Looking for Something to Read?

Some people have recently asked me for book recommendations, and I made this list in response.  In the spirit of sharing, I thought I'd post this list of some great books that I've read recently (a few of them I haven't read but have come highly recommended by people I trust (and are high on my list to read)).  If I'm missing any from your must-read lists, please add them to the list through a comment.  In the meantime, grab a cup of coffee/tea/hot chocolate and open up one or more of these gems:


Leadership
Spiritual Leadership (Oswald Sanders)
Leadership Jazz (Max De Pree)
Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success (John Wooden and Jay Carty)

Lincoln on Leadership (Donald Phillips)

Servant Leadership (Robert Greenleaf)

Quiet Strength (Tony Dungy)

Axiom (Bill Hybels)

Leading the Revolution (Gary Hamel)

Good to Great and the Social Sectors (Jim Collins)

Visioneering (Andy Stanley)

Leading with a Limp (Dan Allender)

Leadership and Self-Deception (The Arbinger Institute)

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (John Maxwell)

Humility (Andrew Murray)

Amazing Faith: The Authorized Biography of Bill Bright (Richardson)

Better (Atul Gawande)


Communication

Made to Stick (Chip and Dan Heath)

The Tipping Point (Malcolm Gladwell)

Orphan Care
Home Away from Home: The Forgotten History of Orphanages (Richard MacKenzie)
Toddler Adoption (Hopkins-Best)
The Lost Daughters of China (Karin Evans)

Orphanology (Merida and Morton)

The Connected Child (Karyn Purvis)

Fields of the Fatherless (Tom Davis)

Fatherless Generation (John Sowers)

Red Letters (Tom Davis)

Father Fiction (Donald Miller)

Missions and Ministry
When Helping Hurts (Fikkert and Corbett)
Toxic Charity (Robert D. Lupton)

White Man's Burden (William Easterly)

The Next Christendom (Philip Jenkins)

Good News About Injustice (Gary Haugen)

Terrify No More (Gary Haugen)

Just Courage (Gary Haugen)

Not for Sale (David Batstone)
Generous Justice (Tim Keller)

Crazy Love (Francis Chan)

Defending Your Faith (R.C. Sproul)

Renovation of the Church (Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken)

Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire)

Family and Marriage
How We Love (Yerkovich)
The Mystery of Marriage (Mike Mason)
What a Difference a Daddy Makes (Kevin Leman)
Sheet Music (Kevin Leman)
When Sinners Say "I Do": Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage (Dave Harvey)
The Silence of Adam (Larry Crabb)
Tender Warrior (Stu Weber)

Literature
Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett) 
False Witness (Randy Singer) (mystery fiction)

The Brothers Karamozov (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Brian Selznick)

Any of the Great Books of the Western World

Gospel-Driven Christian Life
Desiring God (John Piper)
Don't Waste Your Life (John Piper)
The Prodigal God (Tim Keller)
The Reason for God (Tim Keller)
The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Mark Noll)
Christless Christianity (Michael Horton)
Bonhoeffer (Eric Metaxas)
The Gospel-Driven Life (Michael Horton)
Fasting (Scot McKnight)

Sabbath (Dan Allender)

The Valley of Vision (Arthur Bennett)

Windows to the Soul (Ken Gire)

Jesus Among Other Gods (Ravi Zacharias)

Unveiled Hope (Scotty Smith)

The Day Metallica Came to Church (John van Sloten)
Book of Common Prayer (Shane Claiborne)

Anything by C.S. Lewis

Soccer
How Soccer Explains the World (Franklin Foer)
Fever Pitch (Nick Hornby)
Bloody Confused! (Chuck Culpepper)
Soccer Against the Enemy (Simon Kuper)
The Beckham Experiment (Grant Wahl)

Education
The Thomas Jefferson Education (Oliver DeMille)
Your Child's Strengths (Jennifer Fox)

Miscellaneous
Freakonomics
Super Freakonomics
Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell)

To be continued . . . (since I know that you have some great books, that I'm forgetting some and that there are many more to come in the future)

La Providencia Summit - Day 3

Today we were able to visit a farm in the local community that La Providencia is looking to partner with to bring the community closer to economic self-sufficiency.  This approximately 80 acre farm is incredible - it has coffee, flowers, vegetables, herbs, and its own gravity-driven water supply, which itself saves 20% on electricity since the farm doesn't need a pump to transport the water.  Another thing that sets this farm apart is that the man who started it was in deep economic poverty when he planted the first seeds in the '90s. Instead of thinking business success was impossible because he didn't have money (as many unfortunately think), he sought out some seed capital (pun intended) and got started on what now is not only producing a lot of revenue, but is also generated hundreds of jobs every year for local community members.

