Growing in Grace: Resources, Fall 2026, Vol. 17
Written By Karen Ristuccia
Quarterly mini book reviews for Christian leaders
Christian Leadership
John C. Maxwell, The Resilient Leader: Leverage Adversity to Advance Your Team (HarperCollins Leadership, 2026).
Maxwell has written many books for leaders in both secular and Christian realms. This new volume illustrates how resilience is both a leadership and an organizational capacity. Rightly handled, adversity can move a leader toward not only success but also personal faithfulness. Since adversity is almost a daily part of Christian ministry, Maxwell provides timely, applicable insights.
Understanding the Times
Andrew Wilson, Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West (Crossway, 2023).
In his award-winning book, Wilson uses the acronym “weirder” as a springboard for discussing seven changes that occurred during the year 1776 (such as the Industrial Revolution, globalization, the Enlightenment). He explains how these seven events/movements made the modern West what it is today: WEIRDER: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian, and Romantic.
Personal Growth
Karen Swallow Prior, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful. (How to Discover and Fulfill the Callings That Unfold Throughout Your Life) (Brazos, 2025).
Swallow Prior’s title may say it all, since she addresses truths and misunderstandings about “calling”. Her frequent work with, and questions from, college students and young adults guides much of the book’s content. Helping people with calling is also big part of mentoring, making these chapters both practical and thought-provoking.
Mentoring Topic: Aging Parents
Gary Neal Hansen, Kneeling with Giants: Learning to Pray with History’s Best Teachers (IVP, 2012).
This is not a new book. Still, Christian leaders appreciate reading and rereading about the prayer habits of such leaders as St. Benedict, Luther, Calvin, Teresa of Avila, and Andrew Murray. Two practical appendices also give ideas for putting the book’s prayer lessons into practice, both individually and in groups.
