. The Blessed Life by Robert Morris

I’m probably the last pastor on the planet to read this one, but better late than never.

 

8. Before I Am 30: Testimonies of a Life Transformed by World Missions by “Jack”

Only 47 pages, but one of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever read. “Jack” is a young leader in the Chinese church. I am honored to call him my friend.  ("Jack" was one of our featured speakers at EN2010 in Manila, but because of our security protocols we were not able to podcast his message.)

 

7.  The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

A true story that reads like a hard-to-believe novel. A movie begging to happen. If you know anyone struggling with forgiveness issues, give them Becky’s book. Her message will crack open the hardest of hearts.  (Becky & her family are members of Bethel, Every Nation’s church in Nashville.)

 

6. Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church by Soong-Chan Rah

Anyone attempting to build a multi-ethnic church or do cross-cultural missions should read this one. Also recommended to all in a cross-cultural or multi-ethnic marriage as well as those who have adopted foreign children. Should be required reading in all mission schools. 

 

5. How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins

This small book scared me real bad. As far as I know Bro Jim is not a believer, but he sure has a prophetic message for pastors and ministry leaders – especially those who lead a growing church or ministry.

 

4. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Another true story that should be a movie. I read it straight through. Could not stop. Enough said. Buy it. Read it. Live it.

 

3. The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose

Randomly bought this one while looking for something else in Borders. Laughed, cringed and repented as I read an outsider’s undercover  experience inside the Evangelical world.  Every pastor and campus missionary should read this. I have bought and given away at least 20 copies.

 

2. The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

Painful, but necessary look at the gospel demands regarding our responsibility to the poor.  

 

1. Movements that Change the World by Steve Addison

My book of the year. Most reading this blog want to change the world. Here’s how.

 

What books did you read in 2010? What was the best?

Top 10 Christmas Movies

Getting in the Christmas spirit is easy in the Philippines, because we hear Christmas music and see Christmas decorations starting in September. So, for those of you not in the land of eternal Christmas, who need help getting into the spirit of the season, I suggest watching a Christmas classic. Here are my current top 10:

10. Jingle All the Way (1996) - Sinbad goes postal.

9. Die Hard (1988) - Some doubt this is a C'mas movie, but the whole thing took place during an office Christmas party.

8. White Christmas (1954) - I'm still dreaming.

7. Elf (2003) - Opening scene with Sr Elf, Bob Newhart, reading the intro story is worth the price of the DVD.

6. Home Alone (1990)- The "Wet Bandits" are some of the best bad guys ever.

5. Christmas in Connecticut (1945) - Black and white classic that never gets old.
 
4. The Nativity Story (2006) - The REAL story of Christmas.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - A new addition to my list. Had not seen this one for about 30 yrs, until last year. Wish they still made them like this. Special bonus: one of my fav soundtracks ever. Schroeder plays a mean piano.

2. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - another B&W classic. The color version does not make my top 10.

1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - THE Christmas classic of all Christmas classics.

What's on your list?

Thanksgiving '09 Top Ten List

Thanksgiving. America's national day of gluttony. And football. And family reunions.
I'm visiting the family - brothers & sisters, in-laws, cousins - at the Murrell family lake house in Mississippi.

Here’s my 2009 top ten Thanksgiving Day list:
 
1.   My Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ
2.   My wife
3.   My 3 sons
4.   My parents - both deceased
5.   My friends all over the world - mostly alive
6.   My home churches - Victory-Manila, Bethel-Nashville
7.   My job - Every Nation Churches & Ministries
8.   My U.S. passport
9.   My Philippine Permanent Resident card
10. My 1200GS - finally!
 
What are you most thankful for?

Tuesday Top 10 - Best Universities in the World

Today's Top 10 List is inspired by my son's search for the perfect grad school.
Here they are, the best universities in the world, according to TopUniversities.com

10. Columbia University, USA

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA 

8. The University of Chicago, USA

7. University College London, UK

6. Imperial College London, UK 

5. California Institute of Technology, USA 

4. University of Oxford, UK

3. University of Cambridge, UK

2. Yale University, USA 

1. Harvard University, USA

NOTE: This list is obviously flawed, since they left Mississippi State University off.

- Do the graduates from these top 10 have a better chance of success than the others?
- Is it worth the money to send your kids to "top" universities rather than middle or bottom universities?
- When will we have campus missionaries on all of these campuses? Who will go? 

Tues Top 10 List - Unanswerable Questions

Saw this on Mark Conner’s blog a few weeks ago…

10. Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?

9. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

8. Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?

7. Why is the person who invests money for you called a "broker"?

6. Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called "rush hour"?

5. Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

4. If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the “terminal”?

3. Can you cry under water?

2. Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

1. How do "please keep off the grass" signs get there?

Got any answers to the above?
Heard any unanswerable questions lately?

Tues Top 10 List - Boracay Vacation

After a week in Boracay with my wife and 3 sons (and no cell phone and no blogs or tweets or flutters) listening to the waves, breathing fresh air and basically doing nothing - I felt like I woke up Monday morning, not only on a different island, but on a different planet.

I’m once again breathing “air” that I can taste, and waking up, not to the heavenly sounds of the ocean crashing on the beach outside our door, but to the hellish sounds of Jeepney horns and police whistles.

Here’s my Boracay ‘09 vacation top 10 list:

10. White sand

9. Blue water

8. Green plants - don’t see too many of these in the city

7. Reading meaningless mind-numbing novels

6. No cell phone – mine drowned in the rain on the 2nd day, and I didn’t miss it at all

5. Sleeping ‘til I’m finished 

4. Big waves - that’s what a beach is all about and that’s why my fam loves the beach during rainy season

3. Being outside all day – we’re not really an indoor family

2. Rest - don’t know why I resist it so much since it was God’s idea in the beginning, wasn’t it?

1. Family – not sure how it is with your fam, but we kinda like each other and love hanging out together, esp in Boracay!

What do you like about vacation?

Tues Top 10 List - Why Young Adults Drop Out of Church

Posted something like this a few months ago. But I found this cool chart on Dr E. "Slim" Stetzer's website and couldn't stop thinking about how to re-reach these drop outs.

Slim Stetzer is a stat-master, and friend of Every Nation. He usually knows what he's talking about.

So, in case you were wondering what happened to all those young adults (18-30 year-olds), here's why they left your church: