HP IVP Extra Latest

Soul-Nourishing Reads for Christian Moms

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:29:00 GMT

We all long for something that speaks to the heart, offering a quiet moment of peace and reflection amid the demands of each day. Perhaps you're a mom seeking inspiration for your own faith journey, or maybe you're searching for a meaningful gift for a mom in your life. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, a holiday, honoring Mother's Day, or simply wanting to encourage someone through a challenging season, these thoughtful books can be a lasting gesture of love.

Featuring devotionals, insightful Bible studies, poetry, and engaging novels, this collection of Christian books provides a compassionate space for mothers to breathe. Each selection is uplifting, deeply encouraging, and thoughtfully designed to help the women you love rest, reflect, and draw closer to God on any occasion.

Presence and Play

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:24:00 GMT

Presence and Play

Books on Disability and the Church

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:29:00 GMT

Resources for Building a More Inclusive and Accessible Christian Community

As the church seeks to reflect the full beauty of the body of Christ, a crucial reality demands our attention: one in four adults lives with a disability. Yet many congregations and ministries remain unsure how to move from good intentions to genuine belonging. Disability ministry is not a niche concern, it is a vital expression of the gospel’s call to mutuality, dignity, and interdependence.

The following books invite individuals, ministry leaders, and entire congregations to move beyond awareness toward meaningful inclusion. They offer theological grounding, practical wisdom, and powerful stories that challenge us to reshape how we serve, empower, and learn from people of all abilities.

Listening to Women for the Good of the Church, Academy, and World

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 02:47:00 GMT

In this interview, IVP authors Carmen Joy Imes, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, E. K. Strawser, Nijay Gupta, Rob Dixon, and Sandra L. Glahn reflect on Women’s History Month and the importance of hearing women—and what we miss when we don’t. Gilmore-Young and Gupta are hosts of the IVP podcast Hear Women.

March is Women’s History Month. What does that mean to you (if it does)?

Carmen Joy Imes, author of Becoming God’s Family: Women’s History Month prompts us to think about the women who have shaped history. Women are often forgotten or sidelined both inside and outside the church, so devoting time to recovering their stories helps to rectify the imbalance.

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, author of Redeemer: I love the chance this month provides for us to celebrate the contributions of women. It’s important for the next generation and for all of us to see examples of women making history in a diversity of ways.

E. K. Strawser, author of Centering Discipleship and You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone: While I value the distinction this month is to American history, I have a complex relationship with it because most of the time, in the US, historical honoring happens from the lens of White American perspective. Even as a child, having immigrated from East Asia with my family to the East Coast, I had an awareness that Women’s History Month had to do with the accomplishments of White women, and women of color could have their stories told when it was time for Black History Month (or more recently now, in May, for AAPINH Heritage Month, which we share with both Mental Health Awareness Month and Jewish American Heritage Month).

Rob Dixon, author of Together in Ministry and Allies in Ministry: I celebrate Women’s History Month, but I also wish we didn’t need a month to intentionally honor women’s history. At least in part, the fact that we do speaks to the marginalization that women have had to endure in our society. And, as in society, so too (and probably more so) in the church. So, each March, as I set aside time to reflect on the contributions of women in the church and in my life, I recommit myself to do everything in my power as an ally to forge a more inclusive church.

Sandra L. Glahn, author of Nobody’s Mother and A Woman’s Place Is in the Story: For so long, history as taught has centered on political history, which tends to privilege men. This dynamic makes Women’s History Month a necessary course correction rather than a special favor. It’s a time for men and women alike to turn our attention to the women we have overlooked, erased, or underestimated.

Nijay Gupta, author of Tell Her Story: I recognize that my female colleagues deal with all kinds of obstacles in their work as scholars and writers. I also admit that my undergraduate and seminary studies focused heavily on the writings of men. We shouldn’t only read women during March (of course!), but a yearly reminder of these realities is good. March is a time to remind people—and for me to remind myself—of the great impact that women have had in history, and a time to support and promote women writers.

What have you learned about your voice since writing a book? About women’s voices?

Gilmore-Young: I have learned to have confidence in the sound and shape of my voice as God designed it. I am grateful for a diversity of women voices writing books. We need stories from women around the globe to help us understand our Creator and faith in a deeper way.

Strawser: Writing a book has been one of the most immeasurable gifts in my life—especially in a day and age where intellectual property for artists, creatives, and communicators is so easily confiscated by AI. In having written books on both discipleship and leadership now, it’s been a joy to know that sharing my own unique experiences in church leadership also includes my being a woman, a minority woman, and an immigrant woman. Through having written books, my unique voice isn’t left to be isolated—it’s made to be shared and resonate not just with other women but with other leaders in the church, both women and men, minority and majority, earlier settlers and newly arrived.

Imes: I’ve discovered that when I follow my instincts, both men and women benefit. My books are a blend of serious biblical scholarship and real-life stories and illustrations. Surprisingly, my books have resonated deeply not just with women, but with male pastors and men’s groups.

Glahn: My most recent book is A Woman’s Place Is in the Story. In terms of the early church, many Christian women took seriously Paul’s advice to aspire to the quiet life (1 Thess 4:11). Yet when we find very little about these women in the annals of the faith, we sometimes conclude that they weren’t doing much. Most of us have heard of the Desert Fathers but not of the Desert Mothers. Yet the Desert Mothers like Mary of Egypt would have seen our lack of knowledge about them as a win. They sought to be anonymous, so goal accomplished. The absence of a voice is sometimes a countercultural response to a world that pressures people to say “Hey! Look at me!”

