One last thing to say about EMA books, and this is a longer list. We have a list of new and notable titles – those that did not make it to stage recommendations. There are various reasons for this – some titles arrived too late to be read thoroughly; others were not quite strong enough; others still were not particularly related to the theme. But we liked them all. Here they are, in no particular order, together with their brief comments from the EMA journal.
There are lots of strong, new titles which we haven’t got time and space to recommend from the stage. However, we want to highlight some of them to you so you can look out for them in the EMA Bookstore. All the quotes below are from PT staff or BookPanel members.
Rico Tice’s Honest Evangelism does what it says on the tin! ‘It’s a short, easy, but helpful and focused read. Just what I needed to hear and the practical help I craved.’
A wilderness of mirrors is an accurate assessment of the world we live in which, although marked by extraordinary advances, is still undeniably broken. ‘Mark Meynell has compelling insights articulating what many of us struggle to put into words.’
The Plausibility Problem by Ed Shaw is sub-titled The church and same-sex attraction, but actually it is a book about a lot more than that. It is not just another book on what the Bible says about this pressing issue, but it is about how the church responds – ‘the lessons here are invaluable for all of church life; every church leader will benefit.’
David Murray’s The Happy Christian was too late to make it as a stage recommendation, but it is ‘truly excellent.’ David applies the gospel to many areas of life, encouraging believers to be joyful rather than gloomy. One of the panel thought this ‘really helpful for me, really helpful for my pastoral work, really helpful for my preaching.’
Slightly different is Mike Horton’s Ordinary. Horton calls Christians not to measure their lives by the constant seeking of new experiences which inevitably leave us disappointed. For those who know Mike’s other books, this is shorter and simpler (!) and ‘a very useful corrective.’
Adrian & Celia have followed up Adrian’s book on sleep with one about sex, And then he knew her. This is a short biblical theology of sex which will help those married or about to be as well as those who minister to them.

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our BookPanel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

The final stage recommendation from this year’s EMA is Collin Hansen’s Blind Spots. I really like this book even though it is written for primarily an American audience. Collin is asking and answering the question whether a church can be courageous about the truth and the church’s call to proclaim is fearlessly whilst still being compassionate in the way it reaches out. You might think these two are mutually exclusive and Collin makes a plea to not let anything divide them. This is not Lausanne-light nor is it head-in-the-sand hyper-proclamation. I guess you may not end up agreeing with his conclusions, but I found them stimulating, helpful, concise and biblical. Over to you!

EMA Books (7)

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our BookPanel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

Someone asked me recently to give a one line summary of the last twelve months in the Christian book world. My answer? Lots of really good, strong titles, but I’ve not read anything really, really stand out. That was before I read Garry’s latest book. His love endures for ever is a reflective book on the theme of God’s love. It’s jam packed with theology and encouragement for meditation on God’s word (as well as lots of illustrations from the classical world: Garry is nothing if not educational!).  What makes this book stand out for me is that it takes a core biblical theme (the love of God) and looks into it, well, biblically.

That’s important because the love of God is often quoted as a reason for all kinds of bad doctrines. Evangelicals are sometimes tempted, therefore, to dismiss the idea. But we cannot and must not, and Garry shows us a better way. I read this book a chapter a day in my devotions and at the end texted my friend – “I think I’ve found the stand out book of the year.”

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our BookPanel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

Here’s a recommendation which is completely different. It’s The Gospel Coalition and Good Book Company small group resource The Gospel Shaped Church, in particular Gospel Shaped Worship. Some of us (not all, I know!) struggle for small group material. It’s not uncommon to find that our small group leaders are not the best Bible teachers. This resource is a great help. I’m not sure I would use them all the time (I think some live, local teaching is really important). However, I reviewed the whole of this one DVD in the series and loved it. Jared Wilson is a clear teacher and the accompanying material is first class. I think in most groups each one week study could actually be split over two weeks such is the richness there. This isn’t cheap, so do some homework first. But here is a clip for the series and online you can watch the first teaching slot for free (here).

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our BookPanel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

The EMA is a conference for preachers of all different stages and abilities. Above all, our great desire is that preachers might progress (1 Tim 4.15). Here’s a book which will help. Unashamed Workmen is a collection of essays by well known preachers (including David Jackman, Peter Adam, Josh Moody, Iain Duguid) each highlighting one aspect of their preparation and then modelling it in a sermon. As with all multi-volume books, some contributions are stronger than others – but, interestingly, you view on which may depend on your stage of ministry. I think there is something here for every preacher, even in a ministry of reminder, and this is possibly a useful book to give preaching teams or those just starting out. I liked it a lot. It made me remember why the hard work of preparation is worthwhile as we serve our congregations.

