Summer Reading List
As we close in on the strangest summer season most of us have ever experienced, I have asked a few members of All Saints to share their top ten (ish) Christian books with us. If you’re like me, it is sometimes overwhelming trying to choose reading material given the huge choice out there.
Meg Searle
Here are some suggestions to hopefully resource and inspire you if you are after some new summer reading:
Summer Book List - Week 1
Collated by Don and Sandy Hewitt with Fran Saunders in no particular order. Most of these books are available on Amazon and St Andrews bookshop:
God’s Fingerprints by John Samways
A light read. The different chapters are stand alone stories about how God changes things in
everyday life. Ideal for someone who does not have much time to read, but can have a quick ten
minutes to read a short story and be blessed and encouraged. Don
Prophetic Evangelism by Mark Stibbe
Stories of how God prompts modern day Jesus’ followers to listen to His prompting and give God’s
message to complete strangers, who are immediately blessed by what they hear. Don
Wigglesworth by Julian Wilson
The story of Smith Wigglesworth, whose trade was a plumber, but through faith brought many to
Christ with many healings and deliverance through the power of the Holy Spirit. Don
Do What Jesus Did by Robbie Dawkins
Tips on praying for healing and many stories of God’s miraculous works. Don
Stand by Karl Martin
This book is an excellent follow on from Unleashed by Gavin and Anne Calver. Allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell in you usually whets your appetite for intimacy with God who may well then call you to really live, standing on the truth of who God is and who you are in him. Challenging and inspiring. Sandy
Seasoned By Seasons by Michael Mitton
Like the seasons themselves, our lives are variable and can change in a moment. We can find ourselves unprepared for our new situation and struggling to make sense of it. This book will empower you to discover for yourself the truths and messages of scripture and might well transform the way you view life's changes. A very encouraging read. Sandy
Unleashed by Gavin and Anne Calver
I couldn't get enough of this book. Published this year to underpin Spring Harvest it spotlights on how the ACTS church of the New Testament could look today. Joy, urgency and compassion are expressed through kindness, worship and the good news of the gospel. Inspired by the Holy Spirit the church learns to take risks, live together in the spirit, working wonders, hearing from God and responding. Inspiring and challenging.....but worth the risk! Sandy
Garden City by John Mark Comer
Garden City changed my Sundays! It focuses on work, rest and the art of being human. Published in 2015 it is so appropriate for this new era when many of us are reassessing different aspects of our lives. As a busy family man living in a busy city running a busy church he asks the primal human question 'Why am I here and what should I do about it?' Easy to read and identify with. Looking forward to reading two more of his books: God has a name and The ruthless elimination of hurry. Sandy
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
I read this after visiting Charleston in USA last year and hearing the true story of two girls, one privileged and one a slave, growing up on a plantation estate. The book is based on their shared experiences and desire for fairness and justice. Christian principles spurred them on in their quest and gave me a very helpful and deeper insight into recent global events regarding race. A story that will stay with you and answer some of your questions on this issue. Sandy
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy
A delightful treasure of a book for all ages. Beautiful illustrations accompany a simple conversation amongst 4 friends with many Biblical truths and wisdom tucked away but sympathetically and naturally highlighted. The world that I am required to inhabit is this one. But the world I long to inhabit is the one that Charlie M has created, wrote someone. A book for now in this strange new era and one to dip into even just for a few minutes with a drink. Taste and see! Sandy
The Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers
In a Bible which is so focussed on the masculine it is a joy to read a book which takes us further into the lives of 5 important women of the Bible.
This book tells the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. It uses the Bible as its source but then constructs stories of historical fiction which give a sense of the real lives of these women, within the context of life as it was lived thousands of years ago.
At the end of each story we are given a summary of what happened next and then follows studies of the Biblical text to enable you to go further into the topics.
I found the book very readable; it certainly increased my awareness of the society in which these amazing women lived. I was left with a great admiration for their faith, love and devotion, especially given the traditional role of women at that time. Fran