Jubilee+ Team Book Recommendations.
We asked a few of the Jubilee+ team to share the books that have encouraged them in their walk with Jesus. We hope that these books will bless you as you (hopefully!) have some time to rest & re-charge over the summer months.
Christina Duerden recommends: ‘Spark’ by Al Gordon.
The subtitle for this book is ‘Ignite your God-given creativity’ which sounds both exciting and alarming. I don’t think of myself as particularly creative - and to be honest, I wouldn’t have chosen this book for myself because of that. But I’ve surprised myself by how helpful I’ve found it.
The main theme of the book is that we are all creative, because we are all made in God’s image, there are three things that have stuck with me.
First, that prayer is our way of connecting with the unlimited creativity of God. Al Gordon says:
‘next time you’re stuck for an idea, instead of jumping online, try switching off your device and switching on your soul. Take a moment to be quiet. Slow down. Notice your breathing. Invite the Creator Spirit to fill you.’
Second, that it’s good to daydream. Good to close your eyes and imagine. What would happen if…? That when we let our thoughts drift around a problem in God’s presence, we can receive fresh ideas. Things from left field that can be gold.
And third, is give it a go. The book is crammed with incredible stories of people just trying something out and seeing God do something incredible. There’s a story early on where the author is discouraged about the state of the church building and how he wants it to be an inspiration to the community around him.
He is slumped in front of Netflix, and sees the work of a visual artist who has collaborated with artists like Beyonce, U2, Billie Eilish – big names. But part of her story is that she was first truly inspired by the stained glass windows in the church in her home town. So, randomly, he thinks – I’ll contact her and ask her to help me. And she does.
So, if you’re needing breakthrough in an area, or break out of a problem, this book might give you the confidence to ask, imagine, hear and act on the bold and audacious ideas our Creator God gives you!
Natalie Williams Recommends:
Lead With Prayer by Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer, and Cameron Doolittle.
My prayer life has changed significantly over different seasons. I was fervent but legalistic with ‘quiet times’ when I first gave my life to Jesus, then I rebelled and ran away and when I came back I now understood grace, sort of. I say ‘sort of’ because for a while I used as an excuse for not praying much at all, which I’m not sure means I got it.
As I’ve matured as a Christian, I’ve sometimes treated prayer like filling up my car – I let the fuel drain down until the red light comes on, then I fill up the tank to capacity before running it back down again. But for the last five years, I’ve actually had a pretty consistent daily time with Jesus, which I love and enjoy, even though I still get distracted a lot.
One thing that has been true about me and prayer throughout all of these seasons is that I don’t like books on the subject. In general, I find that they set the bar too high for me and then I feel set up to fail and despondent about not ‘getting it right’.
But I picked up Lead With Prayer last year after being inspired by one of its authors through a podcast that I thought was on something else entirely. The book, like the episode, is incredibly inspiring – but not in that wow-other-people-have-amazing-prayer-lives-but-I-never-will way.
Lead With Prayer does what no other book I’ve read on prayer has done for me – it both inspires and provides manageable, realistic ideas to grow. When I was reading it, I found myself imagining that I, too, could have a prayer life that feels effective as well as joyful. I’ve put in place a number of the examples for growing in prayer, and it’s made me more committed to Jubilee+ having prayer at the centre of all we do. If you want to grow in prayer, I’m confident this book will help you to do that.
Ruth Kettle Recommends: Dream Small by Seth Lewis.
I read ‘Dream Small’ a few months after having read another excellent book ‘The Secret Place of Thunder’ by John Starke and it was another nudge from God to remember that what matters most in my life is often unseen by those outside my home.
Dream Small is an incredibly helpful book to reframe what it means to have dreams in God, to refocus our dreams onto God’s kingdom and His story of redemption.
Seth Lewis does a really good job of reminding us in a gentle way that we are ‘but specks of dust in this universe’. This may sound harsh - we are small, but we are loved by our Creator. He says:
‘Our value is not derived from our actions, dreams or achievements, or by how we collectively measure each other on these things; and yet it is secure – it is built in, breathed in, by our Creator.’
Dream Small is full of challenges around success, wealth, significance and how we view and treat people made in the image of God. It is easy to read and peppered with stories, illustrations and even some graphs! It’s a beautiful book that will inspire and encourage you afresh to live a sacrificial life with and for Jesus.
Rachel Wilson Recommends: ‘Good News About Injustice’ by Gary Haugen
For as long as I remember, I've been aware that Christians have been at the forefront of mercy ministry and aid missions to some of the most vulnerable communities and people on the planet. I grew up in a Christian family, raised on stories like Amy Carmichael or Gladys Aylward or William Taylor, each of them reaching out to communities suffering severe lack.
It wasn't until I read by Good News About Injustice by founder of International Justice Mission, Gary Haugen, that I became aware of the call for Christians to be actively involved in ensuring the safety and security of vulnerable people.
Gary was well aware of the great efforts across the globe being done by aid agencies and Christian charities. But what he observed was that, despite those efforts, often communities and individuals weren't lifted out of poverty for one key reason:
Where violence against people living in poverty was allowed to continue, and perpetrators could act with impunity, it was almost impossible to see the alleviation of material poverty.
Whether you work in law enforcement, have a passion for strengthen broken justice systems or just need to be reminded that God can grow something small (in that case a lawyer and his interns) in to something big (a worldwide organisation that has now seen nearly half a million victims of violence and slavery set free) then Good News About Injustice is for you.
This book is over twenty years old now, but the robust theology of justice it offers – and the organisation it traces the development of – has been deeply impactful on my life.
Highly recommend!