The Cross of Christ by John R.W. Stott
I have found myself coming back to this book many times since I first read it in university. I can think of no better introduction to the centre of our faith. Stott, both in his writing and his remarkable ministry, personifies to me what it means to be an ambassador of Christ in our age.
Your God is Too Safe by Mark Buchanan
I really like this book. Not because it says anything particularly unique, but rather because it is a beautiful expression of what Christians across the centuries have known about the Christian journey – and this from the pen of a rural Canadian pastor.
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society by Lesslie Newbigin
I think this book should be required for all Canadian pastors. Newbigin, a missionary to India, reflects on the meaning of the idea of public truth and what it means for Christians in a post-Christian society. Ask your congregation to read this before jumping on any Christian political bandwagon.
Jesus and the Victory of God by N.T. Wright
This book is mammoth. But if you really want to understand what Jesus meant in his context then this is the best place to start. If our Lord does not return before then, I’m convinced that two hundred years from now, when the bestselling Christian authors of today have been long forgotten, Christians will still be reading N.T. Wright. (For a lighter introduction to this profound writer, try reading his sermon collections Following Jesus and The Crown and the Fire.)
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
[Disclaimer: No, Disney did not pay me to write this!] I have found this book especially helpful as a discussion starter about all things spiritual, and as a way to introduce people to other works of C.S. Lewis besides his Narnia Chronicles. If you’ve already read everything by Lewis, read his Lewis’s literary mentor, George MacDonald.
Rob Clements is a Christian publishing consultant and a ministerial candidate at Trulls Road Free Methodist Church.