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our BookPanel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

All of us, I expect, sometimes (often?) struggle with application. With our long standing focused on exegesis, this remains one of the weak points of our preaching. I’m pretty sure about that. So, a book which challenges us and helps us in equal measure is to be welcome, and that’s what Chris Green’s Cutting to the heart does. Be warned, this isn’t a simple “do this, do that” volume. I guess many of us would like that. But actually application, as Chris shows, is a more complex and nuanced business than that, and so this is a primarily a book about principles rather than presenting, say, a seven step approach. In other words, it rewards some careful reading. I think this is what we need: a thoughtful and deep book about application, primarily because our congregations will soon see through superficial application. This, then, is a book to read relatively slowly and carefully. In fact, I think (having read it once) I would now like to read it again in a group with some other preachers. Any takers?

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our BookPanel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

Our Teaching series is now about 14 volumes strong. The latest is Bob Fyall’s Teaching 1 Kings. This was a joy to edit. Bob has a great ability to get into the narrative texts and help us see how things work – moreover, his applications are particularly rich, avoiding the same kind of “don’t we need a better king” in every passage, whilst still retaining his Christological focus. These volumes are not full commentaries; nevertheless, they are really very useful for preachers and Bible group leaders. Bob is already well under way with Teaching 2 Kings, and this looks like being a strong set. As one of Bob’s colleagues remarked to be recently, this is Bob’s speciality, he knows his stuff. And with this short volume, you will get a useful insight too.

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our BookPanel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

Chris Brauns’ Unpacking Forgiveness is really helpful reading for pastors. You don’t have to be in ministry long to realise we live in a very messy world and there are two particular touch points for us to address. First, we need to understand forgiveness for ourselves. Ministry is a front line business, and we are constantly under attack, some of those attacks showing themselves in even from within the church. If we cannot forgive others and know precisely what that means, then we will find ministry a long, painful and ultimately deadly road. But there is more for us. As we preach to others and counsel them we need to be able to help others forgive. The two are not disconnected, of course: if we cannot forgive ourselves, we are unlikely to be able to help others do the same. Chris’ book is a real help. You may find, reading this book, that even your view of what forgiveness actually is, is challenged. And that may be no bad thing. This is, at times, convicting and uncomfortable reading, as books which realign our radars often are, but it is worth it.

The Proclamation Trust are delighted to announce the appointment of Carrie Sandom as Director of Women’s Ministry. Carrie will work part time for the Trust alongside her existing role of women’s worker at St John’s Church in Tunbridge Wells. This appointment will formalise much of the work Carrie is already doing in leading our Women in Ministry work, including conferences and PT Cornhill. It will also allow her time to help promote complementary women’s ministry across the UK.

It is encouraging to see an increasing number of churches considering the appropriate roles for women teaching women, but many need help to see how these kinds of roles fit within existing church structures so that our complementarian principles are not compromised. Carrie is well placed in experience and time to help serve in this way.

Carrie will work with our existing team of directors, including Adrian Reynolds (Director of Ministry), Tim Ward (Acting Director, PT Cornhill) and Neil Watkinson (International Director). Please join me and the other Trustees in praying for a fruitful ministry.

For the next few days, we want to replay the EMA stage recommendations in terms of books, particularly for those who were not able to make it. These are not all the books our Book Panel liked – that would be too long a list – but instead those we wanted to particularly identify as being worthy of some reading time. In each case, there is a very brief review, but the main purpose of the posts is to highlight the titles.

Tim Keller’s book on prayer (not quite his latest, that’s on preaching), is perhaps his best book. There is an honesty about the struggle that prayer sometimes is, together with a deep appreciation of Scripture (something some critics have said is absent from other titles). It makes this a strong help. In one sense, there is nothing brand new. Keller is bringing wisdom from other writers together and applying it to himself (and to his readers). You could read a dozen or so books on prayer and get the same. But the sifting and ordering that Keller has done I found remarkably useful. There is a very strong theme of getting the balance right in prayer. Prayer is an intimate communion with the living God(something recent titles have done well to stress) but this aspect of prayer must not be overstated at the expense of the nature of prayer in terms of the children of the Father casting themselves on God for their daily bread. A good read (by which I mean a genuinely helpful read), and would make a great gift to others.