Boeken – Christen-zijn op je werk en Bedrijfsgebed.nl

Hier vind je boeken over Christen-zijn op je werk en (Bedrijfs)gebed, in ruime zin. Gebundeld in twee overzichtelijke documenten (Nederlandstalig en Engelstalig). En voor een deel ook hieronder apart.
Mis je boeken, mail ons die dan via bedrijfsgebed@gmail.com.

Printversie Engelstalige boeken over christen-zijn-op-je-werk-1.2

Printversie Nederlandstalige boeken over christen-zijn-op-je-werk-1.7

Ken Costa: Carrière met God – Elke dag met zin je werk doen
Wat heeft mijn baan eigenlijk met God te maken? Dat vroeg Ken Costa zich af, topbankier bij een grote Londense handelsbank, afgestudeerd in rechten, theologie en filosofie, voorzitter van Alpha International, èn overtuigd christen. Is geld niet iets wat God een beetje dubieus vindt? Kun je christen blijven in een keiharde werkomgeving? Zijn ‘ambitie’ en ‘carriere’ verenigbaar met het christelijk geloof? In dit boek geeft Costa evenwichtig en praktisch antwoord op vragen als: – Mag je ambitieus zijn en een carrière nastreven? – Hoe neem je moeilijke beslissingen? – Hoe houd je werk en en vrije tijd in balans? – Hoe ga je om met stress – Wat te doen met teleurstellingen en mislukkingen? – Moet je giften geven en zo ja, hoe dan? – Kun je ook geestelijk groeien door je werk? Costa maakt zich er niet makkelijk van af. Zijn adviezen zijn direct toepasbaar in de praktijk en tegelijk diep gegrond in de Bijbel en zijn relatie met Jezus. Door de praktijkverhalen van onder meer advocaten, verpleegkundigen, ondernemers, kunstenaars, topmanagers en consultants is dit boek een must voor elke werkende christen! ISBN: 9789077565131, Uitgever: Alpha-cursus Nederland. Prijs: € 16,95
Paul Vieira: Jesus Has Left The Building (Nederlandstalig)
Paul Vieira is schrijver en spreker. Hij wil gelovigen inspireren Jezus in de maatschappij te weerspiegelen. In dit nieuwe boek beschrijft Paul zijn eerlijke zoektocht naar hoe Jezus de Kerk bedoeld heeft. Dat doet hij voornamelijk aan de hand van de bijbelse geschiedenis. Het is namelijk niet de eerste keer dat God het gebouw heeft verlaten… Uitgeverij Support Ministries te Vlissingen, € 17,50 Paperback, 284 pag, ISBN 9789078643043
John S. Garfield en Harold R. Eberle: Moderne Koningen – Ruimte creëren voor maatschappij gerichte bedieningen
De roep in de Kerk om naar buiten te treden wordt steeds luider. Het percentage van christenen dat geroepen is om binnen de muren van een kerk te dienen is maar 2%. De andere 98%, de moderne koningen, hebben een door God gegeven roeping en opdracht om in de maatschappij de heerschappij van Jezus en het Koninkrijk Gods te verbreiden. De vrijheid om zich aan deze roeping te wijden is niet altijd aanwezig in de Kerk, deels vanwege gebrek aan kennis wat hen beweegt en deels vanwege verkeerde geloofsovertuigingen. De rollen en kenmerken die gepaard gaan met deze verschillende plaatsen van roeping worden in dit boek belicht. Schrijvers willen de ‘moderne koningen’ aanvuren om uit te blinken in hun roeping. € 12,50 ISBN: 90-75226-71-3.
Hanneke Ploeg en Gerard Verbeek: Leer en werk – groeien in de lerende organisatie?
Creatieve loopbaancoaching! Persoonlijke effectiviteit! Oude patronen loslaten! We worden overspoeld met cursussen die onze eigen krachtbron willen aanboren, ons communicatief meesterschap beloven en onze carrières tot grote hoogten hopen te stuwen. Leer en werk gaat over de ontwikkeling en groei van mensen in (arbeids) organisaties: de lerende organisatie. De auteurs – professionals uit de advieswereld – willen de lezer inzicht geven in de (on)wijsheid van Human Resourses, tegen de achtergrond van een christelijke waardeoriëntatie. ISBN: 9789023911722 ICS-Cahiers, 37, Boekencentrum, 2002, 120 Pagina’s € 9,25.
Anselm Grün: Je leven en je werk – Een spirituele uitdaging
Vrijheid, eenvoud, duidelijkheid – wie verlangt daar niet naar? Er is zoveel dat ons belet om dat te bereiken: vastgeroeste consumptiepatronen, overvolle agenda’s, verkeerde idealen en psychische ballast die wij vanuit ons verleden meezeulen. Dat vraagt om reiniging. Anselm Grün vertaalt de kennis van de oude Grieken, van de bijbel en de kloostervaders naar de tijd van vandaag. Die kennis kan ons een weg wijzen naar innerlijke helderheid en ‘eenvoud van het hart’. Hij beschrijft rituelen van uiterlijke en innerlijke reiniging die ons weer vrijuit laten ademhalen. Tegelijk waarschuwt hij voor een verkeerd opgevat ‘reinigingsfanatisme’ en spoort ons aan om ook onze schaduwkanten liefdevol te aanvaarden. Anselm Grün is monnik en economisch directeur (kellenaar) van de benedictijner abdij in Münsterschwarzach. In zijn cursussen en vormingswerk weet hij een groot publiek te inspireren. ISBN: 9789059950412 Uitgever: Ten Have, 176 blz. € 16.50.
Alex Pattakos: Geef zin aan je werk – de zingevingsprincipes van Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl, de beroemde psychiater, baseerde zijn boek ‘De zin van het bestaan’ op zijn ervaringen in een nazi-concentratiekamp. In de mensonterende omstandigheden daar vond hij toch een manier om vast te houden aan het leven, om door te (willen) gaan met leven. Alex Pattakos beantwoordt de zingevingsvragen die aan de orde komen als we met onze dagelijkse problemen geconfronteerd worden. Hij is erin geslaagd Frankls ideeën helder en praktisch over te brengen naar de werksfeer, zonder aan de zeggingskracht ervan afbreuk te doen. Daarmee is dit boek een zeldzaamheid, in stijl vergelijkbaar met Alain de Bottons ‘De troost van de filosofie’. EAN: 9789047002314 € 22,50 Uitgever: Business Contact, Amsterdam.
