Remembering January 4th…
Today was one of those days to remember at Buckhead Church. (more…)
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A New Venture
Beginning Sunday, we will embark on a new technology venture for all three of our churches — North Point, Browns Bridge and Buckhead.From the very beginning of our our multi-site approach, the Sunday schedules have always been out of sync. (more…)Good News. Bad News.
Hi everyone. I’ll start first with the bad news.
According to every poll I see, the top concern on everyone’s mind is the economy and personal finances. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the top concern on everyone’s mind is the economy and personal finances. (more…)
2009 Book List
Okay everyone, here’s my list. I hope you find this helpful.Thanks again for the feedback over the last couple of days.Here’s to another year of growth, exploration and learning.JeffA Review of my 2008 Book List
As some of you know, I was impacted by a quote many years ago by a former boss and current hero of mine, S. Truett Cathy, the owner of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Truett told me there are two ways to improve yourself — through the people you interact with and the books you read. Ever since hearing that, I have been very intentional about trying to surround myself with people who encourage, inspire and challenge me. And I have also tried to be a voracious reader. This led me to compiling a list of books to read each year as a personal goal.Over time, friends have inquired about my book list. Last year, we posted it on the blog and got a lot of positive feedback. We thought it would be a good idea to continue that this year. Tomorrow, I will post my 2009 book list. As for today, I thought it might be helpful to post a review of the books I read in 2008. Many of these I would recommend. Some I would not.One disclaimer: The Bible isn’t mentioned on my lists but it is a non-negotiable. Putting the Bible on a reading list is like putting breathing on a to-do list. It’s a must.I hope you find this helpful. Come back tomorrow for the ‘09 list, and let me know what books you might recommend by commenting on the blog.2008 Book Review Jeff Henderson
(in no particular order)
1. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I think this is a must-read for any leader, particularly senior leaders. Lincoln’s magnanimous leadership style is stunning as he deals with rivals, arrogant and incompetent generals, and his own depression. Reading ‘Rivals’ reminded me of this great quote: “There’s not a limit to what a person can do when he or she doesn’t care who gets the credit.”
2. Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know
by Meg Meeker, M.D. If you are a Dad of a daughter, you MUST read this book. It frightened me and increased my prayers for my daughter immensely. A MUST read.
3. Judgment. How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls by Noel Tichy & Warren Bennis. Judgment was a good read but there are better Warren Bennis books if you haven’t read him before. A better book by Bennis is Organizing Genius. Judgment is about the need for leaders to create “Teachable Points of View” that can continue to highlight the vision. These storylines address three questions: 1. Where are we now?
2. Where are we going? 3. How are we going to get there?”
4. A Whole New Mind. Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink
Mr. Pink makes the point that we have moved from an economy & society built on the linear, logical, computer-like capabilities of the Information Age (left-brain) to the inventive, emphatic, big-picture capabilities of the Conceptual Age (right-brain.) The Conceptual Age is built upon six aptitudes: Design. Story. Symphony. Empathy. Play. Meaning.
One of the most important reminders I received from this book was about the power of Story. In the Church, we have the greatest story ever told and yet we often end up communicating information. In the Conceptual Age, information, while readily available, is less impactful. “When facts become so widely available and instantly accessible, each one becomes less valuable. What begins to matter more is the ability to place these facts in context and to deliver them with emotional impact.”
* “Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.” Roger C. Shank. Cognitive scientist.
5. Chasing Cool by Noah Kerner and Gene Pressman. Yep, you gotta read this one. There’s some language in it but you’ll survive. * ” It’s possible to be both mainstream and edgy. You can be Goliath but you always have to think and behave like David.”
* “Great brands are those that lead the market place, not those that chase after it.”
6. The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry. This would be a great book to begin the New Year. *”Act in a manner consistent with your values not necessarily your feelings.” * “Emotions don’t reveal the quality of your life. Emotions reveal the quality of your thinking.”
7. Wikinomics by Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams This book gave me a great idea that I’m currently exploring. However, it had too much high-tech jargon that was difficult for me to decipher. I think a better book to read is Groundswell, which is on my ‘09 list.
8. Getting Things Done by David Allen. Another great way to begin the New Year. The book is based upon asking the question, “What’s the next action to take?” so as to avoid being overwhelmed with the entirety of a project. Sounds simple but it’s very helpful. There were some great quotes in this book, too.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” Mark Twain.
“A vision without a task is but a dream, a task without a vision is drudgery, a vision and a task is the hope of the world.” From a church in Sussex England, 1730.
9. 1776 by David McCullough. ‘John Adams’ and ‘Truman’ are much better McCullough books, in my opinion. Read those before this one.
10 The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy A fascinating look at how Dr. Graham managed the fine balance of being so close to power without compromising his spiritual leadership role. The greatest test of this came with his relationship with President Nixon. That chapter is worth the price of the book alone.
11. UnChristian. What a New Generation really thinks about Christianity…and why it matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons Good insights and research. I love how Gabe thinks and his heart for those far from God. ‘UnChristian’ wasn’t necessarily new information, but having it compacted into one resource was very helpful.
12. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Clayborne Carson This is an audiobook that has many of Dr. King’s recorded speeches and comments. That was worth the price alone.
13. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni. Didn’t see the movie but loved the book. Enjoyable read.
14. Your God is Too Safe by Mark Buchanan “How you spend your days is how you spend your life.” This quote reminded me of a John Maxwell quote who said, “Yesterday is often over exaggerated. Tomorrow is often over estimated. And Today is often under-estimated.” Mr. Buchanan also stresses that we have to train for the spiritual life. “We train for marathons and to play the violin. We also have to train for the spiritual life. That’s the most lost idea to the world and it requires whole books & sermon series to establish its value.”
15. Five Faces of Genius: Creative Thinking Styles to Succeed at Work
by Annette Moser-Wellman One of the most interesting books on creativity I’ve ever read. Not only will it help you understand your creativity bent, it will help you understand your team better. Five Faces discusses the five mental skills mastered by some of the most creative thinkers in history. The faces are Seer, Observer, Alchemist, Fool and Sage. You will take a test to discover which of these faces you use the most.
“Genius is at first the ability to receive the discipline,” GeorgeEliot
16. Me, Myself & Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer This was a sobering reminder of the danger of replacing God’s vision for your life with your vision for your life. This is an honest retelling of the rise and fall of Veggie Tales. It was one of most personally challenging books I read all year. I highly recommend this book, particularly for visionary leaders.
17. The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm by Thomas Kelley, Jonathan Littman I would recommend you get a hold of the Nightline special on IDEO from a few years ago. Watching that will give you a quicker insight of IDEO’s innovation process than reading this book will.
18. Red Letter Christians. A Guide to Faith and Politics by Tony Campolo I’m a long-time fan of Dr. Campolo’s because he shakes me out of my comfort zone. This book will probably do the same for you. You won’t agree with everything he writes, but you will definitely respect his rationale and passion for the Gospel of Jesus.
19. First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James Hansen. If you’re an Apollo space fan like I am, this is a MUST read. If not, I’d pass on it.
20. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this because it gets bogged down into lots of details but there were some really good insights on creativity. The author makes the point that creative people are often thought of as spontaneous, disorganized, even “hurting people.” He makes the point that creativity is not reserved for a certain type of person, and is available to everyone at some level.
21. A Failure of Nerve. Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin Friedman Great read. If you need some courage for a decision you need to make, this is your book.
22. The Faith by Charles Colson. If you’ve never read a Charles Colson book, start first with ‘Loving God.’ That booked had a dramatic impact on me.
23. the dip by Seth Godin. “Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.” There, you’ve read this book. You’re welcome.
24. Small is the New Big by Seth Godin I like Seth Godin. He’s great at taking complex matters and turning them into something simple. His book, “Tribes” is on my ‘09 list. This blog entry from Seth on “Small” is a quick read: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/06/small_is_the_ne.html
25. The Dynamic Path by James Citrin This book was okay. I did get a great quote from this book by Lance Armstrong. “Before cancer, I used to have good days and bad days. After cancer, I only have good days or great days.”
26. Becoming a Coaching Leader by Daniel Harkavy. Good read on developing leaders. * “People won’t change until they’ve hurt enough, heard enough or had enough. All heart-level experiences.” * “Use the keep-start-stop communication with your teams. ‘What do you need to keep, start or stop?’” * “Excellent leaders have deep convictions about serving their teams and clients in uncommon ways.”
27. The Year of Living Biblically by Al Jacobs This was an amusing read about a guy who lives according to the Old Testament customs for 7 months and the New Testament for 5 months. He begins agnostic. It’s interesting to follow his journey.
28. Authentic Leadership by Bill George This book came recommended by a friend I greatly respect. I was a little disappointed. I would suggest Integrity by Henry Cloud instead of this one.
29. The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni This would be a good book for your team to read and discuss regarding creating a great staff culture. Mr. Lencioni suggests that anonymity, irrelevance and immeasurement are the three signs. If no one knows you, your job seems irrelevant and no one is measuring your success, you’re going to loathe your job. Fairly intuitive but he does bring out some further good points.
30. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers I might lose my “man-card” for admitting this, but I really liked this book. It does a great job portraying God’s redemptive love for us.
31. Fit to Lead by the Cooper Wellness Clinic. I wish I could go to Cooper to get a physical. These folks do it right. I try to read a fitness book each year. I still think Body for Life is the best.
32. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama Regardless of how you voted, I think you owe it to yourself to get to know our next President in his own words.
33. Nurturing the Leader within your Child by Tim Elmore Tim knows all about developing leaders, especially the next generation. A great parenting book.
34. Rich Kid. Smart Kid by Robert Kiyosaki. A great read about how to prepare your children for their financial future. The chapter about ‘Allowance’ is great. Mr. Kiyosaki has an interesting perspective that we are making a mistake by preparing our children more as students than as entrepreneurs. I think he has a point.
35. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore You’ll never see the homeless the same after reading this book.
36. Schulz and Peanuts. A Biography by David Michaels I enjoyed this book about the greatest cartoonist of the last century. The chapter about the creation of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was fascinating. Schulz was a complex man who battled inner demons. He was both ambitious and insecure. I’ll never see Charlie Brown quite the same ever again.
