BookPastor >> "Leading Kids Ministry" (Pat Cimo and Matt Markins)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on June 30th, 2016. 

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TITLE: Leading KidMin: How to Drive Real Change in Children's Ministry
AUTHOR: Pat Cimo and Matt Markins
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016, (176 pages).

How do we drive real change? What does it take to be a change agent in children's ministry? Is it about following the latest trends about children's work? Is it about trying to maintain relevance in a sea of changing expectations? Is it about attractive programs? No. It starts with being a change agent for God. In order to be change agents, we must first be changed. In order to be part of God's ministry to drive change, we must be transformed by God and be renewed in our hearts and minds. In order to lead kids ministry, we must be led. In order to be part of real change in ministry, we must be changed from the inside out. This is the key thesis in this book that aims to encourage and empower leaders and leaders to be in kids ministry.

We first need to get ministry right by recognizing that change is a process. It is not an isolated one-time event. We need to be clear about what we want to happen and what we need to do. It is about gaining perspective and to communicate it clearly to our co-workers. It is about gaining self-awareness. This can be facilitated with various tools to help us find our strengths and weaknesses. Leaders in Kids Ministry need to be empowered by senior leaders, something that this book also describes later. The chapter on "Running Toward Your Problem" is a crucial test of our willingness to face up to our challenges. Are we running away or toward? Are we humble enough to ask for help and feedback? Are we able to partner with other volunteers, senior leadership, parents, and others? Truth is, far too many kids ministry leaders do it alone. In order to reverse this trend, the authors propose nine steps toward healthy partnership.

BookPastor >> "How to Preach and Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth" (Christopher J.H. Wright)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on April 16th, 2016.

conrade

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TITLE: How to Preach and Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth
AUTHOR: Christopher J.H. Wright
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, (288 pages).

Christians who believe in the authority of the Bible will have no problem about the importance of the Old Testament. However, when it comes to communicating the truths and the nuances of the biblical texts for the general audience, it becomes more challenging because of the ancient contexts, the archaic languages used, and how it is relevant for contemporary cultures. Author Christopher Wright has seen it all. He knows how infrequent preachers use the Old Testament for their Sunday sermons. Even those who teach prefer to use the New Testament as it involves less work for the teacher and less intense for the students. Yet, the difficulty should not be the reason for not studying the Old Testament. Despite the title of the book, there is a progression of why first before the how. This is important.

Part One of the book is about the WHY we need to preach and teach the Old Testament. Part Two reveals the HOW.

BookPastor >> "Preaching by Ear" (Dave McClelland)

You don't have to be a preacher to benefit from this book. There are lots of tips for Bible teachers and communications in general. This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Nov 24th, 2014.

conrade

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TITLE: Preaching by Ear: Speaking God's Truth from the Inside Out
AUTHOR: Dave McClelland
PUBLISHER: Wooster, OH: Weaver Book Company, 2014, (176 pages).

Preaching is not only about giving a sermon. It is also about preparing the preacher. This two step process is critical, but it needs to begin at the heart. For once, the heart is right, we have one foot firmly on solid ground. As for the other foot, we will need an "orally based model of preaching." This two-part preaching process is taught in this book, with a very intriguing title, "preaching by ear." I have heard of "playing it by ear" by musicians, as a way in which experienced persons "wing it" or let the spirit flow. In social circles, when people say, "Let's play by ear," it can also mean staying flexible to decide the right moves later. More importantly, in preaching by ear, one preaches out of something rich and full "because the preacher and the sermon are inextricably linked," so says Dave McClellan, Pastor of the Chapel at Tinkers Creek in Ohio. With a PhD in Rhetoric and Communications from Duquesne University, McClelland is well equipped to show us how to move sermons from paper into the preacher's heart, and then to the audience. For the author, preaching by ear is a movement from literary sermon to "the orally driven sermon." The former streams off from the written text while the latter springs from the impressed heart. Preaching by ear carries with it an aura of vulnerability and risk. How do we cultivate a heart that leads to the ability to preach by ear?

