InterVarsity at UVA
Christian
SUMMER READING
Life Together by Deitrich Bonhoeffer
After his martyrdom at the hands of the Gestapo in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer continued his witness in the hearts of Christians around the world. His Letters and Papers from Prison became a prized testimony to Christian faith and courage, read by thousands. Now in Life Together we have Pastor Bonhoeffer's experience of Christian community. This story of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years reads like one of Paul's letters. It gives practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical, words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.
Boundaries by Henri Cloud and John Townsend
Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations.
In The Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
Henri Nouwen presents a powerful vision of leadership for now and for the future in this treasure of a book. By looking back at his own life and transition from the academic setting of Harvard to working with the mentally handicapped at the L’Arche communities in Toronto, Henri Nouwen reflects upon the challenges and the solutions to the problems within today’s Christian leadership. Realizing how much his own thinking was influenced by the desire to be relevant, the desire to be popular, and the desire to be powerful. Nouwen asks that today’s leader look to God to overcome these temptations. He also challenges many of the current perceptions of how to lead and takes the reader back to the lessons of Scripture and the lived example of Jesus.
Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman
What was the evangelism strategy of Jesus Christ?
In order to answer this question, Coleman identifies eight guiding principles from the life and practice of Jesus: principles that range from the way that we pursue people to the way we live out God's Word. He argues that Jesus' whole life was ordered by the goal of making disciples who would then go out to make more disciples. He is not looking for converts- he is looking for followers who will drop everything to follow Him and whose lives are living testimonies to the power of the Gospel. What is needed, Coleman argues, is a carefully constructed strategy that entails day-by-day movement toward this long-range goal.
