Books that have helped my ministry in 2020
Books that have helped my ministry in 2020
27 December 2020
2020 held unique challenges for all of us – so what books shaped our ministry in this unprecedented year? Salvos share some of their favourites.
Our lives are a ministry, and theologian A.W. Tozer once said, “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.” So, it stands to reason that no matter what we do, we can all benefit from a great book to help us become more Christ-like.
Whether we lead a corps, a team, a family, or are serving diligently, 2020 has held unique challenges for us all on a ministry level – but that hasn’t stopped Salvos across the country from being the hands and feet of Jesus. Here are some of the best books that have helped their ministry this year. If you’re interested in reading them, just click the titles!
Major Phil Inglis
Corps Officer, Wollongong, NSW
The book I Told Me So: Self-Deception and the Christian Life, by Greg Ten Elshof, really satisfied my love for understanding in the intersection of theology, philosophy and psychology. Our relationship with God is naturally shaped by the limitations of how we think. As our understanding of how we think grows, so too does our understanding of how God works in and through us. Ten Elshof challenged me about all the ways people (and I) deceive ourselves and offers a number of strategies and spiritual disciplines to employ in the struggle to learn and understand truth. I understand myself so much better, and I see God’s love working in me so much clearer. I can testify that, indeed, the truth does set you free. This has transformed the way I pray, the way I pastor and the way I preach and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.
Tahnee Parsons
Bellarine Peninsula Salvos, Victoria
At the beginning of the year [when COVID-19 was taking hold around the world], I was reading Brené Brown’s book Rising Strong. It was so relevant for that moment in my life overcoming challenges. At the moment I am reading Awaken the Spirit: The Sacred Texts of Jesus, edited by Jay Jeffries. It is written for new Christians and I have found really interesting.
Chelsea White
Adelaide, South Australia
I have loved reading Dr Caroline Leaf’s Think, Learn, Succeed. I chose it as a ‘research tool/supporting documentation’ for the book that my husband and I are writing about our health journey and what God has taught us about health. It has been so wonderful to have confirmed, by a professional (and fellow Christian), what God has been revealing to us.
Captain Ellen Farrell
Corps Officer, Delacombe, Victoria
I read Start Something That Matters, by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of global shoe brand TOMS. I love the concept behind TOMS – for every pair of shoes purchased, the company donates a pair to someone in need. This book has helped me use a different perspective to think about what is happening around my life and apply it to the ministry of the church. During COVID-19, Craig and I were trying to think about how to help the community, so we started sewing masks (1240+ so far). And when a typhoon hit the Philippines, our thrift shop donated many clothes to send over to that country. Small things can have greater value than we think, every little thing becomes very important!
Captain Johnmark Snead
Corps Officer, Hobart, Tasmania
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