Is there a woman’s story that has most impacted you? Why are you grateful to know it?

Gupta: I recently learned about the Catholic nun and missionary known as Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917). She was a powerhouse of conviction and compassion, serving immigrants in the US. She was passionately dedicated to serving the marginalized out of devotion to Christ.

Glahn: In this cultural moment, two women in Exodus, Shiphrah and Puah, stand out. These women worked to keep the Hebrew babies out of the crocodile-infested Nile in defiance of Pharaoh’s orders. They probably trembled at the prospect of what could happen to them for civil disobedience—especially when they got summoned to give account to Pharaoh. Yet they did what was right anyway. These women, and those they directed, never knew they saved the baby whom God would use to save Israel. They surely died long before the eighty-year-old Moses insisted that Pharaoh “Let my people go.” Yet these women lived righteously in their small corners of the world. They probably felt powerless against the enormous crush of their slavers. These women never knew this side of eternity that their small, anonymous acts of righteousness would change the world—doubtless in answer to their own prayers.

Imes: One of my favorite women of history is Huldah, a prophet during the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22). She is not the only prophet at that time, but men seek out her authoritative word from God when they want to understand the Scriptures. Her story reminds me that women have been contributing to faith and politics for many centuries.

Dixon: Biblical women like Deborah, Mary, and Priscilla have become heroines for me, but I’ll point to a secular woman whose life and ideals have helped shape me. Many years ago, I wrote my undergrad senior project on a woman named Mercy Otis Warren. Warren was the first woman who wrote a history of the American Revolution, and in the paper I explored her views of politics and gender, which called for a level of social inclusion that challenged her status quo. To me she’s everything I long to see both in myself and in the women in my life: principled, prophetic, and just a bit feisty.

Strawser: One of my favorite woman writers and storytellers is Dr. Isabel Wilkerson, the author of Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns. I love how she shares her story through the pivotal research she does on human hierarchy and that her writing was recognized with a Pulitzer Prize. She’s a woman of color in an academic and competitive field often consumed by men, and she laces her writing with love for both her husband and mother whom she lost in close time. Her words and research are a gift to humanity.

Gilmore-Young: I am deeply impacted by the story of Ruth in the Bible. The way she courageously navigated grief and stepped into a new chapter of faith and life continues to inspire me daily.

What do we miss when we don’t read books by women? What does the academy miss?

Glahn: Genesis tells us that it’s not good for a man to be alone (Gen 2:18). That suggests it’s also not good for a woman to be alone. Both male and female image God (Gen 1:26–27). So we need each other. Yet sometimes it seems that theology is the one sphere where people assume men are supposed to be alone. Why would we not want to hear from all sorts of imagers of God with eyes on the text?

When we read books written only by men or when professors provide bibliographies full of books written only by men, we miss the same thing that is lacking when we listen only to Western voices. Or North American voices. Or the voices of only one ethnicity or only one socioeconomic status. Revelation 7 provides a beautiful picture of the ideal state where every tribe and every nation retain their distinct identities. Would we want all animals in heaven to morph into canaries? No, we want the wolf, the goat, the leopard, and the lamb to lie down together. Diversity reflects the beautiful creativity of God. He invented it. We should embrace it, revel in it.

Imes: When we don’t read books by women, we miss insights that come from a wide range of life experiences—stories that reflect women’s embodied experiences and the strengths of interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches that are more common among women. Women have often been overlooked, and that marginalization has cultivated particular concerns for other vulnerable members of society.

Gupta: We miss profound learning! There are average male writers and great male writers. There are average female writers and great female writers. If there is some reason you are not reading women scholars, now is the time to make up for lost time! One thing I think about: mothers draw from a different life experience than fathers. Grandmothers than grandfathers. Women who have experienced a miscarriage than men who haven’t. We writers aren’t robots; we are humans, and every human is different. Reading across the spectrum of life experience can only enrich your learning.

If you could speak to the women who feel unheard and unseen, what would you tell them?

Gilmore-Young: We serve El Roi, the God who sees us in the wilderness places like he saw Hagar, Ruth, Esther, Mary and others. Your voice matters. Tell the story only you can tell.

Imes: We live in a time with unprecedented opportunity to write for wider audiences without traditional gatekeepers. What you have to say is important and can make a meaningful contribution to your circle of acquaintances. Don’t wait until someone hands you a title or a platform. Just start saying what needs to be said.

Gupta: You are not alone! Find a community of support and encouragement. You could join a writing club (like RedBud) or go to grad school and connect with other students. We can do so much together. This March, I encourage everyone to read Carmen Imes’s award-winning Becoming God’s Family!

Strawser: In a funny way, I love knowing my mother’s story, and any time I have a moment to share it, I am overwhelmed with emotions. My mother’s American English is not that advanced, so I love retelling her story any chance I get because it’s worth telling. A woman’s story, our mothers’ stories, often go so unwitnessed, but being able to know it and bear witness to it helps to validate them as people of worth. It’s what the prophet Jeremiah did for the widows in the book of Lamentations—bearing witness to their crying out to God, and God hearing it. It’s actually what Jesus did too—it made the first witnesses of his resurrection women in a society and culture where a woman’s witness would not hold up in court. And I believe Jesus continues to validate women’s voices today.

Dixon: I am confident two millennia of women being marginalized in the church grieves the Holy Spirit. It grieves me as well. So I express my sorrow at what women have had and continue to have to endure, and I want to encourage women to keep pushing for change. The church needs the contributions of women to make it whole.

