Summer Reading 2022

The T4 Staff team have pooled together some recommendations for great Christian books this summer.

Have a read of the summaries below and why not pick one or two to read this summer?

For Adults:

We probably all know that what we believe about Jesus should impact all areas of our lives but it can sometimes be a bit challenging to work out what that means in the world of TV watching, book reading, game playing and social media subscribing. This is where Dan Strange's book is so helpful. In a really accessible way, he helps us think about how we can understand the culture all around us with Christian 'glasses' on. How to make sense of the stories that the world around us is telling and how they connect with what the Bible says. This is a great book especially, if like me, you find it much easier to chat to friends about the latest Netflix box set you've worked your way through than immediately talking about Jesus. It gives us some tools to help join the dots between the gospel and that show that you just can't stop watching and to help us see how the Bible tells a better story about ourselves and our world than anything Hollywood could produce! I've found this so helpful and I highly recommend it - it might just change the way you think about the rest of your summer reading and watching!! Recommended by Peter Greenman.

"The Air we Breathe", by Glen Scrivener

I love this recent publication from Glen Scrivener. Glen is an evangelist who spends a lot of time speaking with those without a Christian faith. In this book he demonstrates how the western values Christians and non-Christians alike share and want to protect, are distinctively Christian values. Equality, Kindness, Freedom, Consent and many other values directly flowed from the Jesus revolution. Jesus has fundamentally impacted the very 'air we breathe', our intuitions and way of thinking. A thoughtful, engaging and highly relevant read! Recommended by Sam Brewster.

"What's best Next: how the gospel transforms the way you get things done", by Matt Perman

A God-centered, gospel-oriented perspective that addresses the proper motivation to drive your productivity - seeking the good of others and the glory of God. This motivation is the path to finding the greatest possible meaning in your work and, paradoxically, is also the path to greatest effectiveness. What’s Best Next first shows us how to understand our productivity, work, and the things we do every day in relation to God’s purposes, and then gives a practical approach for improving our productivity in all areas of life. This approach integrates its own unique insights together with the best thinking from resources like David Allen’s Getting Things Done and Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, on a gospel-centered foundation. Recommended by Wiz Chambers.

"Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus", by Nabeel Qureshi and Lee Strobel

A brilliantly written testimony of how a devout Muslim man, desperate to prove himself 'worthy' of his Muslim heritage, came to realise that faith in Jesus is the only way to salvation. Throughout the book he grapples with the inconsistencies of the Qur'an, while challenging his Christian friend on parts of the Bible he has been taught are unauthentic. Needless to say, he becomes convinced by the claims of Jesus and becomes devoted to spreading the gospel around the world.

If you want to get a general idea of the Muslim faith and to solidify your own faith in Jesus, this is well worth a read: It equips you with the necessary tools you would need to debate with a Muslim friend or colleague. Recommended by Jo Patterson.

"Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma", by Sharon James

This biography is about a woman in the 19th Century. She gave her life to God and served him wholeheartedly! There are a lot of trials and hardships that are faced in this book. It’s a joyful example of how to live through suffering with God by your side. It’s extremely humbling and thought-provoking! Recommended by Kryssie Steiger.

For kids:

"God's Timeline" - Linda Finlayson (for 7+)

2000 years is a long time since Jesus was around on earth and lots of things have happened since, but amazingly the wonderful news about him has spread and millions of people have heard about him and have done amazing things in his name! God's Timeline is great for any Horrible Histories fans as it covers the whole history of Christianity with amazing stories and beautiful illustrations. We can learn so much from people in the past about what it means to follow Jesus and this book helps slightly older children to do that for themselves and to see how God has protected and used his church around the world throughout the ups and downs of the last 2000 year! Recommended by Peter Greenman.