Wim Koning: Lekker bezig – bewust omgaan met werk en roeping
‘Lekker bezig!’ Dat was het antwoord dat arbeidspsycholoog Wim Koning vaak gaf als mensen hem vroegen hoe het met hem ging. Het is ook de titel van dit lees- en werkboek geworden, omdat het prima uitdrukt waar het om gaat: lekker bezig zijn in Gods wereld en zijn Koninkrijk en de mogelijkheden die je van Hem hebt gekregen volop gebruiken. Koning schrijft in de inleiding: ‘De invalshoek van dit boek is werk als roeping. Ik geloof dat God ons met een speciale individuele bestemming in het leven heeft geroepen. Het is jouw en mijn verantwoordelijkheid die bestemming gaandeweg te ontdekken.’ ‘Lekker bezig’ is geschreven voor werkende en studerende jongeren die willen nadenken over hun werk en over hun roeping in deze wereld. Het is ook een praktisch boek met een aantal hulpmiddelen om die verkenning te ondersteunen. Het nodigt uit tot zelfstudie, maar is ook goed te gebruiken in groepsverband. www.navigatorboeken.nl ISBN 9789070656591, 2002, 110 blz., druk 1, € 10,90 Uitgeverij Novapres.
Peter Briscoe: Donkey Business Over ondernemers en hun ezel
Ondernemers kunnen wel wat leren van een ezel. De Bijbel gebruikt de ezel als metafoor voor het bedrijf. Op humoristische wijze schrijft Peter Briscoe hierover en laat zien hoe jouw onderneming vrijgemaakt en door God gebruikt kan worden. Donkey Business bevat veel praktische voorbeelden uit het dagelijks leven van ondernemers en managers. Het is tegelijk een studieboek dat dieper inzicht geeft in je bedrijfsvoering. Als je wilt leren van Gods wijsheid in zakendoen dan is dit boek een echte aanrader. Donkey Business laat zien hoe je bedrijf gebonden kan zijn en daardoor niet goed functioneert. Dit boek wijst de weg naar een meer vruchtbare koppeling. Het bedrijf gaat dan bloeien en een positieve invloed op zijn omgeving uitoefenen. Gods lessen aan de ondernemer kunnen door middel van het bedrijf gecommuniceerd worden. Wees minstens zo slim als een ezel en stoot je geen twee keer aan dezelfde steen. ISBN 9789077502372 € 12.99 Uitgever: Barnabas.
Kent Humphreys: Preken Voor Paarden — Een gat in de markt voor de kerk
Dit is een boek voor predikant en ondernemer. De schrijver maakt op beeldende wijze de bijzondere positie duidelijk van de ondernemer onder het kerkvolk. Een ondernemende predikant weet daar het fijne van en ontwikkelt goede relaties. Predikant en ondernemer kunnen immers veel voor elkaar betekenen. Preken voor paarden benadrukt een creatieve benadering. Dit boek toont predikanten hoe bemoedigende relaties met ondernemers tot stand gebracht kunnen worden. De schrijver nodigt de predikant uit de ondernemer toe te rusten. Samen kunnen zij dan de belemmeringen wegnemen en het gat in de markt ontdekken. Het boek werkt daarvoor de communicatiemogelijkheden uit in een seculiere bedrijfscultuur. De schrijver daagt uit tot veelvoudige vrucht en het opbouwen van een geestelijke nalatenschap. Kent Humphreys is een ondernemer ‘pur sang’ met meer dan 30 jaar bedrijfservaring. Hij is directeur van FCCI, een internationale organisatie van christenondernemers. Als veelgevraagd spreker en schrijver van boeken heeft hij wereldwijd vele ondernemers bemoedigd. In zijn lokale kerk werkt hij op een intensieve manier samen met de predikant. ISBN: 9789085201052 € 16.50 Uitgever: Barnabas.
Larry Burkett: Het Boek in bedrijf
Hoe ga als christen op maandag tot en met zaterdag om met allerlei praktische aspecten van zakendoen, omgang met medewerkers, besteding van geld en het afleggen van verantwoording? Larry Burkett opent de Bijbel en beschrijft radicale, eeuwenoude principes voor het dagelijks leven van ondernemers en managers, laat zien waarom ‘menselijke inzettingen’ die afwijken van Gods Woord tot mislukkingen leiden en hoe toepassing van Zijn principes waardevolle resultaten hebben. Vraagstukken als de doelstellingen voor je persoonlijk leven, het nakomen van beloften, het voordeel van raadgevers, de plek van je echtgenoot (m/v) ten opzichte van je bedrijf, leiderschap, selectie en ontslag van medewerkers passeren de revue. Maar ook salarissen, leningen en kredieten, kortingen, zakelijke tienden, pensioenvoorzieningen, vennootschappen en samenwerkingsverbanden worden in een verrassend ander daglicht gezet. Begin bij jezelf, wees een getuige. Als we door God gebruikt willen worden, moeten we bereid zijn ons leven voor Hem neer te leggen en Zijn wil te doen, ook door de week. Vertaling van Business by the Book, gebruikmakend van de Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling. ISBN 9085200415, €22,50, www.crowncompanies.nl
Peter Schalk (Eindredactie): Je baan en je leven – Christen zijn op de werkvloer
Christen zijn op de werkvloer is geen eenvoudige opdracht. Veel mensen, zowel jongeren als ouderen, ondervinden dat het niet gemakkelijk is om als christen te participeren in de samenleving. Regelmatig is er een (innerlijke) confrontatie met zaken die indruisen tegen het christelijke gedachtegoed. Steeds moeten keuzes gemaakt worden. De nieuwe ethische serie ‘Christen zijn op de werkvloer’ over arbeid en beroep wil christenen toerusten om hun plaats in te nemen, en keuzes op een goede en inhoudelijke manier te leren verantwoorden. Je baan en je leven gaat in op de opdracht om te arbeiden. Aan de orde komt de plaats van het werk in het leven. Als christen is het van belang om binnen de arbeid op de juiste wijze: – als rentmeester om te gaan met de schepping; – als mens rekening te houden met de medemens; – als burger naar eer en geweten te handelen in de maatschappij. Bij de verschillende onderwerpen worden praktische voorbeelden gegeven om de thematiek dicht bij de lezer te brengen. Verder wordt elk hoofdstuk afgesloten met enkele stellingen, om verdieping aan te brengen. ISBN/ EAN-nummer: 9789058298478 Uitgever: Groen, € 9.95
Arthur F. Miller: Genieten van je werk…hoezo?