Glahn: Pursue Christ. The same eternal Lord who saw powerless, enslaved Hagar sees you. The God who raised up an orphan who had to hide her ethnicity from her own husband—that God used her to save a nation. This is not to say God’s plans for us are always big and bold. That aspiring to the quiet life that Paul mentioned—it’s underrated in our time. But God and the angels see everything you do in secret. He sees when you choose to deal honestly with shareholders, though everyone around you is fudging the numbers. He sees when your fundraising ethics adhere to a higher standard than those of others, even others in your own faith tradition. He sees when you pay your taxes with integrity. The midwives did their tasks faithfully, and they never knew the ramifications. Be like them.

We serve a Lord who got on his knees, girded himself with a towel, and washed dung off the feet of one who would deny him. Be like him. In short, I would tell women the same thing I would tell men. The fruit of the Spirit is what we aim for.

Dive Deep into the Theology of Lent and Easter

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:29:00 GMT

As we prepare for the sacred seasons of Lent and Easter, there's no better time to reflect deeply on the theology of Christ's passion, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Including both accessible reads to in-depth studies, this collection will help you reflect on Christ's passion, death, and resurrection as you journey toward Easter.

Keep reading to learn more about these featured books, each with a brief description to help you choose the perfect companion for your Lenten and Easter reflections.

Four Indigenous Authors Reflect on Native American Heritage

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 01:47:00 GMT

In this article, four authors share wisdom from their stories, cultures, and faith journeys. T. Christopher Hoklotubbe, Terry Wildman, Randy Woodley, and H. Daniel Zacharias offer reflections on what they treasure most about their heritage, what they wish others understood, and why Indigenous wisdom is vital for the future of the church and the world.

What do you most treasure about your culture and background?

Terry Wildman, project manager for the First Nations Version (FNV): Even though I often mourn growing up outside of my Native ancestry and culture, I deeply value what I have been able to learn and reclaim over the last twenty-five years. The guidance of mentors who are deeply connected to their tribal roots has shaped my path. Two naming ceremonies and several sweat-lodge ceremonies centered around Creator Sets Free (Jesus) have been especially meaningful.

I deeply value my relationships with dear Native friends, which—along with the five years I spent living on the Hopi reservation—have given me spiritual insights and a relational understanding of Creator that the Western culture I was raised in simply could not offer.

I’ve come to value how Native culture brings faith into a holistic relationship—with the land, the people, and the stories that carry wisdom across generations. That way of living and believing has deeply shaped my journey and my work on the First Nations Version, as I try each day to walk Creator’s good road, led by his Son and Spirit.

Randy Woodley, author of Living in Color: The foundational worldview, which is an understanding that we’re related to all of creation—that’s the treasure I come back to daily. On our farm, this isn’t abstract theology; it’s how we live. When we save seeds or tend the soil or watch eagles circle overhead, we’re engaging with relatives, not resources. My mother taught me this before I had words for it, and my wife, Edith, and I now live it out on every acre of Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm & Seeds. This worldview holds the antidote to the extractive, exploitative relationship with creation that’s killing the planet. It’s sophisticated wisdom that Euro-Western cultures desperately need. What I treasure most is that this way of being is resilient—it survived genocide, forced assimilation, and centuries of attempts to erase it. It’s still here, and it still works. And we all need an Indigenous worldview to survive well into the future.

H. Daniel Zacharias, coauthor with T. Christopher Hoklotubbe of Reading the Bible on Turtle Island: The worldviews and lifeways of my cultural heritage provide me with something essential to every human being—a place of belonging and rootedness, and cultural tools to process life and, in my case, to live out Christian faith in a way that honors who I am.

T. Christopher Hoklotubbe: I appreciate the Chata (Choctaw) hymns, many of which were sung along the trail of tears. For the Choctaw people, who pride themselves on embodying the values of faith, family and culture, all three come together in the traditional singing of these hymns.

What is one thing in particular that you wish others knew or better understood about Native American history and culture?

Terry Wildman: I wish people understood that Native identity is not a relic of the past, but a living journey. Tribal nations are still here—often overlooked—and many of us are working to reclaim as much as we can of what was lost. Our ceremonies, our languages (even those being recovered), and our spiritual perspectives are gifts from our Creator and treasured gifts to society if they have ears to hear.

The truth—both historically and today—is that many Native people have been forced to live in two worlds in order to survive. Recognizing that tension can lead to deeper understanding and respect for the resilience and wisdom within Native communities.

Randy Woodley: We're still here, and we’re not a historical footnote. Too many people relate to Indigenous peoples in the past tense, as if we died out with the buffalo or got absorbed into some romantic sunset. While it’s true that I actually don’t have that much Native American blood, I cherish the worldview my ancestor’s held and try to make them proud. But, the violence didn't end in the

1800s—it continues in environmental racism, in the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, in the ongoing theft of Native land and water rights. At the same time, we’re not just victims of tragedy. We’re scientists developing climate-resilient seeds, we’re theologians reimagining Christianity outside colonial frameworks, we’re artists and activists and farmers. We’re your neighbors—and yes, some even have wifi on the rez now. (That’s a joke). The Indigenous future isn’t about returning to a romanticized past; it’s about applying ancient wisdom to contemporary crises in ways that could save us all. That’s what people miss: Indigenous knowledge isn’t museum material, it’s survival technology for a planet in crisis. Turns out our ancestors were the original environmentalists, and they didn’t need a Patagonia jacket to figure it out. Oh, and also we have a really good sense of humor…some of us anyway.

