Recommended Books
Once an Addict
The Fascinating True Story of One Man’s Escape From the Murky Drugs Underworld. Barry Woodward’s Autobiography (Authentic Media) ‘Once an Addict’ takes you to the heart of a world of drugs and addiction but fortunately does not leave you there. Through the many twists and turns of Barry’s life this “can’t put down” book will have you shocked, surprised but ultimately relieved that there is hope even in the most despairing of circumstances.’
(J.John – Philo Trust)
This book, published by Authentic Media, describes Barry’s descent into the murky underworld of drug dealing, addiction, crime and imprisonment, and gives first hand insights into the city’s nightlife and music scene. Along the way you are introduced to some of the most extraordinary characters, and we see the extreme lengths to which some of them will go to get their next ‘fix’.
Illegal drug use claimed the lives of many such people, and it seemed inevitable that Barry would also succumb to the drastic consequences of his addiction.
With devastating amphetamine-induced mental health issues, a fourteen-year heroin addiction, a string of broken relationships, and the threat of HIV looming, the outlook for Barry appeared very bleak. Then three extraordinary encounters changed his life forever.
This book is refreshingly, but hauntingly honest. This book is not for the faint hearted.
If you would like to purchase this book you can buy it direct from all good Christian bookshops. Alternatively, order direct from Proclaim Trust
*Orders direct from Proclaim: £7.99 – FREE P&P HUGE DISCOUNT on bulk orders for church outreach. Please contact office for more information.
John Andrews recommends...
Church on the other side
Brian McLaren
If you’re a church leader or committed member and you’re tired of easy steps and facile formulas for church health, growth, and renewal, then this book points the way to thoughtful action and profound, liberating change. Discover the importance of redefining your mission, finding fresh ways to communicate the gospel, and engaging today’s culture with understanding. Brian McLaren shows you thirteen practices for navigating towards a vibrant church that can reach out and serve the conviction and confidence in today’s changing new world.
John Andrews recommends ...
Leadership Next
Eddie Gibbs
Veteran church growth expert Eddie Gibbs maps out how Christian leadership must change in light of new global realities. Styles of leadership are changing, from hierarchies to networks and from compartmentalization to connectivity. Gibbs assesses the dynamics of leadership teams, identifies healthy leadership traits, and looks to how new leaders are identified and developed. This incisive analysis is a comprehensive resource for current and emerging leaders serving in churches, parachurch organizations and beyond.
Doug Williams recommends...
Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Communities in Postmodern Cultures
Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger
Mention “emerging churches” around a random selection of today’s church leaders and half will have no idea what you are talking about while the other half are busy trying to plant one. This book informs the uninitiated while also helping overeager planters understand that these unique communities, as their name implies, emerge gradually, many times without the help of the institutional church. Fuller Seminary researchers Gibbs and Bolger spent five years collecting data in both the U.S. and U.K. and interviewing 50 leaders—most under the age of 40—to uncover important patterns among emerging churches.
Readers who are attached to “church business as usual” will be shaken up by this book, while those ready for a change will find it energizing.