Genieten van je werk, je boterham verdienen met iets wat je leuk vindt, met iets waarvoor je in de wieg gelegd bent… Te mooi om waar te zijn? Een voorrecht voor de enkeling? ‘Nee,’ zegt de auteur ‘dat is voor iedereen mogelijk.’ Want dat we ter wereld komen met een unieke combinatie van eigenschappen en talenten staat als een paal boven water. Hij heeft een methode ontwikkeld om mensen te laten ontdekken waardoor zij gemotiveerd worden. Er is iets wat ons voldoening geeft, wat ons motiveert en wat terug te vinden is in alles wat we met plezier hebben gedaan, te beginnen bij onze kindertijd. De uitkomst van dit persoonlijk ‘historisch’ onderzoek is niet alleen van groot belang voor werknemers, maar evenzeer voor werkgevers, want wie ‘op zijn plek’ zit, functioneert optimaal, geniet van zijn werk en doet, naar de overtuiging van Miller, zijn Schepper eer aan. ISBN 9060678885, 199 pag., €18.00, Gideon.
Bill Hybels: Te druk om NIET te bidden
Neem eens rust om bij God te zijn. – De meesten van ons kunnen nauwelijks tijd vinden om te bidden. De tijd wordt opgeslokt door de kerk, de school, de buren, je baan, je vrienden en je vrije tijd. En dan slaat de crisis toe! Het lijkt onmogelijk dan nog de tijd te vinden voor gebed. Als predikant kent Bill Hybels honderden mensen die met dit probleem worstelen. Maar in een gemeente waar elk weekend meer dan 15.000 (!) mensen samenkomen, waar voortdurend een beroep op hem wordt gedaan, had hij er zelf ook moeite mee. Hij vroeg zich af: “Hoe vind ik genoeg rust en tijd om de relatie met God te onderhouden waar ik zo naar verlang?” Door heel erg eerlijk tegenover zichzelf te zijn, ontdekte hij dat bidden er niet even tussen door kan. Juist als je het heel erg druk hebt, moet je tijd nemen om te bidden. Dan kun je het je niet veroorloven om niet te bidden. Hij schreef een boek dat je echt zal helpen om het gebed een grote plaats in je leven te geven. ISBN 9060678605, 176 pag., €10.80, Gideon.
H. van Roon & H.J. de Vries: Ondernemen met God – Christelijke visie op arbeid en ondernemen
Een boek waar vele christelijke ondernemers hun inspiratie uit zullen putten. Gedachten, vragen en problemen rond arbeid worden vanuit een christelijk denken onderzocht en getoetst. Een boek dat motiveert en aan het denken zet! ISBN 9058811379, 113 pag., €14,90, Buijten en Schipperheijn 2003.
Eddy de Pender: Help! Het is weer maandag – Christen zijn op je werk
Veel christenen die een baan hebben ervaren een kloof tussen het leven op het werk en het leven in de kerk. Jammer genoeg krijg je in de kerk nauwelijks te horen hoe je als christen met bepaalde situaties op het werk om kan gaan. Dit boek wil hèt handboek voor de christelijke werknemer zijn! De schrijver heeft een adviesbureau en coacht bij arbeidsproblemen. Aan de hand van voorbeelden behandelt hij onderwerpen waar veel christenen tegenaan lopen: arbeidsperspectieven, werkdruk en stress, balans werk/privé, grenzen, conflicten, gezagsverhoudingen, gewetensconflicten, getuigen-zijn, etcetera. Een praktisch en diepgravend boek waar velen op zitten te wachten! ISBN 9058812200 €15,90 Buijten & Schipperheijn
Mark Greene: YES! ’t Is weer maandag – Christen zijn op je werkplek
Christenen met een baan brengen meer tijd op hun werk door dan waar dan ook. Mark Greene nodigt ons uit na te denken over onze werkplek als zendingsveld. Waarom? Omdat ‘een niet-christen bijna iedere vorm van evangelisatie kan ‘wegdraaien’ – de tv kun je uitzetten en een traktaat kun je weggooien – maar de confrontatie met een christen die leeft vanuit de kracht van de geest, dag in, dag uit, uur in, uur uit, crisis in, crisis uit, kan hij niet ontlopen (…)’ Dit boek wil ons toerusten om op ons werk een getuige te zijn van de liefde van Christus – door woorden, en zeker door daden. Daarnaast geeft Greene aanzetten voor een bijbelse ethiek op arbeid, loon en werkdruk. Ook worden onderwerpen behandeld als prioriteiten op het gebied van werk, kerk en gezin, omgaan met leidinggevenden, over gehoorzaamheid en gezag, en leiding geven. Een belangwekkend boek over een onderwerp dat de laatste jaren eigenlijk te weinig aandacht heeft gekregen. Enkele boekrecensies staan op http://www.vergadering.nu/boekgreene-yestisweermaandag.htm. ISBN 906353468x €15,95 Medema
OS Hillman: 9 to 5 Window
Os Hillman gives those of us who do not work in vocational ministry very encouraging words in this book. We are shown that we are not “second class Christians.” Os really helps to connect Sunday to the rest of the week and to help us see our work as our ministry. Chapters Include ¥ The Move of God Today and Why He Is Calling You ¥ The Role of Adversity in Your Call ¥ My Skill Versus His Power ¥ You Can Transform Your Workplace. This book reaffirms the Christian worker in many ways: * Even though we may not work in a church, we can serve God right where we are * Our work actually has purpose and great meaning * We ALL have a higher purpose and that can be attained through the work we do each day. This book is a must read for any Christian worker! Hardcover: 185 pages. Publisher: Regal Books (February 21, 2005). ISBN-10: 0830737960. Price: $13.59.
Leland Ryken: Work & Leisure in Christian Perspective
Paperback: 255 pages. Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers (May 2002). ISBN-10: 1579109594. Price: $26.00.