Danny Zacharias: In terms of history, people just need to know the history of Indigenous peoples in their country. History on this continent did not begin when Columbus was found lost on our shores, and it is not a “woke” agenda to teach and remember the full history of a place, the good and the bad.

For instance, one part of understanding the history of these lands is knowing that modern state divisions are arbitrary. I currently reside in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq peoples. Mi’kma’ki encompassed all of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, part of Newfoundland and Labrador, part of New Brunswick, part of Quebec, and part of Maine. Canadian provincial borders, nation-state borders, and US state borders are relatively recent in the history of these lands. As we discuss Native American Heritage Month, we need to learn that these modern borders broke up territories of the First Peoples, and we need to also know that Canada celebrates Indigenous History Month in June, with my current home province celebrating Mi’kmaq history month in October.

In terms of culture, on the whole Indigenous cultures are much more holistic and balanced than modern Western culture. Indigenous people can be your teachers and bring healing to our very fractured and disintegrated lives.

Chris Hoklotubbe: I wish others knew that they were invited into the dance, so to speak. Pow wows are generally open to all people and there are many inter-tribal dances where non-Indigenous people are invited to join. While there are many inspiring and challenging stories to learn about Indigenous culture and history on Turtle Island, I think the most transformative learning will only come after authentic relationships and friendships have been made.

In what new or unique ways would you like to see Native American Heritage Month observed?

Terry Wildman: I hope this month can become a time of shared storytelling in both Native and Christian communities. I’d love to see churches invite Native elders, storytellers, and translators—not only to share cultural heritage but also to talk about how they live their faith today. Including traditional voices alongside Christian ones helps us recognize the common ground in our stories, worldviews, and spiritual perspectives.

I would also like to see Christian leaders become advocates for Native voices—offering their platforms and choosing to listen, especially to how the message of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was distorted through the church’s collaboration with government policies and boarding schools. I believe this kind of listening could foster healing, rebuild trust, and open new pathways toward restored relationships.

Randy Woodley: I’d like to see Native American Heritage Month move beyond the tired images of feathers and drums—though those are beautiful in their proper context—and into something that actually costs settlers something. What if churches and organizations used November to examine their own land relationships? Who lived on the land you occupy before you got there? What treaties were broken to make your presence possible? Better yet, what if Heritage Month became a catalyst for returning land to Indigenous communities or establishing conservation easements in partnership with local tribes? Observation without action is just performance. Let’s make it about repair, restoration, and right relationship. And maybe invite actual Native people to lead these conversations, not just attend a commemorative service where we’re trotted out like historical artifacts.

Danny Zacharias: That’s a big question to ask an Indigenous person, with responses that can happen at many levels. At the most basic level, Christians just need to care – care about the lands they live in, care about its history, and recognize the people that God originally gave the lands to. These are storied places, and settlers have very rarely chosen to place themselves into these stories and live well by them.

I would invite people to learn about the land they are on. Learn about the Indigenous people and stewards who traditionally called it home and territory, the treaties that were made (or broken) that allowed settlers to make new homes, and the ecosystems and watersheds that sustain it. With that knowledge, I’d invite people to re-engage the land around them with a prayer of gratitude and for eyes to see how you can leave it a little better than they found it as a good neighbor.

Chris Hoklotubbe: I would invite people to learn about the land they are on. Learn about the Indigenous people and stewards who traditionally called it home and territory, the treaties that were made (or broken) that allowed settlers to make new homes, and the ecosystems and watersheds that sustain it. With that knowledge, I’d invite people to reengage the land around them with a prayer of gratitude and for eyes to see how you can leave it a little better than they found it as a good neighbor.

If you could offer one piece of encouragement to Indigenous people right now, what would it be?

Terry Wildman: As someone who continues to walk the path of reclaiming my Native ancestry, I want to encourage you to hold onto and preserve whatever you have of your Indigenous identity. That identity is a sacred gift from our Creator and reflects his beauty and purpose in ways that are uniquely yours.

The world needs your voice, your prayers, your leadership, and your cultural wisdom. Stand firm in who you are—you carry something incredibly sacred that the wider culture has failed to recognize but deeply needs.

Randy Woodley: Your own people have survived worse than this, and the wisdom that carried them through is still alive in you. Whether you grew up on the rez or in the city, whether you speak your language or don’t, whether you know your clan or you’re still finding your way home—you belong to a story of resilience that spans millennia. The dominant culture will try to convince you that Indigenous ways are backward or irrelevant, but they’re lying to themselves as much as to you. The world is waking up to what our ancestors always knew about living in balance with creation. Your voice matters. Your presence matters. The way forward isn’t about perfectly reconstructing the past; it’s about carrying forward the essence of who we’ve always been and letting it speak to this moment. Don’t let anyone convince you that being Indigenous is about nostalgia. It’s about the future. And remember—we’ve been predicting the apocalypse for five hundred years; we’re the experts at surviving it.

Danny Zacharias: Continue to live as who you are and who Creator made you to be. Some of us did not have our culture or heritage passed on and have done the work of reclamation, while others have been steeped in their culture since birth. Continue to be proud and to be fierce. We belong to Creator, and we belong to these lands—it is who we are.

Chris Hoklotubbe: The path to healing and reconciling is through restoring relationships: with Creator, the land, and among ourselves. I encourage you to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your consideration in how you might walk alongside Indigenous people as a good ally and friend in our work to restore land, protect water, build healthy communities, and revitalize traditional lifeways and languages.