37. The Shack by William P. Young. You need to read this book if for no other reason so you won’t be the last person in America who hasn’t.
38. One Christmas in Washington. Roosevelt and Churchill forge the Grand Alliance by David J. Bercuson and Holger H. Herwig My fascination with the Roosevelt/Churchill relationship and leadership styles only increased after this book. If you are a history buff of WW II, you need to read this.
39. The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly. I think I’m officially tired of the books that provide a fictional story at the beginning and then tell you the primary insights at the end. Just go ahead and tell me. Anyway, the premise is to hire a Dream Manager who helps the staff with their dreams and goals. If you do this, you create greater loyalty and performance according to the author. Makes sense, but I do wonder about its practicality in today’s budget-tightening climate.
40. Jesus wants to save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden The chapter on the book of Revelation is worth the price alone. Also, this book reminds us of the forgotten power of the Church being an “underground” movement. Rob’s a great thinker, pastor and communicator. He’s not a great World War II historian though. I’ll let you figure that out by reading the book.
41. Prayer. Does it really matter? By Phillip Yancey. I don’t think this is Yancey’s best book but it did inspire me to spend most of my devotional time this year in the book of Psalms.
42. Failing Amercia’s Faithful by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Mrs. Kennedy Townsend takes critical aim at the Catholic Church but in a very respectful tone. She’s more hopeful than bitter. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book, but she did give some interesting insights about her father, Robert Kennedy, that was a surprising bonus to the read.
What’s on your reading list for 2009?
Over the next couple of days here on the Buckhead blog, I’ll be reviewing the books I read in 2008 as well as listing the books I plan to read in 2009. Before that happens though, I thought you should go first. What book or books would you recommend on my 2009 reading list? (And yes, the Bible is always on the list.)Thanks!JeffWho do I talk to about . . . marriage and divorce?
Anyone who’s ever struggled with the—shall we say—“nuances” of marriage has wondered where to go for help when it’s needed. Likewise, anyone who has endured the hardship of a divorce or even the no-man’s land of separation has asked the same question:
“Who do I talk to at Buckhead Church about marriage and divorce?” (more…)
Be a Film Critic
I’ve always wondered how someone lands a job as a film critic. You get paid to go to free movies and offer up your opinion. That’s a pretty good gig, I’d say.
“Thank you from the children of Woodson Elementary School”
When Buckhead Church decided to “adopt” Woodson Elementary, I had no idea our relationship with the principal, faculty and students would grow so deep and fast. The Lord has helped seal a strong bond between Woodson and Buckhead, and I can’t wait to see what awaits our partnership in 2009. (more…)
Make 2009 Your Year to Get Connected
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost 2009. And what usually comes with January 1? That’s right, those typical New Year’s resolutions that we all tend to make: drop ten pounds, get organized, take that dream vacation you’ve been talking about for years, write the great American novel…the list goes on. How about getting a head start today on a New Year’s resolution that you can actually keep? Make 2009 your year to get connected.
If you’re single and feeling a bit like a little fish in a big pond, then why not do what thousands of Buckhead Church singles have already done, and get connected through one of our unique Fusion gatherings. Fusion is an environment where single adults come to build authentic friendships and get connected. Fusion gatherings consist of about 30 people who meet together 5 times over the course of 3 months, in various locations around the Metro-Atlanta area.
Afraid to be the newbie? Don’t sweat it – just last cycle, over 54% of attendees were brand new to Fusion…and over 80% of all those who participated in Fusion said that they plan on signing up for Fusion again – that’s our highest percentage yet! Here are just a few highlights from our Fall Fusion cycle:
· More than 1300 singles connected into Fusion gatherings
· Over 900 people attended our mid-cycle social gathering at Cagle’s Dairy Farm…a night of BBQ, corn mazes, bonfires and good old fashion fun!
· 17 Fusion gatherings partnered with Be Rich and provided over 100 Thanksgiving dinners to families in need
· Lots of singles got involved, and more importantly, they all got connected
We’re excited about a new year, and can’t wait to kick off the next Fusion cycle on January 25! If you’re married, ask yourself this question…who do you know that’s single who needs to get connected? If you’re single, what are you waiting for?
Registration opens today!
www.buckheadsingles.org/fusion
Older Posts Yeah! There are more posts, check them out.
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Campuses
Popular Content
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Remembering January 4th…
Posted on January 5th, 2009 -
A New Venture
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Good News. Bad News.
Posted on December 31st, 2008 -
2009 Book List
Posted on December 30th, 2008 -
A Review of my 2008 Book List
Posted on December 29th, 2008 -
What’s on your reading list for 2009?
Posted on December 28th, 2008 -
Who do I talk to about . . . marriage and divorce?
Posted on December 27th, 2008 -
Be a Film Critic
Posted on December 23rd, 2008 -
“Thank you from the children of Woodson Elementary School”
Posted on December 23rd, 2008 -
Make 2009 Your Year to Get Connected
Posted on December 22nd, 2008
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