Leland Ryken: Redeeming the Time: A Christian Approach to Work and Leisure
For high school and college students particularly, this book is an absolute must-read. Prof. Ryken teaches us the right view of work and leisure, both when understood properly, the basis, the motives, the manners by which we ought to do both, and the goals of them, like other creations, are very good in the eyes of God.The issues associated with work and leisure today that show their ugly heads in workers’ dissatisfaction, time famine, poor work-ethics, poor-quality or wasted leisure time are treated in the early chapters as Ryken proposes their roots being the godless success and consumer ethics. Next, the Reformation view of work and leisure are contrasted against other historical views; for examples, those of ancient Greek, Marxism, and sacred-secular dichotomy, usually promoted by the Roman Catholic Church. The last section of the book examines what the Bible says about work and leisure, the key of which is found in Genesis; in the life of God and the life of pre-lapsarian Adam and Eve in the garden before work became a curse that affects our view of leisure as well. The examination also includes the New Testament views from Jesus Himself as well as from Ecclesiastes and the epistles of what sanctified work and leisure look like and what the right view of them is, the most important of which is the fact that both are the gift of God that carries the principles of stewardship and God-centeredness in them, that in the end is intended for both His glory and our enjoyment. Strangely, yet truly, the ultimate goal of work and leisure of a service to the glory of God and our satisfaction is nothing but John Piper’s tenet that says that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him (this “in Him” is crucial), even in work and leisure, and everything else indeed. The glory of God and our joy are not two and opposite but one and the same. The reason why this book is indispensable is because Ryken not only offers careful, solid, true, reasonable and fair analysis, understanding and principles of two important aspects that occupy most, if not all our lives, but also how to translate them into actions. For some, they may guide them how to pick a college major and where to work. For others, they may help determine whether one should get another job. For others still, they may mean forsaking questionable unfruitful wasteful ways to spend leisure and look for more satisfying ones; all these have a single ultimate holy goal in view, whether one is a janitor or a CEO, that is, to honor God our Maker by being happy in doing and being a janitor or a CEO, or everything else in between, living for Him. Paperback: 301 pages. Publisher: Baker Books (October 1, 1995). ISBN-10: 080105169X. Price: $24.30.
John D. Beckett: Mastering Monday: A Guide to Integrating Faith And Work
A sequel to John Beckett’s first book: LOVING MONDAY, MASTERING MONDAY takes the reader to ever more significant opportunities for the integration of faith and work. John Beckett has accurately captured many of the struggles and tensions Christians experience daily in the marketplace. Aspects of the author’s journey are common to many Christians. His chapter “Integrating two Worlds” will be a help to any Christian in the marketplace -it is an issue that continually manifests itself. The phrase “I found that my growing faith was often relevant to work issues – but the reverse was also true. Workplace issues challenged and strengthened my faith, occasionally more than I anticipated.” provides an encouraging perspective. The author shares his own experiences in this realm – in a transparent way that should be encouraging to all who read. The section “Companions on the Journey” provides a number of biblical stories and characters from which much is to be learned and applied to our work world today. These are not one size fits all stories, but the characters and illustrations the author selects will provide much to think about. This is mixed in with some stories of contemporary business leaders and recent situations they have faced and their responses. Finally, a discussion of God’s workplace agenda and what theme’s the author believes are critical in this discussion. In light of some recent business failures (more specifically failures of leadership) – this section does a good job of connecting the themes to “good business”. It is a reminder of what really matters – and some encouragement to have the courage to do the right things. This is a pretty quick reading book, but I don’t think it is a read once and put it on the shelf. I’m sure I’ll be referring back to it every year or so to remind myself of proper perspectives and to be encouraged in my work. Hardcover: 206 pages. Publisher: InterVarsity Press (July 30, 2006). ISBN-10: 0830833854. Price: $12.24.
R. , Paul Stevens: The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective
R. Paul Stevens uses this book to step back from common assumptions about Christian life and re-assess how all of God’s people contribute value to his kingdom. Stevens’ major argument is that there should be no high separation between clergy and laity within the church. To clarify: he recognizes different gifts and roles, and by all means the pastor should be the pastor and the janitor should be the janitor; but before God they are qualitatively the same, rather than one being an ‘ordained position’ that God can really use, and the other a lay position that’s only out there so that the ordained guy can do what really matters. Stevens treats this topic quite extensively. He examines the scriptures and finds no support for distiction between layity and clery within the new testament, and thoughtfully considers the implications of the old testament structures for the new testament. He then looks at different points within the early Fathers and subsequent church history and analyses how a distinction of clergy developed; his obvious implication is that it shouldn’t have. Stevens spends a fair amount of thought on a person’s calling and ordination. There is much that would be valuable for the church to consider here. A sampling of thoughts: * If we ordain people that live out their Christian work as pastors, let us also ordain people that live out their Christian work in other roles: let us ordain the salesperson to be a salesperson to the glory of God as he ethically promotes commerce, the painter be a painter to the glory of God as he explores meaning and creates beauty, the farmer, the manager, the home maker … * The call to be a pastor is typically not a mystical experience; the Damascus road experience of Paul was the exception, not the norm. Rather, the normative call to a leadership role in a church in the New Testament was from “the church” itself (Stevens doesn’t delve into considering Presbyterian vs. Episcopal governance). Why do we not still do this, and train those so called by the church, rather than youth go off to seminary based on their own whim before they are even mature enough for military service? Stevens never outlines his underlying worldview, but you can pick some of it up from clues as you read. He doesn’t give enough clues to pick up his denomination (though what he says clearly rules several out). His views include those… * fairly consensual among the church (e.g., covenant theology), to others * immaterial to the topic (e.g., he never discusses it, but one chart implies he is a pre-millenialist), to others * controversial (e.g., that the church should be no distinction between men and women, in the process stating — without providing any rationale — that Junia was an apostle. Thankfully, in the news as I write this review, it is in the news that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger is defending us from that one with an encyclical!) As the book nears the end, Stevens introduces lots of ideas around living out life in the world. This scattering of ideas is presented without a uniting framework, and the ideas themselves are not fully developed within the text. The topics he addresses are reasonably abstact — there are certainly no simplistic “7-steps-to-such-and-such” that curse much popular writing. As typical treatment of a topic, he describes options for approach to political involvement, ranging from Anabaptist to Theology of Liberation, in a couple pages; elsewhere he provides out-of-the-blue a quote about “red, green, and white martyrdom” from “the medieval celtic church” with no surrounding evaluative comments. Some of the many ideas throughout the book I found through provoking, and others off the wall. This is a good book to read if the reader to come at it with a “testing the spirits” attitude. After the well-worked-out treatment of the topic of clergy / layity non-separation, Stevens’ ideas are quickly introduced without rigourous thought. I found some of the biblical citations that he uses are invalid – read in context, they don’t actually support the point he is making. (But then, that’s too common a fault in most treatises!) Use this as an opportunity to initiate thoughts down new paths where the idea warrants it, under guidance of scripture and prayer. This is I think in fact Stevens’ intention: the book is not intended to fully answer every questions, but rather contains case studies and probing questions of its own (at the end of each chapter) to stimulate the reader to think further for himself — or herself, as Stevens would be certain to complete the phrase. Paperback: 300 pages. Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (July 5, 2000). ISBN-10: 0802848001. Price: $24.30.