Trusting God When You’re Afraid of the Dark

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 21:24:00 GMT

Trusting God When You’re Afraid of the Dark

5 Ways Pastors Can Avoid Losing Their Way

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:53:00 GMT

By Peter Greer and Jill Heisey, co-authors of How Leaders Lose Their Way

In a time when so many leaders are faltering, the question of how to remain faithful for the long haul has never been more pressing. Peter Greer and Jill Heisey, authors of How Leaders Lose Their Way, sought to understand what causes leaders to lose their way and what sets apart those who remain steadfast. Their research points to five essential practices that enable leaders to stay grounded, mission true, and faithful for a lifetime.

At some point, you have likely sung the words, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love…”¹ Though the soothing melody softens the blow, it’s a frighteningly true statement for Christ-followers—especially those in leadership.

In fact, one study of Christian leaders found that only 1 in 3 finish well.²

Aware of our own propensity to wander, we researched what causes leaders to lose their way. Although strong currents pull us away from a faithful finish, we identified five essential practices of leaders who remain steadfast and mission true for a lifetime.

1. Acknowledge your propensity to wander.

Leaders who think they aren’t vulnerable to losing their way won’t be aware of the subtle but significant impact of small compromises. When they hear of others’ falls or drift, they might think “How could they let that happen?” rather than, “How can I make sure the same doesn’t happen to me?” Humble introspection is required to ask where, not if, we, too, are slowly drifting.

2. Focus on who you are, not what you do.

Henri Nouwen wrote that we inhabit “a world constantly trying to convince us that the burden is on us to prove that we are worthy of being loved.”³ In our quest to earn what God says we inherently possess, we too often run roughshod over relationships, failing to love God and others well. Our first effort must be to reframe our way of thinking, to recognize that entirely apart from our achievements, aspirations, and machinations, we are the beloved of God, who absolutely delights in his children.

3. Slow down.

When the life of a leader is rushed, it’s hard to see when and where we’ve gotten off course. We become so preoccupied with doing that we fail to pause and ask if the things we’re doing are aligned with our mission. Speed limits our vision, depriving us of the ability to see beyond the immediate future and beyond ourselves to those around us.

Avoiding drift requires a change of pace: a time and place to regularly pause, consider, and take stock. We won’t know that we’re veering off course unless we slow down enough to look up and check our location.

4. Pray and obey.

Pastors who finish well prioritize prayer—not as a last resort, but as a non-negotiable first priority. Prayer is an essential guardrail that recenters us and reminds us who we are and who God is. Amid the immense pressures of pastoral leadership, mission true pastors pray and remember, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29).

5. Keep others close.

On a safari tour in Akagera National Park, Rwanda, our guide pointed to a lone gazelle grazing and asked, “Do you know what that is called?”

“Gazelle!” someone helpfully offered.

“Dinner,” he replied.

1 Peter 5:8 warns that our enemy “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And isolation makes us vulnerable. Leaders who drift often do so quietly, without notice, because they lack close relationships with others willing to ask hard questions or offer correction.

We need more than companions; we need friends who know us deeply and will speak the truth for the sake of our souls.

Who knows you fully? The Johari Window, developed by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, helps us see that we all have a “hidden area”—known to ourselves but undisclosed to others. Any growth in this area is a warning sign to pause, ask difficult questions, and invite trusted friends into the conversation.

If you’re ready to take practical steps toward finishing well, we’ve created a set of free tools to help you reflect, recalibrate, and refresh your leadership journey. Access the free resources at howleaderslosetheirway.com—and press on toward a faithful finish.

¹ Robert Robinson, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” 1758, https://hymnary.org/text/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing.

² J. Robert Clinton, “Listen Up Leaders!” (Barnabas Publishers, 1989), 7, https://clintonleadership.com/resources/complimentary/ListenUpLeaders.pdf. Not all the leaders Clinton identified were described in enough detail to be evaluated, but of those who were, only about 30 percent finished well by Clinton’s definition. Although Clinton conducted his research decades ago, there’s no reason to believe that what has been true for millennia has changed in recent years.

³ Henri J. M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World (New York: Crossroad, 1992), 129.

Autores de IVP hablan sobre el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, la diversidad y qué es lo que las comunidades hispanas y latinas necesitan escuchar en estos momentos.

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:29:00 GMT

¿Cómo es que típicamente reconoces y celebras el Mes de la Herencia Hispana?

Natalia Kohn Rivera, coautora de Hermanas: Mi familia y yo participamos de muchas celebraciones étnicas. Como una latina casada con un hombre latino de primera generación, atesoramos nuestras raíces y celebramos nuestras culturas latinas de manera innata. No es muy diferente de septiembre a octubre. Yo disfruto comprar productos hechos por latinos y apoyar negocios pequeños latinos.

Robert Chao Romero, autor de Iglesia mestiza: Me alegra ver como las contribuciones olvidadas de la comunidad hispana en los Estados Unidos son reconocidas, especialmente en las ciencias, las artes y la academia. Aun así, honestamente, siempre hay algo de tensión para mí porque los otros 11 meses del año nuestra comunidad tiende a ser ignorada, y no somos invitados a la mesa de conversación.

