‘Outreach’ honors IVP titles Print
Written by Taylor Berglund   
Monday, 21 March 2016 12:09 PM America/New_York

soul-of-shame-coverOutreach magazine honored six IVP titles as part of the 13th annual Outreach Resources of the Year. Two books received Outreach Resource of the Year in different categories, while four other books were chosen as “also recommended” titles.

Curt Thompson’s The Soul of Shame was honored as the Resource of the Year in the counseling and relationships category. The Soul of Shame was also chosen as one of the best books of 2015 by The Gospel Coalition and Hearts & Minds Bookstore. Brad Hoefs, a panelist for the counseling and relationships category, said, “It’s a must-read if one wants to be serious about caring pastorally for the Lord’s people.”

Ryan T. Hartwig and Warren Bird’s Teams That Thrive was the top title in the leadership category. Tom Bandy, an evaluator for the leadership category, commented on the book’s quality.

“Is it worth the read?” Bandy said. “I recommend you read the last two chapters first. Their insights into the six ways churches sabotage leadership teams and their eye-opening promise that you can catalyze your team’s growth in any context should be motivation enough.”

Four IVP titles were recognized as “also recommended” titles. Those titles included God of Justice by Abraham George and Nikki A. Toyama-Szeto, The Vulnerable Pastor by Mandy Smith, Redeeming Sex by Debra Hirsch and Hopecasting by Mark Oestreicher.

Outreach received 197 submissions for books and curricula that were published between Nov. 1, 2014, and Oct. 31, 2015. They divided the submissions into 13 categories and narrowed the initial number down to 152 selections that were sent to panelists in each category. Panelists were asked to select one or more Resources of the Year, as well as choose additional titles as “also recommended.”