Darrell Cosden: The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work
I finished this week The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work by Darrell Cosden. Darrell was a professor of mine at the International Christian College where he taught. I recommend this book if you want to get at the theology behind our work. His book is a personal reflection and that is what I particularly found helpful. He sketches out how our view of work has been shaped over the history of the Christian faith and then builds on that to help form a missional view of work, it’s eternal value, and how we can see our work as a spiritual discipline (not necessarily in that order). I got slowed down in some of the theology in the beginning of the book but read it carefully and in the end I was compelled to take in his arguements at the end. If you are interested in Christian ethics in the marketplace, tentmaking, mission, missional living, etc. then this is a foundational read! It really helped me reorient my thinking about work. Paperback: 148 pages. Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers (August 30, 2006). ISBN-10: 1565636694. Price: $14.00.
David H. Jensen: Responsive Labor: A Theology of Work
Most Christians work outside the church, so for many—if not most—of us, daily labor seems divorced from Christian beliefs and ethics. Work is an inevitable factor of human existence, and yet we do not have appropriate theological resources to help us reflect on its nature and meaning in light of Christian understanding and contemporary American culture. How can we as Christians understand our work as a dimension of our faith? After several years of extensive research, which included numerous interviews with working Christians across the United States, David Jensen provides a full look at the issue, taking seriously the situation of workers in American society and drawing on the insights of liturgical, practical, and constructive theology. What results is an insightful theological investigation into daily labor in light of Christian faith. Paperback: 176 pages. Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (October 1, 2006). ISBN-10: 0664230210. Price: $24.95.
Armand Larive: After Sunday: A Theology of Work
Paperback: 208 pages. Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (March 2004). ISBN-10: 0826415911. Price: $24.95.
Darrell Cosden: A Theology of Work: Work and the New Creation (Paternoster Theological Monographs)
Through dialogue with Moltmann, Pope John Paul II, and others, this book develops a genitive theology of work, presenting a theological definition of work and a model for a theological ethics of work that shows work nature, value and meaning now and eschatologically. Work is shown to be a transformative activity consisting of three dynamically interrelated dimensions the instrumental, relational, and ontological. Paperback: 207 pages. Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers (October 2006). ISBN-10: 1597527572. Price: $26.00.
Miroslav Volf: Work in the Spirit: Toward a Theology of Work
Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale University Divinity School. As a native Croatian now living in working in the West, Dr. Volf has observed the world of work from many vantage points. Before making his case for a new theology of work, Dr. Volf lays a foundation based on the significance and historical transformation of work. Importance of Work Work as a basic necessity provides sustenance, but human work goes far beyond that. Our work plays a significant role in how we understand ourselves anthropologically and sociologically. Indeed Volf states, “work is indispensable for the survival and the well being of both individual human beings and the societies they live in, and it conditions their individual and social identity. As such, it is the basis of individual human life and of all human history.” Transformation of Work Throughout most of human history, “The wisdom of a trade was passed virtually unchanged from generation to generation.” Changes in the nature and character of work were subtle and spread of centuries. After industrialization, and further accelerated by the discovery of computer technology, work has been “revolutionized by increasing rapid technological development.” Volf roughly divides the history of human work in industrialized nations into three consecutive eras; the agricultural era, the industrial era, and the information and service era. Dr. Volf shows how the nature of our work has significantly changed through these stages. Importantly, Dr. Volf shows how in preindustrial times, prior to machine production, the production of goods was the result of skilled crafts people. Volf creates a picture of workers using their own “skill, taste and judgment” in their work and finding satisfaction in being able to observe the results of their work. This is in stark contrast to the age of machine production in which the skilled craftsman is replaced by a machine operator. The worker’s skill and judgment were no longer required and work was reduced to mechanically enforced monotonous activity. In the current information and service era “human work is ceasing to be material activity and is increasingly becoming mental activity. This is a radical change from past centuries, in which the predominant form of work was physical labor.” As opposed to traditional societies where an individual’s role and function with regard to their work was relatively static, Volf notes that in modern information societies our work is characterized by a high degree of vocational mobility. This feature in particular is significant in Volf’s reasoning with regard for the need for a new understanding of work and calling. Toward a Theology of Work Theologians have contributed little in recent years to the understanding of work. However, it is precisely the fact that humans spend so much of their time working that dictates the need for theological reflection. God’s purposes extend to all of life (not simply “sacred” activities.) Volf cites the contribution of early church fathers in recognizing and affirming the nobility of work and the “obligation to work diligently and not be idle.” In addition, they stressed that the Christian’s responsibility does not end with satisfying ones own needs, but also having something to share with needy fellow human beings. The early church fathers also saw an influence of work on character. Their view was that diligent work helped to keep evil desires and temptations in check. Volf writes that a contemporary theology of work must add to this negative notion of work “the positive idea that human beings achieve fulfillment through work.” Volf’s theology of work is primarily eschatological and pneumatalogical. Eschatologically, Volf develops a deep and involved understanding of new creation that looks toward the consummation of the present age. “New creation is the end of all God’s purposes with the universe” (see 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1-4). According to Volf’s broad application of 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, all work that survives the test of God’s judgment has eternal significance. All work that is in keeping with God’s purposes is therefore done in cooperation with God. In Volf’s understanding, “the noble products of human ingenuity will be cleansed from impurity, perfected and transfigured, to become part of God’s new creation.” It is easy to see the profound effect this view could have on our daily work. The belief that one’s work can have eternal significance in its contribution to humankind and God’s creation is transformative. Pneumatalogically, Volf seeks to liberate us from the idea that the work of God’s Spirit in and through human beings is limited to the religious life. The Spirit of God inspires and empowers our work. As such, God’s Spirit is the source of our creativity and our ability. It is at this point that Volf addresses the inadequacy of the traditional Christian view of vocation as developed principally by Martin Luther. Volf is quick to credit Luther with the idea that all noble work is sacred, not just that of priests or ministers. Yet the traditional view has limitations. In Luther’s day an individual was called to a vocation or station in life; a blacksmith, a composer, a baker or a cleric. This calling was for life. Volf sees this identification of calling with occupation as far too static and limiting especially for our time. Volf formulates an understanding of work and calling that is rooted in charisms (gifts). God “through the spirit calls and equips a worker for a particular task in the world.” The calling therefore is centered around the use of one’s gifts rather than one’s occupation. A person, therefore, could change occupations or have more than one job at a time, and stay true to their calling as they effectively use their God-given abilities for the benefit of humankind in the world. Miroslav Volf has given us the foundation for a fresh view of human work that is needed in our time. Inspired, empowered workers doing eternally relevant work; that’s a robust vision many will eagerly share. Paperback: 268 pages. Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers (April 2001). ISBN-10: 1579106412. Price: $24.30.