Kristel Acevedo, autora de Un camino en el desierto: Tratamos de ser intencionales en nuestro hogar al celebrar nuestra cultura a lo largo del año y no solo en un mes específico, pero lo lindo del Mes de la Herencia Hispana es que nuestra ciudad típicamente tendrá varias celebraciones y festivales en los que participamos. Es tan lindo ver como nuestra cultura es presentada de manera grande y aprender sobre otros países latinoamericanos porque todos somos tan diferentes. ¡Es hermoso!

¿Cómo se ve el balance entre la conmemoración y la acción durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana?

Marlena Graves, autora de Para subir hay que bajar: Los puertorriqueños, mi herencia, están siempre celebrando y conmemorando su cultura y herencia todo el año. Somos un pueblo predominantemente divertido, cariñoso, cálido y audaz. Yo creo que debemos demandar nuestros derechos de los EE. UU. en vez de dejar que nos usen cuando les es conveniente. Tenemos ciudadanía hasta cierto punto. Nos pueden quitar aun esos derechos.

Robert Chao Romero: En la iglesia, significa que debemos ir más allá de la inclusión superficial. Significa dar la bienvenida y apreciar las perspectivas distintivamente hispanas y el liderazgo como un regalo de Dios al cuerpo de Cristo.

Kristel Acevedo: Conmemoramos y tomamos acción a lo largo del año, pero creo que es importante para mi familia celebrar de una manera particularmente grande durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana. Tratamos de enfocarnos en la belleza de la cultura latinoamericana: la música, la comida, la danza, la historia. Se siente como una gran oportunidad para pausar y respirar y celebrar.

¿Qué deseas que otros sepan sobre la historia o cultura hispana y latina? ¿Cómo podría informar hoy su manera de pensar?

Kristel Acevedo: Yo deseo que la gente sepa lo variados y diversos que somos. No somos un monolito. Nuestra comida, nuestra música, nuestra etnia, aun la manera en que hablamos el español puede variar de país a país. En vez de agruparnos a todos juntos, celebren lo que nos hace a cada uno único.

Robert Chao Romero: En los Estados Unidos, las perspectivas sobre la comunidad latina son influenciadas mayormente por los medios de comunicación y la política. Los medios de comunicación y la política han mostrado a los latinos de una manera negativa y estereotípica por muchos años. Una manera dominante de ver a la comunidad latina es a través de la «narrativa de riesgo latino»: que somos extranjeros perpetuos y criminales y que no nos importa este país. Esto es doloroso. Tenemos 500 años de historia rica y moderna en las américas, y miles de años de historia antes de eso para quienes comparten ascendencia indígena o son ellos mismos indígenas.

Natalia Kohn Rivera: Hay mucho que quiero que otros sepan, pero de verdad sepan, sobre la cultura latina. Una de esas cosas es nuestra calidez. Es una de mis cosas favoritas sobre la cultura hispana. Las amistades se pueden volver en familia rápidamente. Nos encanta reír, ser ruidosos y tener grandes momentos con nuestros amigos y familia. En general, damos la bienvenida, somos hospitalarios y somos generosos. Me encanta la calidez que puedes sentir al entrar en un hogar latino o cuando estás con una familia latina. Yo creo que nuestra calidez puede ser tan poderosa y puede ayudar a traer sanidad a otros que quizás no han experimentado la calidez en sus propias comunidades.

Marlena Graves: Quiero que la gente sepa que la cultura no es un monolito. Algunas similitudes son las variedades del español y la gran influencia del catolicismo romano. Sin embargo, cada país y región tiene su propia cultura e historia y palabras para cosas diferentes. Sería un error agruparnos a todos juntos y caricaturizarnos. Es como los Estados Unidos y el Reino Unido; hablamos el mismo idioma, una versión del inglés, pero nuestras culturas difieren de maneras muy claras.

¿Qué preguntas debería hacer la gente alrededor del Mes de la Herencia Hispana que históricamente no han preguntado? ¿Cómo contestarías esas preguntas?

Kristel Acevedo: Creo que la gente debería preguntarse de donde viene la palabra hispano y por qué alguna gente tiene dificultades en sentir conexión con esa palabra. Yo respondería esa pregunta compartiendo que la palabra en realidad vino de la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos. La mayoría de los latinoamericanos se identifican de manera más fuerte con su país de origen que con una palabra general como hispano. Es muy importante mostrar curiosidad hacia las historias específicas de la gente.

Marlena Graves: Con respecto a nuestros hermanos y hermanas mexicanos, sería fantástico si personas no mexicanas preguntaran sobre la naturaleza de la frontera de Estados Unidos con México. Cómo comenzó y cómo cambió. Yo contestaría que la frontera ha cambiado mientras algunas gentes han permanecido en las mismas tierras por más tiempo que las fronteras han estado en su sitio. También recordaría a la gente que casi todo el suroeste y oeste de los Estados Unidos era México: California, Utah, Nevada, Nuevo México, Arizona, y partes de Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado y Oklahoma. ¡Y mucha de esa tierra era originalmente indígena!

Robert Chao Romero: ¿Cómo es que, como latinas y latinos, reflejamos de manera única la imagen de Dios a través de nuestras culturas diversas dadas por Dios, por el bien del reino de Dios y para beneficio del cuerpo entero de Cristo? ¿Cuáles son «las riquezas y el honor» (Apocalipsis 21:26) distintivamente nuestras, y por qué tiene valor para la iglesia?

Si pudieras decirle una cosa a la comunidad hispana y latina ahora, ¿qué sería?

