Archive for the 'Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List' Category

Guess what came to my house tonight?

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on February 12, 2008
in News and Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List
. 1 Comment

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Tina Houser (K! Magazine contributing editor and friend) just brought a gift to my house tonight. It’s her new book, hot off the press from Thomas Nelson! It’s called “Building Children’s Ministry: A Practical Guide”. It has a beautiful cover and is jam packed with 200 pages of great tips. Jim Wideman and I had the opportunity to write the endorsements on the back of the book. Don’t wait, get your hands on this book now. I just bought 20 copies to give the leaders in my church.

Great work Tina! Keep writing!

Smaller churches, Rick Chromey and K! Magazine

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on January 18, 2008
in Leadership and Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List
. 5 Comments

I just began reading a brand new release by Standard Publishing. They are actually releasing it next week at CPC. It’s a book by Rick Chromey called Energizing Children’s Ministry in the Smaller Church. My friend, Bob Wallace, at Standard overnighted it to me today. The point of this book is that the smaller church has the same amazing potential to grow and thrive as a mustard seed. It’s how you cultivate it!

Oh. What’s in the world does it have to do with K! Magazine? Read page 83. Rick talks about our new magazine. Thanks Rick!

Jim on Networking

Published
by
Jim Wideman
on December 19, 2007
in Blogroll, Conflict, Encouragement, News and Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List
. 2 Comments

There is not a day I live on planet earth that I don’t network. I have been amazed at the doors that open everyday if you are looking for them. I joined Facebook the other day. It has been amazing the “young” Children’s Pastor’s I been able to connect with by taking advantage of a free tool. (If you are on facebook, please invite me to be your friend also sign up to talk about leadership on my group “theClub”.) Another wonderful book to read if you are serious about growing your sphere of influence with others is the book “Never Eat Alone.”. This book is the best I’ve ever read on the power of networking. Make a people to connect to list and call or email them with 1 short question. (Depending on your relationship.) I am amazed at the people that I give my cell phone number to that doesn’t take advantage of that relationship. If I have some one’s cell phone I try to call them at least once a year to stay connected. It’s Wednesday and just off the top of my head I’ve talked to over 35 Children’s Pastors by phone and email to learn something. I guess what I’m wanting you to do is stop and thinK about the relationships you are taking for granted that God has presented you to grow and learn from. He’s the one that created the whole iron sharpening iron thing not the leadership, and personal growth coaches.
That’s the way I see it.

Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book: Purple Cow

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on June 3, 2007
in Reviews and Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List
. 2 Comments

Purple Cow

Purple Cow
Written by: Seth Godin
ISBN: 159184021X
Pages: 160
Themes: Marketing, Ideas, Growth

One reason I love hanging out with Nevan Hooker (our Product Development Director) is because he’s always giving me out-of-the-box ideas and telling me about the books he is reading. A few months back he told me that one of our new products looked really purple to him. Purple? That’s when I learned about the Purple Cow.

I got on Amazon.com and bought the book. One thing I love about Amazon.com is how easy it is to buy a book. They really make it too easy! From the time I go to their website until the time I check out it’s under 60 seconds. Okay, I’ll get off that rabbit trail and back to the subject at hand.

Here’s the low-down on the Purple Cow. How do great ideas spread? Why do some churches, companies, salesmen, game systems, etc. succeed while others fade away? Purple Cow is a book about how to move your business (or ministry) from ho-hum to wow.

So where does the name Purple Cow come from?
Continue reading ‘Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book: Purple Cow’

Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book: Be the Change

Published
by
Evan Doyle
on June 2, 2007
in Reviews and Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List
. 0 Comments

Be the Change

Be The Change
Written by: Zach Hunter
Publisher: Invert/Youth Specialties/Zondervan
Themes:Anti-Slavery, World-Changing, Inspiration, Young Writers

Slavery is not something you think of as part of modern-day society. But chew on this: 27 million people are in modern-day slavery around the world (according to the UN and other sources). That’s more in slavery at one time then during the entire transatlantic slave trade combined. Astounding, isn’t it? But that’s the theme of Be the Change. Written by 15 year old abolitionist Zach Hunter, this book not only focuses on changing the world by eliminating slavery, but also by changing the world immediately around us. The book is absolutely full of quotes and facts about slavery and world-changing that I could spend hours talking about, but I won’t take time for that here.

I knew modern-day slavery existed before I read the book, but my eyes were opened to the atrocities still committed today. This book is not only great for you to read and be inspired, but for your middle school kids too. Each chapter includes discussion questions for both group and personal settings, as well as a chapter-by-chapter challenge. You could easily use it as a middle school summer curriculum in a discussion group setting.

So you may think, “Great, but how can I change things?” Zach presents two ways in the book:
1. Support free trade products. Choose not to buy products you may suspect are made in sweatshops or under unfair conditions. There is only so much you can do in this area, but it’s a good start.
2. Start a Loose Change to Loosen Change project. This simple project collects the loose change of kids, parents, and friends, and donates it to Anti-slavery organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.lc2lc.com.

I would highly encourage you to read this book, even if you just need an “encouragement boost”. I know it lit a fire under me to think that someone my age was doing something so big. To only think what we could all do together in this area.

Buy “Be the Change” at Amazon.com

To see some heart-wrenching statistics on slavery, click the “Continue Reading” link below.
Continue reading ‘Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book: Be the Change’

The Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List

Published
by
Evan Doyle
on May 30, 2007
in Blog Updates and Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List
. 4 Comments

One thing all of us here at The Way We See It share in common is a love for reading. We’d all love to share the great books we read with you. So we’ve decided to create something totally super-ultra-amazing. It’s called:
The Super-Ultra-Amazing-Must-Read Book List

Creative, huh? But besides that, the list will have its own special page, available from the “Categories” list on the side of the homepage, as well as being part of our regular blog postings. As we read these books, we’ll write up short reviews and ways they’ve touched our lives with you, so you can enjoy them too. You’ll see some reviews coming up soon.

To make sure you’ve always got the latest posts, you can do one of two things:
1. Use our email subscriptions. On the right hand side of the blog homepage, enter your email address in the “Email Notification” box and press Subscribe.
2. Use an RSS feed (advanced users). At the bottom of the blog homepage, click then click this link, and save it in your RSS reader of choice. Want to learn how to use an RSS feed? Check out this page.

P.S. Don’t like reading books? Buy the Cliff’s Notes. It’s just as good, in half the time. But reading is good for your brain. And in the words of a great man, “If it wusn’t fur [books], all my sintinces wud look lyke this!”