Gene Edward, Jr. Veith: God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life (Focal Point Series) (Focal Point Series)
You may believe you are called to a job or to a non-profit ministry, but do you think of yourself as called to every other part of your life? Skilled Author Gene Edward Veith points out that an idea presented in the Protestant Reformation, that of the priesthood of all believers, teaches Christians to see all of life as God’s call to glorify and enjoy Him. As a citizen, a parent, a spouse, a worker, and a church member, you are called to certain holy responsibilities and benefits. Veith writes, “Every kind of work [including fathering and mothering] . . . is an occasion for priesthood, for exercising a holy service to God and to one’s neighbor.” Therefore, our lives aren’t on hold when the boring parts seem to hold up the enjoyable parts or when business seems to hold up ministry. It’s all part of our multiple calling. We have God-given vocations meant to honor and enjoy God in everything we do whether it’s in the back office, in the discipling process, or on the ball field. More than this, the author draws from Martin Luther’s writing on vocation to describe God’s hidden role in our work. The Lord works through our activity, even the most mundane, to further His kingdom and glorify Himself. Understanding this results in a comprehensive “theology of ordinary life.” “Most people seek God in mystical experiences. . . To find Him in vocation brings Him, literally, down to earth, [and] makes us see how close He really is to us.” God At Work is inspiring. It’s a well-written handling of an important subject, increasingly important as the world urges us to segregate faith from all public life. Veith argues that God didn’t establish secular work apart of the sacred. He designed everything as sacred. Paperback: 176 pages. Publisher: Crossway Books (March 22, 2002). ISBN-10: 1581344031. Price: $10.19.
David W. Miller: God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement
What was once taboo – faith at work – is increasingly accepted in corporate America. From secretaries to CEOs, growing numbers of businesspeople today want to bring their faith to work. Yet they wrestle with how to do this effectively and appropriately in a pluralistic corporate setting. For help they turn not to their clergy, but to their peers and to a burgeoning cottage industry on spirituality at work. They attend conferences and seminars, participate in Bible study and prayer groups, and read books, blogs, and eNewsletters. They see their faith as a resource for ethical guidance and to help find meaning and purpose in their work. In God at Work, David W. Miller looks at how this Faith at Work movement developed and considers its potential value for business and society. Done well, the integration of faith and work has positive implications at the personal level, as well as for corporate ethics and the broader economic sphere. At the same time, increasing expressions of religion and spiritual practices at work also present the threat of divisiveness and discrimination. Drawing on the insights of theological ethics as well as the sociology of religion, Miller analyzes the history of the modern day Faith at Work movement from its roots in the late 19th century to its modern formulation and trajectory. He examines the diversity of its members and modes of expression, and constructs a new framework for understanding, interpreting, and critiquing the movement and its future. Miller concludes that workers and professionals have a deep and lasting desire to live a holistic life, to integrate the claims of their faith with the demands of their work. He documents the surprising abdication of this field by church and theological academy and its embrace, ironically, by the management academy. Offering compelling new evidence of the depth and breadth of spirituality at work, Miller concludes that faith at work is a bona fide social movement and here to stay. He establishes the importance of this movement, identifies the possibilities and problems, and points toward future research questions. God at Work is essential reading for business scholars and leaders, theologians and clergy, and anyone interested in the integration of faith and work. Hardcover: 232 pages. Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 14, 2006). ISBN-10: 0195314808. Price: $23.96.
Rich Marshall: God@Work
Many Christians become pew-sitters and feel bored with their lives. Spiritual apathy can result as they suffer from a non-Biblical but traditional mindset that “professional” ministers are the really special ones while they are just ordinary nobodies. The Bible states that everyone is relevant and needed in the kingdom of God; each one with a destiny and ministry! This book is inspirational and helps us to see a place where each person can express who God created them to be and use it for the upbuilding of the kingdom. A liberating paradigm shift! Somebody else says: There seems to be a lot of fluff (repetition and not too much content). The author has a new idea about “Kings and Priests,” but doesn’t seem to have too much to add beyond that, except to repent for the “priesthood” in not doing enough to empower the “kings” in ministry. There’s a saying “I would have made it shorter, but I didn’t have the time.” It takes time to write something clearly and concisely, and I think that is a big problem with this book. Paperback: 160 pages. Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers (June 20, 2000). ISBN-10: 0768421012.
Rich Marshall: God @ Work: Developing Ministers in the Marketplace, Vol. 2
We thought God was just for Sunday church or mid-week study. But God is showing up in small businesses and on construction sites, in schools and in politics. God is showing up everywhere outside of where we expect Him to be. Discover how He want you to step into a realm of ministry and fulfillment you have never dreamed possible. Learn how your work is the powerful dynamic of God’s purposes for your life. This book is the beginning of new possibilities for those who are willing to see that God is bigger than they thought He was. Paperback: 192 pages. Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers (March 2005). ISBN-10: 0768422663. Price: $13.99.
Ken Eldred: God is at Work: Transforming People and Nations Through Business
Global business has the potential to bring biblical cultural values, greater economic prosperity and blessings to the nations of the world. It’s already happening in innovative undertakings, such as ET, a call center business in India where at least 60 percent of the employees call themselves Christians. Modeling biblical principles and recognized for its world-class level of service, this successful company has created jobs, built a profitable business, strengthened the local church and seen people decide to follow Jesus. In God Is at Work, Ken Eldred examines how God is transforming people and nations through companies like ET amidst an emerging missions movement called “Kingdom business.” Challenging the view that capitalism and biblical principles cannot coexist, Kingdom business is achieving economic and spiritual transformation around the globe and is welcomed even by developing nations that are traditionally closed to the gospel. This unprecedented book gives a comprehensive overview of Kingdom business, its objectives and approaches. Ken Eldred’s personal experience, as well as other Kingdom business efforts around the world, highlights this integrated missions movement, a unique combination of missions, successful business practices and economic development. Learn how leaders of developing nations around the world, some of whom are Muslims, are inviting Christian business leaders to come into their countries and bring needed spiritual capital and business principles to create greater economic opportunities for their people. Discover the role of Kingdom business professionals in advising, funding and operating for-profit enterprises of varying sizes and types. See what happens when God is at work giving individuals the opportunity to participate with Him in Kingdom business, one of the greatest missions endeavors of the twenty-first century. The opportunities to advance the cause of Christ have never been greater. We are called to act now. Hardcover: 336 pages. Publisher: Regal Books (June 11, 2005). ISBN-10: 0830738061. Price: $13.59.