Natalia Kohn Rivera: ¡Necesitamos fuerza en esta hora! Necesitamos fuerza del cielo para mantener la esperanza viva, para pelear contra estas injusticias y para seguir orando por la redención del Señor. Sigamos apoyándonos en Jesús por nuestras necesidades y las de nuestra comunidad.

Marlena Graves: Actuemos con solidaridad y sin un gramo de superioridad entre nosotros con respecto a nuestros hermanos y hermanas indocumentados en los Estados Unidos.

Kristel Acevedo: Abraza tu identidad latina, porque te la dio un Dios bueno y creativo que es intencional y no comete errores. Dios usa nuestra identidad étnica y hace cosas grandes e increíbles a través de nosotros. También diría que nuestra identidad en Cristo es donde estamos arraigados firmemente, y que tiene más importancia que cualquier otra identidad que tenemos. Esto alivia la presión que quizás ponemos en nuestra identidad étnica para que podamos recordar que es algo bueno, pero no es un fin en sí mismo. ¡Celebra la manera en que Dios te ha creado y dale la gloria a Dios!

Robert Chao Romero: También somos hijos e hijas de Dios. Somos una de las tribus del Apocalipsis. Así como Dios estuvo con Moisés y los israelitas por 40 años en el desierto, así también Dios ha estado con nosotros por 500.

Top Reference Books Every New Pastor Needs

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:29:00 GMT

Equipping Pastors with Tools for Preaching, Studying, and Shepherding

Starting out in pastoral ministry can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Between preparing sermons, caring for people, and leading a congregation, new pastors quickly discover the importance of having solid reference tools at their fingertips. A well-chosen library can save hours of study time, bring clarity to difficult passages, and strengthen both preaching and teaching.

But with so many resources available, where should a new pastor begin? In this guide, we’ll highlight some of the best reference books for new pastors like trusted commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and other essential study tools. These resources will help you build a strong foundation for preaching, teaching, and shepherding God’s people.

IVP Authors Discuss Hispanic Heritage Month, Diversity, and What Hispanic and Latino Communities Need to Hear Right Now

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 18:29:00 GMT

What does recognizing and celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month typically look like for you?

Natalia Kohn Rivera, coauthor of Hermanas: My family and I do quite a lot of ethnic celebrations. As a Latina married to a first-generation Latino man, we cherish our roots and celebrate our Latino cultures very innately. September to October is not too different. I enjoy buying Latino-made products and supporting Latino small businesses.

Robert Chao Romero, author of Brown Church: It makes me happy to see the often unsung contributions of the Hispanic community to the United States be recognized, especially in the sciences, arts, and the academy. Honestly though, there’s always some tension for me because, during the other 11 months of the year, our community tends to get ignored, and we are not invited to the table of conversation.

Kristel Acevedo, author of A Way in the Wilderness: We try to be intentional in our home to celebrate our culture throughout the year and not just in a specific month, but the nice thing about Hispanic Heritage Month is that our city will typically have several celebrations and festivals which we participate in. It’s so nice to see our culture on display in a big way and to learn about other Latin American countries because we are all so different. It’s beautiful!

What does the balance of commemoration and action look like during Hispanic Heritage Month?

Marlena Graves, author of The Way Up Is Down: Puerto Ricans, my heritage, are always celebrating and commemorating their culture and heritage year-round. We are a predominantly fun, kind, warm, and feisty people. I think we need to demand our rights from the US instead of allowing ourselves to be used when it is merely convenient. We have citizenship up to a point. Even those rights could be stripped away.

Robert Chao Romero: In the church, it means that we need to go beyond tokenism. It means the welcoming and appreciation of distinct Hispanic perspectives and leadership as a God-given gift to the body of Christ.

Kristel Acevedo: We commemorate and take action throughout the year, but I think it’s important for my family to celebrate in an especially big way during Hispanic Heritage Month. We try to focus on the beauty of Latin American culture: the music, the food, the dancing, the history. It feels like a great time to pause and breathe and celebrate.

What do you wish that others knew about Hispanic and Latino history or culture? How might it inform their thinking today?

Kristel Acevedo: I wish people knew how varied and diverse we are. We are not a monolith. Our food, our music, our ethnicity, even the way we speak Spanish can vary from country to country. Instead of grouping us all together, celebrate what makes each of us unique.

Robert Chao Romero: In the United States, perspectives about the Latino community are shaped most by media and politics. Media and politics have framed Latinos in a negative, stereotypical light for many years. One dominant framing is that of the Latino Threat Narrative—that we are perpetual foreigners and criminals and do not care about this country. This is painful. We have a rich, 500-year modern history in the Americas and thousands of years of history before that for those who share Indigenous ancestry or are Indigenous themselves.

Natalia Kohn Rivera: There’s a lot I wish others knew, and I mean really knew, about the Latino culture. One of those things is our warmth. It’s one of my favorite things about the Hispanic culture. Friends can become family quickly. We love to laugh, be loud, and have a great time with our friends and family. Generally speaking, we are welcoming, hospitable, and generous. I love the warmth you can feel entering into a Latino home or with a Latino family. I believe our warmth can be so powerful and help bring healing to others who may not have experienced warmth in their own communities.

Marlena Graves: I wish people knew the culture is not monolithic. Similar commonalities are shades of Spanish and the widespread influence of Roman Catholicism. However, every country and region has their own culture and history and words for different things. It would be a mistake to lump us all together and caricature us. It’s like the US and Britain; we speak the same language, a version of English, but our cultures differ in very clear ways.

What questions should people be asking around Hispanic Heritage Month that historically they have not asked? How would you answer those questions?

