On average, American adults read 12.6 books a year, according to a January 2022 Gallup survey. That’s about a book a month. Reliable data on pastor-readers is harder to come by, but a 2013 Barna study found that pastors bought … Continue reading Books and the Busy Pastor | Influence Podcast
Pastors are public intellectuals. We don’t think of ourselves that way, but we should. After all, we stand before congregations and use words to apply Scripture to the various situations our audience members face. That is why Paul exhorted Timothy, … Continue reading Reading Quadrilaterally: What You Should Read in the Coming Year
Several years ago, I began reading the books of Psalms and Proverbs daily during my devotional time. By following a set schedule of readings, I have been able to read each book completely once a month. This daily immersion into … Continue reading Why You Should Read Psalms and Proverbs Daily
As executive editor of Assemblies of God Publications, I get paid to read books. I read them to identify potential authors, topics, and reviews for Influence and Called to Serve, as well as to prepare for interviews on the Influence … Continue reading The Pastor’s Bookshelf | Book Review
Pastors wear many hats in their congregations. On any given day, someone may ask them to explain a particular Bible verse or help mend a marriage or supervise an audit of the church’s finances. No wonder the average U.S. pastor buys four books a month, according to a 2013 Barna report! Pastors have a need to know. Because reading is so important to ministry, pastors must think carefully about what and how they read. Over the years, I have developed 10 convictions about my own reading habits that may be helpful to you. Reading is a spiritual discipline. A spiritual … Continue reading The Well-Read Pastor | Influence Magazine
For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. My father was a pastor and my mother was a teacher, so there were always books around the house — preeminently the Bible, but also works of fiction and nonfiction. I never caught flak for reading as such, but my mom would sometimes look askance at me when I told her I was reading fiction. Fiction is weird. Pablo Picasso wrote, “We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.” Leland Ryken, my college English professor, said the same thing … Continue reading On Reading Well | Book Review
We do not often think of the pastorate as an intellectual profession, but it is. A pastor, according to Paul, must be “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). For the apostle, teaching is more than a recitation of facts. Note … Continue reading The Thoughtful Pastor | Influence Magazine
GeorgePWood.com 