After visiting the farm and eating some great ice cream and "Chinese" food, the US team leaders and Douglas (from LP) met together to de-brief and work out some next steps towards making this summer one where short-term teams work together to bring La Providencia closer to self-sufficiency.  Despite the fact that we were all exhausted mentally and physically, the conversation was very rich.  We talked about how the teams could avoid being destructive at La Providencia and exacerbating our respective poverties of being (read "When Helping Hurts" to gain a deeper understanding of this concept).  A few of the highlights coming out of the meeting were the brainstorming sessions about how the teams can practically work together, the specific action plans we worked out to take La Providencia Academy to the next level, and the team's commitment to work hard to focus on things that the local community cannot do itself.  In practice, we ultimately confirmed that the relationship-building is the key to all of this because everyone needs relationships, and all of us can know how we can help each other grow if we really get to know each other.  We also came to the important conclusion that one of the critical aspects of teams is to see the Providence model in person, get to know its details intimately, and share the model with others around the world after their time at La Providencia.

Be praying that we all can continue our conversations over the next few months and that the conversations result in a bunch of summer teams that incorporate the things that we have discussed and discovered during our time together.  Also be praying for our staff at La Providencia and the local community members - that they understand their great skills, talents, and passions, innovate well, and work together to bring LP to economic self-sufficiency.

La Providencia Summit - Day 2

Today was another very interesting day at the Summit!  We were able to visit a high school that is essentially an agricultural charter school.  They are partnering with La Providencia on a project where the high schoolers will mentor our staff and children on gardening.  We are all very excited about both sides of the partnership, as LP will get some great gardening and the high schoolers will continue building their mentorship and leadership skills, and increasing work ethic.

We also met with the community leaders about the possibility of partnering with them to develop the community into one that is economically self-sufficient.  We learned that we have a long way to go until we reach that goal, but I know that today was a very important first step toward hitting the goal.  I look forward to seeing how the community goes from being extremely dependent on outside support to being completely economically self-sufficient and having each project be completely community-initiated and executed.  We all have a huge challenge in front of us, but I have no doubt that we're on the right track.

Looking forward to finishing up the Summit tomorrow with a trip to a local farm and a "de-briefing" meeting where we will set goals and practical next steps with each other.  Again, all prayers are invited and very much appreciated.

La Providencia Summit, Day One

On Wednesday afternoon, nine leaders from Providence partner organizations and churches around the USA arrived in Siguatepeque, Honduras for the 1st Annual La Providencia Summit.  The vision for the Summit is to work with the LP staff, the local community leaders, and each other to start discerning how we all can make summer teams at LP as collaborative, productive, and life-giving as possible.  Guided by our mutual experiences, the books When Helping Hurts and Toxic Charity, and, of course, Biblical principles, we are hoping to work together as "one team" this summer and beyond to move the La Providencia community closer to economic self-sufficiency.

Yesterday, during day one of the Summit, the US leaders were able to meet with the entire LP staff to listen and inquire about how teams have been destructive in the past, how teams have connected and positively impacted the community, how we believe we can build up each other's skills and assets, how we all can build relationships with each other through various projects, how the teams can encourage, sharpen, and train the teachers and other staff members, and vice-versa, and how we can work together to begin developing businesses and other endeavors to generate revenue in the community.  It was an incredible day of transparency and vulnerability that I have never seen from our LP staff.  They opened up about the benefits and pitfalls of teams, they shared some challenges and struggles with the project and with some well-intentioned teams in the past, and ways that team members can mitigate against destructive behavior in the future.

One of our teachers opened up about her story that mirrors so many of our children's stories, and it touched all of us in deep ways.  She grew up in the community surrounding La Providencia in a single parent home, and hopes that she can inspire her students to become a leader in their community as she has by relying on God and developing the incredible skills and talents that God has given each one of them.

