Outreach magazine has named five IVP titles as 2021 Resources of the Year, with two additional books making the shortlist for the Also Recommended resource in its category.

“In an article published in the New York Times Sunday Book Review, author and essayist Daniel Mendelsohn said of literary awards, ‘Whatever the names on the plaques and medals, the real winner, in the end, is culture itself,’” Jeff Crosby, IVP’s publisher, said. “I believe Mendelsohn is right, and each of the IVP books honored by Outreach in this year’s awards reflect that truth. Each of these books on the church, racial reconciliation, social justice, counseling, and Christian spiritual growth are contributing to not only changes in the lives of readers but also to necessary change, growth, development, and hope within cultures in the United States and around the world. I am delighted that our authors’ and the IVP staff’s work has been recognized for the value it brings.”

The IVP books that were honored by Outreach this year include the following:

Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age, Leadership Resource of the Year

Jay Y. Kim grapples with the ramifications of a digital church, from our worship and experience of Christian community to the way we engage Scripture and sacrament. He asks questions like, Are online churches, video venues, and brighter lights truly the future? What about the digital age’s effect on discipleship, community, and the Bible? Kim also received The Gospel Coalition’s 2020 First-Time Author Book Award.

The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best, Racial Reconciliation Resource of the Year

Pastor and theologian Irwyn L. Ince Jr. boldly unpacks the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation. Scott Sauls, author of Jesus Outside the Lines, said, “If you are eager to move forward in the triune God’s call to love and build community with those who are not like you, then this is the book for you.”

Also Recommended, Racial Reconciliation, Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience

As a child, Sheila Wise Rowe was bused across town to a majority white school, where she experienced the racist lie that one group is superior to all others. Rowe, now a professional counselor, exposes the symptoms of racial trauma to lead readers to a place of freedom from the past and new life for the future. In each chapter, she includes an interview with a person of color to explore how we experience and resolve racial trauma. Healing Racial Trauma also received a Christianity Today 2021 Book Award in the Christian Living/Discipleship category.

Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement, Social Issues and Justice Resource of the Year

Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler represent the AND Campaign, which exists to educate and organize Christians for faithful civic and cultural engagement. They insist that not only are we called to love our neighbors through the political process but also that doing so requires us to transcend the binary way the debates are usually framed. In simple, understandable language, they lay out the biblical case for political engagement and help Christians navigate the complex world of politics with integrity, from political messaging and the politics of race to protests, advocacy, and more.

Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, Christian Living Resource of the Year

New Testament scholar Esau McCaulley calls the church to a dynamic theological engagement with Scripture, in which Christians of diverse backgrounds dialogue with their own social location as well as the cultures of others. Nijay K. Gupta, professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, said, “Reading While Black is a unique and successful blend of biblical hermeneutics, autobiography, black history and spirituality, incisive cultural commentary on race matters in America, and insightful exegesis of select New Testament texts.” McCaulley was also recently honored with the 2020 Emerging Public Intellectual Award and received the Christianity Today 2021 Beautiful Orthodoxy Award for Reading While Black.

Also Recommended, Christian Living, The Way Up Is Down: Becoming Yourself by Forgetting Yourself

For Marlena Graves, formation and justice always intertwine on the path to a balanced life of both action and contemplation. In these pages Graves describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to. Drawing on the rich traditions of Eastern and Western Christian saints, she shares stories and insights that have enlivened her transformation.

When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse, Counseling and Relationships Resource of the Year

Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is. In When Narcissism Comes to Church, DeGroat takes a close look at narcissism, not only in ministry leaders but also in church systems. He offers compassion and hope for those affected by its destructive power and imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects. DeGroat also offers hope for narcissists themselves—not by any shortcut, but by the long, slow road of genuine recovery, possible only through repentance and trust in the humble gospel of Jesus.

Outreach Resources of the Year aims to highlight valuable resources for church leaders and bring deserved attention to resources that can help churches better engage in effective outreach to share the gospel and reach their communities for Christ. More than 150 resources published between November 1, 2019, and October 31, 2020, were submitted for consideration and placed into categories. An expert in each category evaluated the resources and chose what they considered to be the best. The experts also chose how many resources to recognize and whether to include any as an Also Recommended resource. The resources will be featured in the March/April issue of Outreach magazine.

For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.