Growing in Grace: Resources, Spring 2026, Vol. 15
Written By Karen Ristuccia
Quarterly mini book reviews for Christian leaders
Christian Leadership
Al Lopus with Cory Hartman, Road to Flourishing: Eight Keys to Boosting Employee Engagement and Well-Being (InterVarsity, 2022).
In this book Lopus, the CEO of Best Christian Workplaces Institute, presents the results of years of research and lists eight practices that are essential to creating strong workplace cultures. Clear, well-illustrated, and arranged around the mnemonic “flourishing,” these practices are important foci for any leader of a Christian school, church, or para-church organization.
Understanding the Times
Brian Edwards with Michael Keller, The Reason for Church: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters in an Age of Anxiety, Division, and Radical Individualism (Crossway, 2025).
With a title that echoes Tim Keller’s A Reason for God, Edwards’ book looks at why church involvement is key not only to personal growth but even more to accomplishing God’s plan for his world. The illustrations are current, practical and challenging. Edwards talks both about reasons for church decline and provides antidotes for them. Pastors especially need to read and apply this book. The Reason for Church was a CT and TGC award-winner in 2025.
Personal Growth
Bobby Jamieson, Everything is Never Enough: Ecclesiastes’ Surprising Path to Resilient Happiness (WaterBrook, 2025).
Ecclesiastes is not an easy book to understand. Jamieson surveys the contents of this complex wisdom book and offers a “three-story building” image to unlock the Preacher’s teaching. The result is a book that is both arresting and challenging. Resilient happiness is a powerful goal and worthy of another deep look at this wisdom book.
Mentoring and Discipleship
Heather Holleman, The Six Conversations: Pathways to Connecting in an Age of Isolation and Incivility (Moody, 2022).
To effectively mentor or disciple, we need to know how to converse well. Still, in his epistle, the Apostle James explains that controlling one’s tongue is not easy. How helpful then to learn about six strains of questioning that can build community. Holleman cites research and her own experiences, providing great resources along the way.