Kristel Acevedo: I think people should ask themselves where the term Hispanic came from and why some have a hard time connecting with that term. I would answer that question by letting them know that the term actually came from the US Census Bureau. Most Latin Americans identify more strongly with their country of origin rather than a general term like Hispanic. Showing curiosity for people’s specific stories goes a long way.

Marlena Graves: In terms of our Mexican brothers and sisters, it would be fantastic if non-Mexicans asked about the nature of the US/Mexican border. How it came to be, and how it changed. I would answer that the border has changed, while certain peoples have been on the same lands longer than the border has been in place. I would also remind people that almost the entire southwestern and western portion of the US was Mexico: California, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, along with parts of Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. And much of that land was originally Indigenous!

Robert Chao Romero: How do we as Latinas/os uniquely reflect the image of God through our diverse, God-given cultures, for the sake of the kingdom of God and for the benefit of the entire body of Christ? What is our distinct “glory and honor” (Revelation 21:26), and why does it matter for the church?

If you could say one thing to the Hispanic and Latino community right now, what would it be?

Natalia Kohn Rivera: Fuerza in this hour is needed! We need strength from heaven to keep hope alive, to keep fighting against these injustices, and to keep praying for the Lord’s redemption. Let’s keep leaning into Jesus for what we and our community need.

Marlena Graves: Let us act in solidarity and not have any ounce of superiority among us when it comes to our undocumented brothers and sisters in the US.

Kristel Acevedo: Embrace your Latino identity, because it was given to you by a good and creative God who is intentional and makes no mistakes. God uses our ethnic identity and does great and wonderful things through us. I would also say that our identity in Christ is where we are firmly rooted, and it takes precedence over every other identity we carry. This relieves the pressure we may put on our ethnic identity so that we can remember that it is a good thing and not an ultimate thing. Celebrate who God has created you to be and give God the glory!

Robert Chao Romero: We are God’s children, too. We are one of the tribes of Revelation. Just as God journeyed with Moses and the Israelites for forty years in the desert, so has God journeyed with us for 500.

10 Must-Have Books for Pastors

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:14:00 GMT

Pastoral ministry is both a sacred calling and an essential part of God's mission in and through the church. Those engaged in teaching, caring, leading, and offering spiritual guidance bear tremendous significance in the life of their churches and communities, often in ways not fully seen or acknowledged.

Through both the challenges and the rewards of day to day ministry, the right resources can help pastors in their day to day calling. These books have been thoughtfully chosen to support and equip pastors in varying aspects of their ministries and their own spiritual lives.

If you are seeking fresh insight, deeper spiritual formation, or practical wisdom for ministry, there's something here for you. Whether you're a pastor yourself or you want to support the church leaders in your life, these books are the perfect place to start!

There Are No Ideal Families

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:53:00 GMT

There Are No Ideal Families

Bible Studies for Every Kind of Small Group

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:21:00 GMT

Find the Right Bible Study for Your Group

Choosing the right study can make all the difference for your small group. Whether you're seeking in-depth discipleship, practical ministry tools, or studies designed for a specific demographic, we’ve got something for every group. Check out these trusted resources to help your group grow in faith.

15 Essential Books for New Seminary Students

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Unlock deeper understanding and spiritual growth with this must-have collection of books tailored to guide you through your seminary journey. These books will help you build a solid theological foundation, inspire spiritual reflection, and equip you for faithful service as you start your seminary journey.

Whether you are just beginning your theological education or seeking to further your scholarship, this collection has something for every new seminary student. These books provide the tools to build a solid foundation for faithful ministry and lifelong learning.

From a Mother’s Heart to the World: Tara Hackney on Rewriting a Timeless Classic for Today's Children

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

From a Mother’s Heart to the World: Tara Hackney on Rewriting a Timeless Classic for Today's Children

Books to Help You Slow Down this Summer

Tue, 20 May 2025 15:08:00 GMT

When the pace of life speeds up, summer can offer an opportunity to slow down. Whether you're craving rest, seeking deeper spiritual rhythms, or simply longing to breathe a little more deeply, these books offer guidance to help you tap the brakes and reset your rhythms.

As Alan Fadling writes in A Year of Slowing Down:

“I hope you’ll come to believe that God has given us enough time for everything he’s given us to do. I pray that you’ll find growing freedom and courage to make time for that which matters most—to God and to you. I trust that you’ll come to discover that most things shouldn’t be hurried and some things simply can’t be.”

Keep reading to learn more about titles that invite you into this kind of unhurried living.

The Heart Behind "Rebecca Sue"

Fri, 09 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

The Heart Behind "Rebecca Sue"

Essential Reads for Understanding and Supporting Mental Health from a Christian Perspective

Thu, 01 May 2025 15:08:00 GMT

A Curated Reading List for Personal Growth and Healing—For Yourself or Those You Care About

Mental health is a deeply personal and multifaceted part of our lives—and it's something God cares deeply about. Whether you're seeking to better understand yourself, support someone you love, or grow in your professional or ministry capacity, books can be powerful tools for insight and healing.

The books in this list are written from a Christian perspective, offering thoughtful, compassionate engagement with mental health rooted in biblical truth and spiritual wisdom. Each one invites readers to deeper self-awareness, hope, and wholeness in light of God’s love. Whether you're new to these topics or have explored them for years, these titles offer grace-filled guidance for every step of the journey.

Four Ideas for Family Prayer

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Four Ideas for Family Prayer