We're still processing through a lot of the stuff that we covered yesterday, and likely will be analyzing it for weeks to come.  In the process, we hope to figure out more and more what God wants us to be doing together to continue developing gospel-driven leaders.  Yesterday was a great step forward in this process and we know today will be as well - we're meeting with leaders in the local community to hear about their dreams, goals, and assets, and how the teams can come alongside them to develop the community.

Your prayers for the Summit and all that it will bring are invited, encouraged, and very much appreciated.

ECFA Approved!

Great news!  Providence is now an ECFA member - ECFA (Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability) is the preeminent seal of approval for financial accountability in Christian non-profit work.  Here is the press release announcing this big step in the life of our ministry:

Providence World Ministries Accredited by National Financial Accountability Organization


NASHVILLE, TN – The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) announced today the accreditation of Providence World Ministries of Nashville, TN.


ECFA accreditation is based on the ECFA Seven Standards of Responsible StewardshipTM, including financial accountability, transparency, sound board governance and ethical fundraising.


Providence World Ministries joins a growing number of Christ-centered churches and ministries across America, supported by over 20 million donors that have earned the right to display the ECFA seal. When an organization is accredited by ECFA, it demonstrates its willingness to follow the model of biblical accountability.


“We are pleased to include in our membership a ministry committed to inspire and equip others to love orphans, widows, and at-risk communities as God loves them,” said Dan Busby, president of ECFA.


Founded in 2001, Providence World Ministries (www.providenceworldministries.org) ministers to and advocates for orphaned children and widows. They seek to establish innovative, culturally appropriate communities of care for orphans and widows, while advocating for them among governments, society and the church.


To learn more about Providence World Ministries and their stewardship opportunities, visit ServantMatch®, ECFA’s program that matches God’s servants with the stewardship options of ECFA members based on ministry sectors and categories. It is ECFA’s newest online feature that allows you to quickly and easily find giving opportunities.


ECFA, founded in 1979, provides accreditation to leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with the ECFA Standards pertaining to financial accountability, fundraising and board governance. For more information about ECFA, including information about accreditation and a listing of ECFA-accredited members, visit www.ECFA.org or call 1-800- 323-9473.

An Afternoon with Onix

This afternoon I had the pleasure of spending a couple hours and sharing a meal with Onix Flores.  Not only is she the sister of La Providencia's director, Mizael Flores, but she also is the namesake of Centro Onix at La Providencia.  What an amazing couple hours it was.  After meeting her and hearing her testimony first-hand, I am even more excited that her faith and courage will always be a part of La Providencia and will always serve as an encouragement for our children.  I know that I was extremely encouraged after just a short time with her.

For those of you who don't know her story, she has a rare disease and was not supposed to live past the age of 19 or 20.  Her mom and dad thought differently and as she grew up, so did she.  As she said, the doctors didn't know, she knew that God wouldn't take her home until she finished the work he had for her on Earth.  Now, at the age of 52 years old, she has quite a story to tell and God has done quite a bit through her already.  While there isn't enough room in this blog to share it all, I'll give you some snippets and encourage you to spend some time with Onix to get the rest of the story if you're ever in Chicago.  

After beating the odds for many years through a deep faith in God,a difficult childhood and various doctors, Onix ended up in a hospital in the US where she, again, was not supposed to ever make it out of the hospital.  And, she wasn't supposed to be doing a whole lot while in the hospital.  The doctors making that prognosis obviously didn't know Onix or the fact that God had other plans for her.  One day, a nurse came by her room with some painting supplies and told her that she should start painting with all of her free time.  Onix said that she didn't think it would happen because she has no real use of her arms or legs.  But Onix gave it a shot anyway - why not, right?  She started painting with her mouth and, without getting into details, has painted some beautiful paintings, won several awards with her paintings, and now is painting birdhouses that she is selling at festivals all over the region.  The paintings look great without any qualification for the fact that they are painted without the use of hands - they are much better than most paintings by people with full mobility and use of all their limbs.  She truly has a God-given gift.  And not surprisingly, Onix is extremely humble with regard to her gifts and gives all the glory to God.

