I read a bunch of books in May, but the book that stood out to me was John Maxwell's new book, "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect."

As preachers, it's so important that we read books and listen to great communicators. This book gives the most important elements that are needed to connect with those we communicate with.  Because if we don't connect with our audience, we've wasted everyone's time.  

If you're a teacher at any level, I recommend you read this book and study its principles. 

 I read a bunch of books in April, but my favorite was Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne. I read everything Larry writes and have been challenged by his books personally and as a leader.

I thought instead of my thoughts on the book, I'd give you some quotes that particularly stood out to me: 

"I don't think it's an accident that Jesus predicted church growth but prayed for unity." 

"Rather than blasting it all at once, I drip vision and core values into every sermon I preach."

"Our primary job is to listen to, discern, and carry out God's will, not the congregation's."

"Whenever a staff member's giftedness and platform surpass their character, it eventually creates disillusionment and cynicism among those they work with." 

There's so much more wisdom in this book. I'd highly recommend that you pick up Stick Teams. I believe you'll be a better leader because of it. 

 I read a bunch of books in March, but my favorite by far was Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne. 

I read everything Larry writes and particularly liked "Ten Dumb things Smart Christians believe" and "The Unity Factor", but this was by far my favorite book that he has written. 

It's a smart, funny and quick read that give you page after page of nuggets and godly wisdom from someone who has been in ministry a long time. 

I loved several things about this book: 

- A real look at the role of a Senior Pastor

- An honest look at how a staff really works

- Great insight into manage a board of directors

- Great tips of hiring

I thought about copying and pasting a long list of quotes that I highlighted while reading the book, but I thought that would only slow you down. You need to buy this book pronto. I'm planning on working my way through this book with my entire staff. You may want to consider doing the same. 

There's several books that new staff must read in their first 90 days. I thought I'd share one of them. 

 It's called, "Be our Guest" by the Disney Institute. This book is a must read for anyone that serves people in some capacity.  

This books goes into how Disney creates a magical experience their guests and the principles that are transferable in any organization. In fact, they mention other companies that have implemented these principles and have taken their service to new levels.  

Lots of books are written about how Disney does things, but this one is Disney writing about how Disney does things. 

We want all of our staff on the same page about how we treat guests and the level of excellence we desire to maintain, that's why "Be our Guest" so is great.  

I read this book about 7 or 8 years ago and have bought at least 20 copies of it. I recommend you pick up a few as well.

 Hands down my favorite book for the month of February was Mastering the 7 Decisions by Andy Andrews.  I absolutely loved this book.  If you've read "The Noticer" or "The Traveler's Gift", then you know Andy is a powerful writer. But Mastering the 7 Decisions was about putting the principles into practice that were written about in his other books.  

This book is a must read in a world where everyone wants to blame their parents, the economy, the government, and/ or anything else as long as they don't have to take personal responsibility for their lives and actions.  

This book challenged me big time in many areas and I'm guessing that I'll be re-reading it soon.  

So pick up a copy. You'll be glad you did. (Plus, it's at a bargain price on Amazon)