The Stack: 12 Books Every Young Leader Should Read
Every year, when the Watermark Institute’s new participants walk in on their first day, each person finds a stack of books waiting for them on their desk.
These 12 volumes are the ones that we’ve determined are helpful, valuable, and essential reads for any future church leader. As we strive to train up and deploy the next generation, these are the books we want them all to be reading and learning from.
Of course, we only have room for a few dozen people in the Watermark Institute each year, but we want every leader in God’s Church to be grounded in truth and effective in their ministry. Therefore, we want to share our list so that anyone can build their own stack—and fashion their lives on the core essentials of the faith. Wherever you are in leadership or your faith journey, these books are a must:
ESV Study Bible
By Crossway
Believers are to be saturated with the Words of God. The ESV Study Bible is a proven and helpful resource for students and teachers alike. Created by a team of 95 highly regarded biblical scholars, the ESV Study Bible is clear, accurate, and reliable. With hundreds of illustrations and charts in addition to more than 20,000 study notes, it will become a tool you cannot go without. And most importantly, it will help you know and love God more fully. So, pick up your Bible with us and dig deeper than ever before.
Pilgrim’s Progress
By John Bunyan
For nearly 350 years, John Bunyan’s allegorical novel has been a staple of Christian fiction. Absolutely saturated with biblical truth, Pilgrim’s Progress showcases the Christian life in a way that every believer spend time with. As you follow the protagonist “Christian” through the ups and downs of his journey of faith, you will inevitably learn something new about your own. You could spend a year pouring over this book alone and barely reach past the surface.
The Master Plan of Evangelism
By Robert Coleman
In the 21st century, we tend to overcomplicate discipleship. Many wrongly believe that discipleship is simply about a program or performance. Young leaders might let marketing or business strategies define how they do ministry. But in The Master Plan of Evangelism, Coleman succinctly helps us investigate the question, “How did Jesus Christ make disciples?” For the clearest picture of evangelism and discipleship, we need only look to Jesus Himself. This book will renew your desire to serve Jesus and His Church by making disciples.
The Jesus I Never Knew
By Philip Yancey
The goal of the Watermark Institute is not to create smarter sinners, but to have people fall more in love with Jesus. The Jesus I Never Knew, by Phillip Yancey is an incredible way to do that. Yancey investigates the fascinating, controversial, powerful, and world-changing character actually presented in the Gospels. You will come away from reading this with new perspectives and all your assumptions challenged. When you encounter Jesus for who He really is and learn to sit down with your Savior, you will truly never be the same.
Bible Doctrine: Essential Teaching of the Christian Faith
By Wayne Grudem
In Bible Doctrine, Wayne Grudem simplifies his lengthy and critically acclaimed Systematic Theology and presents its content for any reader who wants to better understand the Christian faith. As theological literacy continues to decline, church leaders will need to be thoroughly equipped to know what they believe on key concepts such as God’s sovereignty, spiritual warfare, biblical inerrancy, and the like. While we work through the Bible in the Institute, book by book, we want to also systematically discuss core doctrines. This incredible book allows readers to better see how all the puzzle pieces fit together.
Living God’s Word
By J. Duvall and J. Hays
As young leaders begin their journey through the Bible, we’ve found many can quickly get lost in the wilderness of God’s Word. However, the Bible is much, much more than 66 disjointed books by a variety of authors. In reality, the Bible is a singular, brilliant, and delightful true story. It is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). When we miss out on its thematic movements, we miss out on much of what makes God’s Word so great. When we lose our place in Scripture, we quickly forget that we, too, are a part of God’s story. Reading Living God’s Word alongside your Bible helps you to understand the structure of Scripture in a remarkable way and faithfully apply its truths to your life.
The Glorious Pursuit
By Gary Thomas
Jesus is the most amazing and virtuous man to ever live. And it is by pondering and following after Jesus that we eventually become more like Him. In The Glorious Pursuit, Gary Thomas wonderfully outlines how to practice Christlikeness and cherish intimacy with Him. If you struggle to see where God is shaping your life or are starting to see your passion fade, spend some time in these pages. You will love Jesus more as a result.
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
By Donald S. Whitney
Discipline should not only apply to your work ethic or fitness routine. The whole Christian life is a disciplined one. Spiritual Disciplines walks believers through what is looks like to grow in prayer and Bible reading. Donald Whitney makes the disciplines of evangelism, journaling, fasting, and stewardship practical and simple. Rather than present a Christianity with easy fixes or microwavable answers, Whitney focuses in on the slow, ongoing, and quiet steps toward faithfulness. As you contemplate how to live for Christ, consider picking up this book. These are lessons that every young leader needs to learn.
Baptism and Fullness
By John Stott
In his classic, Baptism and Fullness, John Stott communicates our incredible need for the Holy Spirit. And in a world often confused by this third member of the Trinity, knowing the Spirit more fully is absolutely essential for church leaders. Without clarity, we can fall into either ignoring the Spirit’s work or trying to control the Spirit’s work. Instead, this book reminds us that we are not called to ignore or control the Spirit, but rather to yield to Him in all our ways.
Come and See: Everything You Ever Wanted in the One Place You Would Never Look
By Todd Wagner
God intends the Church to be a place where addictions are overcome, marriages are restored, insecurities are abolished, and authentic relationships are formed. It should be a life-giving and fully devoted community of believers. In Come and See, Todd Wagner paints a picture of what it can look like when believers come together to regularly attend to the King’s business, rather than simply attending on a Sunday morning. This is a must-read for any leader interested in the abundant life that Jesus offers to His Church.
What is a Healthy Church?
By Mark Dever
Many in our country, believers and unbelievers alike, have never seen a healthy church. On top of that, many young church leaders falsely believe that a gift of teaching and a talented band is what makes a church healthy. These things are a terrible tragedy. As church leaders, we must seek to faithfully build healthy communities of faith. But what should the church look like? What characteristics must we insist upon? Mark Dever helps to answer these questions and challenges you to put it all into practice. If the church is to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world, then we must take its health seriously. We must be biblical before we ever try to be big.
Spirituals Gifts: What They Are and Why They Matter
By Thomas R. Schreiner
The topic of spiritual gifts is the source of much debate and division in the church. How should a church leader address it with thoughtfulness and humility? In Spiritual Gifts, Thomas Schreiner helps to explain what exactly spiritual gifts are and what the Bible actually says about them. He reminds us that spiritual gifts are to glorify God and bless others. Regardless of if you are familiar with the topic, or just investigating spiritual gifts for the first time, this book will be an incredible help. Our hope is that young leaders leave our program with clarity on how they are wired and how to best use their gifts in the future.
Looking for even more must-read books for young leaders? Check out our additional book recommendations in our Discover 12 Must-Read Books For Young Leaders and Top 12 2023 Church Leadership Recommended Books articles. articles.
This article was written by the Watermark Institute team. Interested in growing as a church leader? The Watermark Institute combines biblical training, discipleship, and hands-on ministry experience to fully equip church leaders to serve in vocational ministry. Learn more about applying at Watermark.org/institute.