I could go on and on, but I won't - just want to say that I was so blessed this afternoon and I can say without a doubt that my life is fuller after meeting and spending some quality time with Onix.  Oh yeah, don't want to forget to tell you that Onix not only has lived for over ten years since she entered the hospital where she was supposed to die - she has spent those years sharing the Gospel with every person who has come into her path, led many to the Lord, and is now living at her home with her husband of over 20 years and a caretaker.  How cool is that?

A Few Good Books

Every so often, I like to give some book reviews and recommendations.  A couple of the past must-reads have been When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, and Spiritual Leadership, by Oswald Sanders.  Well, over the past few weeks, I've been able to read a few good books in addition to the Bible (I get to start every day by reading wisdom from that GREAT book).  And I'm ready to share a few more great reads with you . . .

(1) Toxic Charity: How the Church Hurts Those They Help and How to Reverse It, by Robert D. Lupton -- In this book, Lupton, an urban developer in Atlanta, shares the good, bad, and ugly from his experiences working with the poor and oppressed in Atlanta, and projects the principles onto how to be agents of development, rather than simple relief, around the world.  The book dives into how to do micro financing, missions teams, inner-city projects, and many other things well, in a way that is productive rather than destructive.  If you work with the poor in any capacity, you will learn a ton from this book and will definitely not be sorry that you read it.  At Providence, we are using much of this book to prepare our La Providencia community and summer teams for a very productive summer in Honduras.

Here are a few tidbits from Toxic Charity to whet your appetite (there is a whole lot more where these came from):

• "If we want to see substantial change in a troubled neighborhood, we must concentrate energies and resources there over time."
• "In for-profit corporations on the cutting edge of their fields, research and development (R&D) is key.  Yet seldom do nonprofits spend money on R&D, with universities and medical research being notable exceptions. Innovation and risk taking are at least as important to the world of compassion as to the world of business.  Organizations that test new methods and document their trial-and-error findings are likely to be the ones that shape the best practices of the future." (this is why we at Providence focus on R&D to the extent we do)
• "To do for others what they have the capacity to do for themselves is to disempower them."
• "Anyone who has served among the poor for any length of time will recognize the following progression: give once and you elicit appreciation; give twice and you create anticipation; give three times and you create expectation; give four times and it becomes entitlement; give five times and you establish dependency."
• "Don't presume that because an area is poor and run down it is devoid of leadership and resources."
• "Getting to know community leaders first requires us to listen and respect indigenous leadership and learn the dreams of the people.  And be willing to have our own ideas transformed.  Both the community and its leaders may have different goals from those that volunteers might bring."

(2) The Day Metallica Came to Church: Searching for the Everywhere God in Everything, by John van Sloten.  This is a very different book from Toxic Charity, but just as convicting.  It focuses on how God is working in and through everything in the world - often not in the ways that we would think or see at first blush.  From lyrics of Metallica songs, to Van Gogh's paintings, to movies such as Crash, The Dark Knight, and No Country for Old Men, to several other unexpected examples, van Sloten gracefully provides insightful examination of how we can see God in these things, and challenges us to do the same with everything that we come into contact with in this world.  And he ends the book with the verse that tells us why we should believe that God is working through EVERYTHING in society: "For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!  Amen."

(3) Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett - Next on the list is a fun one that is for the serious novel reader, as the 960 or so pages requires quite an investment of time.  This is a great novel based in twelfth century England.  I usually do not read historical novels, but this one came highly recommended and gripped me from the start.  It follows Tom the builder and his quest to build a great cathedral, struggles for power in the church and in the kingdom, and has some great interactions between the characters and within the psyches of the characters that provide us with insights into our own lives and raise questions as to how we'd respond in similar situations.  If you like novels with solid character development, intrigue, and suspense, this is a worthwhile investment.

Several other books that are very good and definitely worth your time are: (a) Fatherless Generation, by John Sowers, which delves into the issues of fatherlessness in our world; (b) The Beckham Experiment, by Grant Wahl, which chronicles the highs and lows of the experiment involving David Beckham's move to the MLS in which we are all participating (whether we know it or not); and (c) Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer, in which Krakauer tells the story of an ill-fated climb to the summit of Everest and examines different aspects of the human psyche in the process.

You won't be wasting your time if you read any of these books.  To the contrary, they will all likely teach you many things about yourself and our world.