John D. Beckett: Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul
John Beckett has the feel of an average guy that stepped in to help with the family business and has walked out with so much more. Loving Monday reflects his humility and dependence on his faith as the ante was upped. The small family business grew into a Fortune 500 company, yet Mr. Beckett’s faith allows him to turn his company into a blessing to its workers and community. Loving Monday is the account of this success peppered with wisdom from and for the journey. John Beckett addresses some of the hindrances of western culture in seeing business as a calling. He uses these insights to apply them to the ‘called’ businessperson, thus empowering them to press forward with full confidence in the One who called them. Loving Monday sets itself apart from others in John Beckett’s real life proof that standing firm and resisting pressure to succumb to the status quo of the business world pays with rewarding dividends: he and his employees are “loving Monday!” Hardcover: 176 pages. Publisher: InterVarsity Press; 1 edition (May 1998). ISBN-10: 0830819266. Price: $10.20
Doug Sherman: Your Work Matters to God
In my opinion, Sherman and Hendricks have written one of the best works I have ever read on integrating faith and career. The book’s major themes include: 1. The secular view of work vs. biblical view of work. 2. Despite the effects of sin in the workplace, God does care about our careers! 3. Working for God gives much more dignity to work instead of working just to satisfy and insecure ego (fleeting accomplishments and praise from fellow employees). Included is an excellent section for those considering a call to the ministry. Food for thought: just because God may not call you to vocational ministry does not mean you and your work are insignificant! As a matter fact, more Christians need to see their current jobs as God’s place for them to minister to others for His glory! Paperback Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group (December 1987). ISBN-10: 0891093729. Price: $10.19.
David Steward: Doing Business by the Good Book: Fifty-Two Lessons on Success Sraight from the Bible
Jesus’ teachings were not meant to be spoken only on Sunday, writes Steward, CEO of World Wide Technology Inc., the world’s largest African-American-owned company. Rather, those teachings were meant to be implemented everywhere, including the workplace. In this book, Steward shares 52 biblical principles in short, easy-to-read chapters that can be digested once a week for a full year or devoured in one sitting. Steward draws heavily on his own knowledge of building a high-tech company from the ground up, and also his corporate experiences at FedEx and Union Pacific. He has a real knack for helping readers see how biblical principles relate to those experiences and to contemporary business issues. Even the trendy notion of “branding” is placed thoughtfully with a relevant Scripture (Matthew 12:33: “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.”). Christian businesspeople who want a solid introduction to biblical ethics in the workplace will particularly enjoy his fine chapters on accountability, enthusiasm, customer satisfaction and networking. Hardcover: 288 pages. Publisher: Amazon Remainders Account; 1st edition (January 2, 2004). ISBN-10: 1401300626. Price: $13.57.
Larry S. Julian: God Is My CEO: Following God’s Principles in a Bottom-Line World
Will money or morality emerge victorious in the war zone of work skirmishes? Julian, with seasoned experience as a leadership management consultant for companies such as 3M, Honeywell, AT&T and General Mills, provides solid answers for this troubling dilemma. He discusses 10 key principles that he deems essential for transforming workplace problems into both spiritual and bottom-line success stories. Each chapter poses an issue (such as developing patience, cultivating leadership by example, yielding control, making tough decisions and maintaining right priorities) followed by a solution. In a chapter on “integration,” for example, Julian poses the bottom-line question: “How do I balance employee needs with profit obligations?” To explain his approach (to “integrate people and profits into win-win solutions”), Julian details the experiences of two business executives who have creatively solved this problem, and shares the underlying principles they implemented. Indeed, the personal stories of business leaders form the core of the book, tied together by Julian’s practical steps and discussion questions at the close of each chapter. Paperback: 320 pages. ISBN-10: 1580627641. Price: $10.36.
Larry Burkett: Business By The Book: Complete Guide of Biblical Principles for the Workplace
Business By the Book is an excellent reference not only for the self-employed, but anyone engaged in business. The book is divided into 3 main sections: Conducting Business by the Bible, Critical Policy Decisions, and Your Business and Your Life. Some of the more helpful chapters for me were: 1. Personal Lifestyle Goals. 2. Biblical Business Goals. 3. Your Business and Your Spouse. 4. Hiring and Firing Decisions. 5. Management Selection Decisions. 6. Business Tithing. 7. Retirement. 8. Implementing God’s Plan. Whether self-employed, a manager, church or ministry staff person, or engaged in business, you will benefit from Burkett’s sound biblical wisdom. Paperback: 304 pages. ISBN-10: 0785287973. $10.19.
Wayne Grudem: Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business
I had never really thought about it, but I guess–even though it is contrary to my longing and belief that God can be and is glorified through all of the Christian’s life–that I had always just assumed that business wasn’t good in and of itself. In fact like Grudem asserts of those who are like I was, we believe, “that from a moral perspective [profit, competition, money, and business are] ‘neutral’ at best.” I guess that when I was pursuing a degree in engineering, I thought that I could glorify God through it by sharing the gospel at the work place, earning enough money to free my wife up to be a stay-at-home mom, and being able to give more money to the church. But Grudem’s view is so much balanced and biblical than these views, exposing my blindness that would have kept me from obeying 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do (including business), do all for the glory of God.” (On a side not to 1 Cor 10:31, read “How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God,” chapter 5 of John Piper’s book, “Pierced by the Word.”) The topics in which Grudem covers in this book, with a chapter devoted to each one are: How God is glorified by… 1. Ownership 2. Productivity 3. Employment 4. Commercial Transactions 5. Profit 6. Money 7. Inequality of Possessions 8. Competition 9. Borrowing and Lending and he then includes two chapters on 10. Attitudes of Heart 11. Effects on World Poverty. Grudem is not blind to the abuses of business, the ways in which we idolize money and success and become gracious losing sight of the fact that we are operating with God’s stuff not ours. He regularly comments throughout the book on concerns to balance the view, but the real wealth of attitude-changing information comes from not-often-talked-about fact that business can in-and-of-itself be glorifying to God. We don’t have to feel “vaguely guilty” about business but can use it to both glorify God while we’re doing it and advance the Kingdom through it. Hardcover: 96 pages. ISBN-10: 1581345178. Price: $10.87. Crossway Books (November 6, 2003).
