As we conclude our 2020 Talking Points conference, we want to offer you a list of resources to help you keep the conversation going. A major theme in this year’s conference has been the importance of community for our wellbeing; therefore, we encourage you to read with a friend or a small group.

If you want to dive into the research …

  • “Flourishing in Ministry: How to Cultivate Clergy Wellbeing” by Matt Bloom
  • “Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and Thriving” by Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman, and Donald Guthrie
  • “The Politics of Ministry: Navigating Power Dynamics and Negotiating Interests” by Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman, and Donald Guthrie
  • “Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis” by Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell and Jason Byassee
  • “Dare Mighty Things: Mapping the Challenges of Leadership for Christian Women” by Halee Gray Scott
  • “Women in God’s Mission: Accepting the Invitation to Serve and Lead” by Mary T. Lederleitner

If you want to do the inner work …

  • “Ministry in the Image of God: The Trinitarian Shape of Christian Service” by Stephen Seamands
  • “Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry” by Ruth Haley Barton
  • “Wholeheartedness: Busyness, Exhaustion, and Healing the Divided Self” by Chuck DeGroat
  • “Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry” by Paul David Tripp
  • “The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World” by Peter Scazzero
  • “Becoming a Healthier Pastor: Family Systems Theory and the Pastor’s Own Family” by Ronald W. Richardson
  • “Life of the Beloved” by Henri Nouwen
  • “Grace Walk: What You’ve Always Wanted in the Christian Life” by Steve McVey

If you want to listen to other’s stories …

  • “Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith” by Barbara Brown Taylor
  • “The Pastor: A Memoir” by Eugene Peterson
  • “With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman” by Howard Thurman
  • “Open Secrets: A Memoir of Faith and Discovery” by Richard Lischer
  • “Gilead: A Novel” by Marilynne Robinson
  • “Glittering Images: A Novel” by Susan Howatch
  • “At Home in Mitford” by Jan Karon