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Leaders Are Readers – Ten Books for AMSs to Consider Reading in 2021

1/4/2021

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I hope you had a refreshing time with family and friends during the Christmas and New Year’s break. I did. 
 
One of the things I have learned and applied from reading James Clear’s blog a couple of years ago is how to become a steady reader instead of just an occasional one. For many years I have wanted to read more books than I have actually been able to do. I would start and stop - perhaps read one book, but then go months before picking up another one. James had the same problem. He found that if he read just 20 pages a day that he would be able to read well over 30 books a year. ​

I have adapted James Clear’s recommendation. I have committed myself to reading either 20 pages a day for five days a week, or at least 100 pages a week. In that way I read over 30 books a year, but I give myself a little more flexibility to “catch up” on weekends. I love this new habit! It has really accelerated my reading and enhanced my learning and leadership. I commend it to you. 
 
Here are ten of books I have read - in no particular order - that have encouraged and/or equipped me. I believe they will be a blessing to you, too. 
 
  1. Amplified Leadership: 5 Practices to establish influence, build people, and impact others for a lifetime, Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone Church, Lawrenceville, GA
  2. Gospel-Centered Teaching: Showing Christ in All the Scripture, Trevin Wax, LifeWay Senior Vice President of Theology and Communications, Nashville, TN
  3. The Gospel-Driven Church: Uniting Church-Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace, Jared Wilson, Author in Residence, Midwestern Baptist Seminary, Kansas City, MO
  4. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, James Clear, Author and Speaker, New York, NY
  5. Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A: How Faith, Cows, and Chicken Built an Iconic Brand, Steve Robinson, Former Chief Marketing Officer of Chick-fil-A, Atlanta, GA
  6. Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement, Will Mancini, Auxano, Houston, TX
  7. Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership Development, Eric Geiger, former LifeWay VP, now Pastor, Mariner’s Church, Irvine, CA, and Kevin Peck, Lead Pastor, The Austin Stone Church, Austin, TX
  8. Spurgeon: A Biography, Arnold Dallimore, Cottam, ON
  9. Confident Leader! Become One, Stay One, Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone Church, Lawrenceville, GA
  10. The Multiplication Effect: Building a Leadership Pipeline That Solves Your Leadership Shortage, Mac Lake, Consultant and Training Program Expert, Charleston, SC
 
Your brother in Christ,
Ray 
Pr. 3:5-6
 
Quotable Quote: Leaders are developed as knowledge (truth), experiences (posture), and coaching (leaders) converge. All three are essential for a leader to be developed. Knowledge is what leaders must learn and know. Experiences encompass the ongoing opportunities to serve and put knowledge into practice. Coaching occurs when a shepherding leader applies the knowledge and experience with a new leader. Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership Development, p. 143, Eric Geiger, former LifeWay Vice President, now Lead Pastor, Mariner’s Church, Irvine, CA, and Kevin Peck, Lead Pastor, The Austin Stone Church, Austin, TX
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    I’m Ray Gentry, the President/CEO of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (SBCAL). I’ve served Southern Baptist churches & associations in various roles for over 35 years. I have served as an associational leader for five associations, starting in 1993. The most recent one being the Southside Baptist Network, McDonough, GA.

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