BookPastor >> "NIV Quickview Bible"

Do you learn better visually? Will it be great if you can get a good overview of a particular Bible book or period with tables, charts, and colourful diagrams? What about illustrations that make you want to dig into the Bible for yourselves more? If the answers are yes, this Bible may be for you.

This review was first published at "Panorama of a Book Saint." 

conrade

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TITLE: NIV QuickView Bible
AUTHOR: The Zondervan Quickview Bible Team
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012, (1110 pages).


This is one of those love-at-first-sight Bible resources to have. Included with the entire New International Version English Bible translation (latest 2011 version), the Bible is filled with vivid colours that are refreshing, and illustrations that bring out the Bible's truth with clarity and insights. Using more than 360 intelligent visual infographics, it makes navigating the Bible a richer and more exciting adventure. The Bible team recognizes that 83% of all human learning occurs visually. At the same time, the QuickView Bible brings a refreshing new perspective on the stories, the messages, the histories, and the ancient texts, making readers more excited to get into the text for themselves.  There are many visual eye-candies like:

• Colour coding the ten different divisions of the whole Bible;
• Simple explanation of how we get our Bibles;
• Breakdown of Noah's 375 days in the Ark;
• Life story of Jacob, Moses, and others clearly diagrammed;
• Jewish Calendar and our modern equivalents;
• Table of all the kings of Israel and Judah;
• Contrast of Jesus' teachings about light and darkness
• Paul's Teachings;
• Spiritual Gifts;
• Maps of Canaan, the Divided Kingdom, Palestine, Israel, and many more;

It is hard not to like this book. Old Testament laws are clearly laid out with the purposes of them weaved with the mercy of God. The gospels are also full of charts and diagrams to give readers a glimpse of the idea flow, which encourages the reader to read the text more carefully to check the biblical texts for themselves. There are three things which I really appreciate about this Quickview Bible. Firstly, it enhances the reading of the Bible with some brilliant bird's eye view of the Bible story. For instance, in the book of First Samuel, we read how the biblical author narrates the different characters who change their allegiances. There is also a highs and lows chart to show the erratic life of Saul, how he rises valiantly at the beginning, fumbles along in the middle, and ultimately kills himself at the end. Secondly, the maps are incorporated appropriately in the texts that help readers appreciate the geographical aspects of the texts being read. Normally, we will need a Bible atlas to accompany the study of the Bible. This Quickview Bible incorporates some of the most important maps within the Bible itself, enabling the reader to remain on the page without having to flip open another book to refer to the same thing. Thirdly, from a preaching and teaching perspective, the infographics are powerful ways to communicate the big ideas of the Bible. The colours are well used. The adjectives are carefully chosen. The placement of the infographics are sensitively placed to enable readers to read the texts with the big ideas in mind.

Having said that, there are some drawbacks with regards to using such a Bible. First, readers may unwittingly pay more attention to the infographics rather than the Bible itself. After all, if 83% of people learn better with visual material, will that also mean about 83% of the attention will be biased toward the infographics rather than the text? Second, the infographics are by themselves an interpretation. There is little explanation of why, how, and what are the facts leading up to the way the charts and illustrations are done. From a scholarship perspective, there is no way to cite any individual or individuals for each graphic. For example, what are the factors leading up to the declaration of the "Top 5 Reasons to Praise God in Psalms" on page 524? Where are the proof texts pertaining to the big ideas in the "Song of Songs" or Jeremiah? Third, the very idea of a "Quick view" can pose a problem for cultivating the spirituality of waiting and contemplation.  Some of the best spiritual exercises are only cultivated through patience. While it is quick as far as mental grasps of the facts are concerned, reading the Bible is not just about knowledge, but the application of such knowledge in wisdom and in discernment.

That said, I still consider this Quickview Bible a precious resource for learning and teaching. As long as readers understand the pros and cons of using such a resource. I highly recommend this as a learning supplement, not a full replacement of the reading of the Bible. If you like to check out some of the infographics, click here.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Zondervan Bible Marketing Team without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.