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Resources for the Journey

Western District Conference

All books are in the Resource Library unless asterisked.

  1. Biblical Story: As a pastorordainedin Mennonite Church USA, I want to be firmly grounded in the Biblical story and foundational theology and preach and teach the Word of God for life transformation.
  • Driver, John, Understanding Atonement for the Mission of the Church (1986).*
  • Ewert, David, A General Introduction to the Bible (1990)
  • Covers the landscape from ancient manuscripts to present translation.
  • Ewert, David, How to Understand the Bible (2000).
  • A good basic text for how to interpret scripture and understand the basic kinds of literature in the Bible.
  • Finger, Thomas, Christian Theology: an eschatological approach, vols. 1&2 (1985, 1989).
  • Foster, Richard, Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation (2008).
  • Hawkins, Thomas R. Loving God with all Your Mind: Equipping the Community of Faith for Theological Thinking (2004).
  • Applying some of the new brain science to help groups in theological reflection.
  • Hershberger, Michele, God’s Story, Our Story (2013).
  • A basic overview of the biblical story from a Christ-centered Anabaptist/Mennonite approach.
  • Kraus, C. Norman, Using Scripture in a Global Age: Framing Biblical Issues (2005).
  • Issues included are Christology, hermeneutics, peace, sexuality, creationism, miracles, social justice, and spiritual reality.
  • Mulholland, Robert, Shaped by the Word: The power of Scripture in spiritual formation (2001).
  • Pietersen, Lloyd, Reading the Bible After Christendom (2012).
  • Pietersen argues for putting Jesus at the center of biblical interpretation rather than focusing on the Old Testament for ethics and Paul for discipleship.
  • Stanley, Andy and Jones, Lane, Communicating for a Change(2006)
  • An accessible guide in preaching for life transformation

2. Anabaptist/Mennonite Principles: As a pastor ordained in Mennonite Church USA, I want to understand and embody core Anabaptist values, beliefs, and practices.

  • Becker, Palmer, What is an Anabaptist Christian (2008).
  • Available online at A good, easily remembered updating of the three core Anabaptist principles in Harold S. Bender’s The Anabaptist Vision.
  • Junke, James C. and Hunter, Carol M., The Missing Peace: The Search for Nonviolent Alternatives in United States History (2001).
  • Invites a wonderful rethinking of t violence-centered US history by imagining how conflicts that were dealt with by war might have been resolved peacefully.
  • Krabill, Donald B., The Upside-Down Kingdom (1978, 2003).
  • A masterful companion to The Politics of Jesus, explicating the principle of “revolutionary subordination” in the life and ministry of Jesus. Places Jesus in his own historical-cultural setting and invites us to apply his principles in our own time and place.
  • Loewen, Harry and Nolt, Steven, Through Fire and Water: An Overview of Mennonite History (2010).
  • Murray, Stuart, The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a RadicalFaith (2010).
  • Presents seven core Anabaptist principles as experienced by “Anabaptist-minded” believers in the British Isles.
  • Neufeld, Alfred, What We Believe Together: Exploring the Shared Convictions of Anabaptist-Related Churches (2007)
  • Roth, John, Choosing Against War: A Christian View (2002).
  • Another good, and more readable companion to Yoder’s work.
  • Shenk, Joanna, ed. Widening the Circle: Experiments in Christian Discipleship (2011).
  • A look at emerging Anabaptist expressions of the church in North America.
  • Snyder, Arnold, Following in the Footsteps of Christ: The Anabaptist Tradition (2004).

3. Christian Spirituality/Discipleship: As a pastor ordained in Mennonite Church USA, I want to grow in a spirituality that is continually being shaped by the everlasting love of God the Father, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

  • Augsburger, David, Dissident Discipleship: A Spirituality of Self-Surrender, Love of God, and Love of Neighbor (2006).
  • Barton, Ruth Haley, Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence (2004, 2010).
  • a helpful book from a more evangelical perspective
  • Boers, Arthur Paul, et al, Take Our Moments and Our Days: An Anabaptist Prayer Book (2010).
  • Foster, Richard, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (1978, 1988)
  • A basic introduction to the inward, outward and corporate spiritual disciplines. A classic.
  • Guenther, Margaret, At Home in the World: A Rule of Life for the Rest ofUs (2006).
  • This book has a chapter on "Learning from our enemies"-- forgiving as a spiritual discipline.
  • Miller, Wendy, Invitation to Presence (1995).
  • Mennonite spiritual director.
  • Peterson, Eugene H., The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction (1989).
  • Helps a pastor move from frantic busyness to living and ministering out of the being-center.
  • Schrock, Daniel P, Prayer Practices for Terrifically Busy People (2011).
  • (written by a Mennonite spiritual director)
  • Willard, Dallas, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (1998).
  • Using Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Willard explores life-changing ways to a more authentic following of Jesus.

