It has been said that if you read three books on any topic you will become enough of an expert to teach that topic. I know the academics out there are cringing right now. Mostly because they don’t want to admit is that it is true. It also illustrates something. The path to a successful launch of a new direction, skill or initiative in life may be a lot closer than you think.
What do you want to achieve in the next year? What new skill do you want to learn? Who would you like to help? Can you find three books/resources on the topic and commit to studying them and apply what you learn? You might be surprised what can happen in a year.
For me, a couple of my goals this year are to continue to refine my skills as a preacher and to learn the skills of being a life coach so as to apply that knowledge to the arena of personal discipleship. How am I going about it? My first step for both areas includes the selection of three books on each topic that I am going to read and seek to apply to my situation.
What about you?
Share your dream in the comments or on Facebook. We can keep each other accountable to achieve something new.
Pastor Stephen
what i want to learn this year is how to better relate to the children and families who come from different “cultures” than me. I want to be able to identify with and mentor them. Could you please suggest books for me to read? Would Walk Across the Room be one that would relate to this goal?
Thanks Sylvia for the great question. I don’t really think Walk Across the Room would be much help to you. One resource that came to mind was the book “The Invisible: What the Church Can Do to Find and Serve the Least of These.” Also I have found it helpful to read biographies of leaders in those cultures. I am reading “Let Just Roll Down” by John Perkins right now. An amazing and eye-opening book. The opening chapter when he talks about his brother being murdered by a sheriff’s deputy could have been written last week even though it happened in 1946. Very challenging. Nelson Mandela’s biography “Long Walk to Freedom” is another one that is very good (I will warn you . . . it is long . . . very long). I sent your question to a group of other pastors and leaders who specifically work in multicultural environments and asked for their advice. I will let you know what they say. Thanks – Stephen
I unfortunately, did not get many suggestions. However, one person did have this to say:
“Check out teaching tolerance their website has a plethora of information as well as recommended books etc… Teachingtolerance.org”
– Stephen