Growing in Grace: Resources, Winter 2026, Vol. 14
Written By Karen Ristuccia
Quarterly mini book reviews for Christian leaders
Christian Leadership
Chuck Miller, The Spiritual Formation of Leaders (Xulon Press, 2007).
Even though this is not a new book, it is an influential one. An experienced pastor, Miller offers needed advice for leaders on how to steward their spiritual lives. Spending time in the “Soul Room” will guide and empower success when ministers serve in the “Leadership Room.” Miller reinforces his teaching with the image of a cup, saucers, and God’s pouring his life into the leader’s.
Understanding the Times
Ingrid Faro with Joyce Koo Dalyrymple, Redeeming Eden: How Women Advance the Story of Salvation (Zondervan, 2005).
The authors provide a powerful look at mostly Old Testament women, ones whose choices advanced Christ’s kingdom. The book’s scholarship is at once new, enlightening, inspiring, and practical.
Personal Growth
Justin Whitmel Earley, The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Happy Life (Zondervan, 2025).
Focusing on humanity’s union of body and soul, Earley discusses the spirituality of topics as diverse as food and exercise, rest and sex. He enjoins well-chosen habituation to address various sides of sickness and health but also explains how to lament when a body continues to suffer even while the soul is strong. The resulting work is personal and practical.
Mentoring and Discipleship
Jefferson Fisher, The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More (Tarcher, 2025).
Because so much of ministry is communication—formal and informal, scheduled and surprise, it makes sense to know how to communicate well. A popular podcaster who honed his communication skills within his family of trial lawyers, Fisher’s goal is not winning arguments but, instead, overcoming conflict with connection. While not written particularly for Christians, Fisher’s book wisely acknowledges the need for prayer, a nod to the scriptural truth that only God can tame our tongues.