4. Self Understanding and Self-Awareness: As a pastor ordained in Mennonite Church USA, I seek a healthy sense of self and a capacity to enter into and maintain healthy relationships with others.

  • Goldsmith, Malcolm, Knowing Me, Knowing God: Exploring Your Spirituality with Myers-Briggs (1997).
  • McNeal, Reggie, A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders (2000).
  • A pathway to understanding how God has shaped you as a person and pastor by looking at how God shaped Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul.
  • Melander, Rochelle, The Spiritual Leaders Guide to Self-Care (2002).
  • Tools to discern God’s intention for your life and to be faithful to that vision.
  • Richardson, Ronald W., Becoming a Healthier Pastor: Family Systems Theory and the Pastor’s Own Family (2005).
  • A good down-to-earth introduction to emotional systems in the pastor’s own life, family and congregation.
  • Sisk, Ronald, The Competent Pastor: Skills and Self-Knowledge for Serving Well (2005).
  • This covers the landscape for a beginning pastor – self-motivation, communication, time and stress management, leadership, spiritual development and more.
  • Thomas, Gary, Sacred Marriage: What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy? (2000).

5. Contextual Awareness: As a pastor ordained in Mennonite Church USA, I want to grow in my ability to recognize, interpret, and redemptively engagethe natural, cultural, ecclesial and global environments of my ministry context.

  • Boyd, Gregory, The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church (2007).
  • Carroll R, M. Daniel, Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible (2008).
  • Griffin, Mark, and Walker, Theron, Living on the Borders: What the church can learn from ethnic immigrant cultures (2004).
  • Hirsch, Alan, and Ferguson, David. On the Verge: a Journey into the Apostolic Future of the Church (2011).*
  • More of the same won’t help a declining church. We need an apostolic, reproducing movement where every person is living a mission-sent life.
  • Kanagy, Conrad L., Road Signs for the Journey: A Profile of Mennonite Church USA (2007).
  • Keller, Timothy, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (2009).
  • Apologetics from a pastor who effectively connects with agnostics and atheists every week.
  • Shenk, David, Global Gods: Exploring the Role of Religions in Modern Societies (1995).
  • Steinke, Peter L., How Your Church Family Works: Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems (1993).
  • Offers basic understanding of the dynamics in the local congregation from the family systems perspective.
  • ______, Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach (1996).
  • A good follow-up companion to How Your Church Family Works.
  • Tickle, Phyllis, Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going, and Why It Matters (2012).

6. Leadership: As a pastor ordained in Mennonite Church USA, I want to grow in my capacity for administrative and missional leadership.

  • Barrett, Lois, Guder, Darrell L., Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, (1998).
  • Barton, Ruth Haley, Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups (2012).
  • Currently being used as a guide for biblical/communal discernment by Mennonite Church USA.
  • ______, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry (2008).
  • Esau, John A., ed., Understanding Ministerial Leadership (1995).
  • A collection of essays by Mennonite professors and pastors on a variety of pastoral leadership dimensions.
  • Hamm, Richard, Recreating the Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age (2007).
  • Herrington, Jim, Bonem, Mike, and Furr, James H. Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for Transformational Journey (2000).*
  • A comprehensive transformation model that begins with spiritual and relational vitality.
  • Hirsch, Alan and Catchim, Tim, The Permanent Revolution: Apostolic Imagination and Practice for the 21st Century Church (2012).*
  • Utilizes biblical studies, theology, organizational theory, and leadership studies to demonstrate the critical relevance of the Ephesians 4 leadership model for guiding the missional church.
  • Nouwen, Henri J. M., In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership(1989).
  • Works with the three temptations of Jesus to chart a course for leading in the manner of Jesus: from relevance to prayer; from popularity to ministry; and from leading to being led.
  • Peterson, Eugene H, Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity (1987).
  • Focuses on the pastoral priorities of prayer, scripture and spiritual direction
  • Sawatsky, Erick, ed., The Heart of the Matter: Pastoral Ministry in Anabaptist Perspective (2004).
  • A collection of essays on various aspects of pastoral ministry by professors of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.

Revised October 2017