The Best Books We Read in 2011

Each year we ask planters and leaders in the network to share the best book they read – here’s the titles that made the list for 2011:

• "Necessary Endings” by Henry Cloud
  

• “Entreleadership” by Dave Ramsey
  JD Pearring, Director of GHC Network
  
  
• "Thou Shall Prosper” by Daniel Lapin
  - Dave Bennett, GHC Director of Development

• “Radical” by David Platt
   - Tom Cullen, GHC Cluster Coordinator

• “Influencer” by Kerry Patterson is by far the best book of the year in my reading 
  “Weird” by Craig Groeschel
  “A Thomas Jefferson Education” by Oliver Demille
  “Do The Work” by Steven Pressfield
  - Steve Bentley, church planter in Flint, Michigan
    
  
• “The Truth About Leadership” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
  “The Witting Life” by Annie Dillard
  - Rachel Kihlthau, GHC Network assessment specialist in Elk Grove, California
     
  
• “Communicating for a Change” by Andy Stanley
  - Tim Pearring, church planting associate in Elk Grove, California
          
  
• “Necessary Endings” by Henry Cloud
  - Galen Reames, church planting associate in Elk Grove, California
                     
  
• “The Divine Mentor” by Wayne Cordeiro for spiritual growth
  “Guerilla Lovers” by Vince Antonucci to be challenged to love like Jesus
  - Brian Burman, church planter in Sherwood, Oregon
             
  
• “The Divine Mentor” by Wayne Cordiero
  - Brad Brucker, church planter in Sherwood, Oregon
                       
  
• "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership" by Ruth Haley Barton
  - Gary Chupick, church planter in Seattle, Washington
                  
  
• "A Tale of Three Kings" by Gene Edwards
  - Micah Foster, campus pastor in Santa Rosa, California
                    
  
• “Toy Box Leadership” by Hunter and Waddell - It is a fun leadership book using old toys (Slinky, Legos, green army men, etc.) as a springboard for great leadership conversation with my leadership team.
  “The Pastor” by Eugene Peterson - Very great reminder of who I am and what I am supposed to be doing with my life.  I loved it!
  Honorable mention: “Night” by Elie Weisel, “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan, and “Falling Upward” by Richard Rohr
  - Kevin Wood, pastor in Burlingame, California
                         
  
• “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson
  - Todd Hahn, church planter in Charlotte, North Carolina
              
• “Fierce Conversations” by Susan Scott
  “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” by Donald Miller
  - David Cooke, pastor in Placerville, California
                      
• “The Emotionally Healthy Church” by Peter Scazzero
  - Paul Taylor, church planter in Cincinnati, Ohio
                    
• “Total Church” by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester
  - Aaron Clayton, church planter in Waxahachie, Texas
                      
• “The Generosity Factor” by Ken Blanchard and S.Truett Cathy
  - Scott Oldenburgh, pastor in Mansfield, Texas
                                   
• “The Reason for God” by Tim Keller
  “Why Men Hate Going to Church” by David Murrow
  - Tim Capps, church planting partner in Longview, Texas
                              
• “The Courage to be Protestant” by David Wells
  - Bryce Waller, pastor in Mansfield, Texas
                                   
• “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman
  - Scott Kollmann, church planter in Madison, Indiana
                          
• “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson
  - Brian Becker, church planter in Portland, Oregon
                                                
•  “Leadership and Listening: Spiritual Foundations for Church Governance” by Donald E. Zimmer
  “The Meeting of the Waters” by Fritz Kling
  - Bill Hoyt, GHC regional consultant
                       
• “The Speed of Trust”  by Stephen Covey Jr
  - Bruce Jones, church planter in Santa Cruz CA/ Charlotte NC
                          
• “Thriving through Ministry Conflict” by James P. Osterhaus, Joseph M. Jurkowski and Todd A. Hahn
  - Stu Streeter, church planter in Folsom, California
                                   
• “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman
  - Mary Jane Bist, children’s director at church plant in Folsom, California
                                   
• “Church History in Plain Language” by Bruce L. Shelley
  - Adam Adams, associate church planter in Folsom, California
                                         
• “To Transform a City” by Eric Swanson and Sam Williams
  - Dan Axtell, church planter in Sacramento, California
                          
• “Too Big to Fail” by Andrew Ross Sorkin
  “A Heart Like His” by Beth Moore 
  - Nikki Axtell, church planter in Sacramento, California
                               
• “Codependent No More” by Melody Beattie
  - Marc Prescott, associate church planter in Sacramento, California
                               
• “No Perfect People Allowed” by John Burke
  - David Tomatis, turn around pastor in Hughson, California
                              
• “I Really Want to Change, So Help Me God” by James MacDonald
  - Jeremy, associate in Hughson, California
                       
• “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan
  “Sticky Teams” by Larry Osborne
  - George Johnson, Tuolumne County Jail Chaplain, California
                              
• “Start with Why” By Simon Sinek
  - Paul Mints, church planter in Mansfield, Texas