Michael R. Baer: Business as Mission: The Power of Business in the Kingdom of God
While some Christian professionals dream of being “freed from business” to go into the ministry or see business as enemy territory to be invaded for Christ, others are convinced that Christian principles simply don’t work in the “real world”. In this book, Michael Baer challenges each of these positions. He rejects the unbiblical thinking that ministry and business are by definition separate activities – that our lives can be compartmentalized into the sacred and secular. Instead he guides business leaders in developing the vital characteristics of a kingdom business – the kind of business that will free them live fully integrated lives and lead organizations that significantly impact the world. Paperback: 157 pages. ISBN-10: 1576583880. Price: $11.04.
Robert E. Fraser: Marketplace Christianity: Discovering the Kingdom Purpose of the Marketplace
In this book, Robert Frazer has been able to articulate the reality of what God is really doing in every area of the marketplace beyond a conceptual viewpoint. He has tasted it, breathed it and lived it. I found it of great encouragement to push into God and pursue what He has placed within me. Great to find a likeminded one. If you are serious about God and your/His business you better grab hold of this book. Paperback: 178 pages. ISBN-10: 0975390511 Price: $9.60.
Os Hillman: TGIF: Today God is First: 365 Meditations on Christ Kingdom Principles in the Workplace
In 1997, Atlanta businessman Os Hillman began writing a daily email devotional with specific application of Scripture to one’s work life. It has since become the most popular devotional in existence today on how to apply your faith to your work life, with over 100,000 subscribers by email. The hardback book version of Today God Is First contains all 365 daily messages at your fingertips AND a bonus topical index in the back so you can look up devotionals that relate to specific topics like motives, handling disappointments, adversity, integrity, finances, decision making, hearing God, and many more. This hardback version also makes a great gift for employees, co-workers, or a loved one who works. It speaks to men and women where they spend most of their time — at work. ISBN 0-7684-2049-0, $19.99.
Dennis Peacocke: Doing Business God’s Way
This book dispells the myth that those not earning their living as professional “full-time ministers” are somehow second-class Christians. Erases line between spiritual and secular activities. God uses property to teach us priciples of responsibility, authority and hard work. Just like the parables of the talents and the minas, our ability and willingness to apply our creativity, ingenuity, perseverance and effort in handling the resources entrusted to us leads to greater responsibility in God’s Kingdom. If you are looking for purpose in your work beyond merely earning another dollar… ISBN-10: 1887021019 Paperback: 176 pages. $13.99
Dennis W. Bakke: Joy At Work: A Revolutionary Approach To Fun On The Job
Imagine a company where people love coming to work and are highly productive on a daily basis. Imagine a company whose top executives, in a quest to create the most “fun” workplace ever, obliterate labor-management divisions and push decision-making responsibility down to the plant floor. Could such a company compete in today’s bottom-line corporate world? Could it even turn a profit? Well, imagine no more. In Joy at Work, Dennis W. Bakke tells the true story of this extraordinary company—and how, as its co-founder and longtime CEO, he challenged the business establishment with revolutionary ideas that could remake America’s organizations. It is the story of AES, whose business model and operating ethos –“let’s have fun”–were conceived during a 90-minute car ride from Annapolis, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. In the next two decades, it became a worldwide energy giant with 40,000 employees in 31 countries and revenues of $8.6 billion. It’s a remarkable tale told by a remarkable man: Bakke, a farm boy who was shaped by his religious faith, his years at Harvard Business School, and his experience working for the Federal Energy Administration. He rejects workplace drudgery as a noxious remnant of the Industrial Revolution. He believes work should be fun, and at AES he set out to prove it could be. Bakke sought not the empty “fun” of the Friday beer blast but the joy of a workplace where every person, from custodian to CEO, has the power to use his or her God-given talents free of needless corporate bureaucracy. In Joy at Work, Bakke tells how he helped create a company where every decision made at the top was lamented as a lost chance to delegate responsibility—and where all employees were encouraged to take the “game-winning shot,” even when it wasn’t a slam-dunk. Joy at Work, offers a model for the 21st-century company that treats its people with respect, gives them unprecedented responsibility, and holds them strictly accountable—because it’s the right thing to do, not just because it makes good business sense. More than any book you’ve ever read, Dennis Bakke’s Joy at Work, will force you to question everything you thought you knew about corporate success. Hardcover: 314 pages. ISBN-10: 0976268604. Price: $18.21.
Ed Silvoso: Anointed for Business
Most of the leaders of the Early Church were community leaders and successful business people. The writing of the Gospels was entrusted to a medical doctor, a retired tax officer, a food supplier and the trustee of a family trust. Then there were tentmakers Priscilla and Aquila…food purveyors Peter, James and John…and Paul taught day and night while holding a full-time job. Of the 22 power encounters recorded in the book of Acts, all but one happened in the marketplace. The heart of the city is the marketplace; yet the dichotomy between labor and religious service has done a great disservice to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. It’s time to reconcile the dichotomy so that we can extend God’s kingdom and transform our cities. Paperback: 195 pages. ISBN-10: 0830728619. Price: $13.59.
R., Paul Stevens and Robert Banks: The Marketplace Ministry Handbook: A Manual For Work, Money And Business
Work has become for many people the central reference point in their lives and the main consumer of their time and energy. Whether people have much or little money is what much of life revolves around. There is an implicit theology in everyone’s attitude to and handling of work. This book looks at the relationship between God and the marketplace, at work as a spiritual discipline, and at how to handle some of the main pressures and dilemmas that arise in a work setting. The combined wisdom of dozens of experts makes this volume a great place to start thinking about how Christians should approach subjects such as: . ADVERTISING . BUSINESS ETHICS . COMPETITION . COMPROMISE . CONTRACTS . CREDIT. DEBT . FIRING . GOSSIP . INSURANCE . INTEGRITY . INVESTMENT . LEADERSHIP . LOYALTY . MANAGEMENT . NEGOTIATING . NETWORKING . OFFICE POLITICS . PROMOTION . RETIREMENT . SHIFTWORK . STEWARDSHIP . STRESS . STRIKES . UNIONS . VOLUNTEER WORK . WHISTLE-BLOWING. ISBN-10: 1573832944. Paperback: 320 pages Price: $18.21.
John S. Garfield: Releasing Kings for Ministry in the Marketplace
“Kings” is the term we use to describe men and women who harness wealth and influence in the marketplace…in business, government, communication, education, entertainment, finance, the arts,…to expand God’s Kindgom. This book explains how marketplace ministry will operate in concert with local churches and pastors. It provides a Scriptural basis for the expansion of the Kingdom of God into all areas of society. It paints a picture of Kings who are naturally competitive, creative, and decisive, who are being used to fulfill the Great Commission. God is going to use an entrepreneurial people to fill the whole Earth with His Glory. You’re invited! Paperback: 204 pages. ISBN-10: 1882523261. Price: $11.96.