Like year’s past, we are excited to present our readers with a few books that stood out as exceptional from this past year. For our seventh annual For the Church book awards, members of our FTC council, editorial staff, and seminary community chose two books—a winner and a runner-up—to honor and to recommend to you for the way they impacted them personally and/or offers a significant contribution to the Church and her pursuit of a gospel-centered faith.
Congratulations to this year’s winners of the 2023 For the Church Book Awards!
Dr. Jason K. Allen, President of Midwestern Seminary and FTC Editor-in-Chief
Winner: 27 Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament edited by G.K. Beale, D.A. Carson, Benjamin L. Gladd, and Andrew David Naselli (Baker Academic)
“Sometimes the most helpful additions to one’s library is not a volume to be read cover to cover, but a resource to be accessed throughout a lifetime of faithful ministry. Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament is just such a resource, and it serves as a worthy companion to the similarly helpful Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Scholars, pastors, and students—indeed all who desire to better study and know the Scriptures—will benefit from this book.”
Get the book here.
Runner-Up: The Surprising Genius of Jesus: What the Gospels Reveal about the Greatest Teacher by Peter J. Williams (Crossway)
“Jesus was much more than a teacher, but he was nothing less than a teacher. Whether in synagogues on the Sabbath or day-to-day on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus customarily taught. And as he taught, his listeners recognized him as one with authority, altogether unlike every other rabbi of the day. In The Surprising Genius of Jesus Peter Williams methodically unpacks Luke 15, connects it the Old Testament, and painstakingly demonstrates just how divinely brilliant Jesus truly was, and why his teaching astonished his hearers and changed the world.”
Get the book here.
Dr. Jason G. Duesing, Provost of Midwestern Seminary and FTC Editorial Council Member
Winner: Friendship with the Friend of Sinners: The Remarkable Possibility of Closeness with Christ by Jared C. Wilson (Baker Books)
“Packer’s Knowing God
Sproul’s The Holiness of God
Piper’s Desiring God
Each generation of evangelicals have treasured life changing books. I can think of no better book to serve evangelicals in these days than Jared C. Wilson’s Friendship with the Friend of Sinners. The truth that God really does love us and we can know him is, I believe, the secret to the universe (and all of our hopes and worries). Exploring how we can know God through Jesus as friend is the remarkable key that unlocks the door to that secret—but, sadly, is often overlooked or forgotten. Never fear, Jared C. Wilson has come with this book, and as a friend to you and me, hands us the key, and invites us to enter. Come, one and all, and taste see why Jesus is good, and the best of friends.
Get the book here.
Runner-Up: 5 Puritan Women: Portraits of Faith and Love by Jenny-lyn de Klerk (Crossway)
“Jenny-lyn de Klerk is an advocate. Following in the steps J. I. Packer, de Klerk aims to spark a reading revival of not just the Puritans, but Puritan women. Long neglected and misunderstood, de Klerk’s volume provides a remedy by enabling the reading of these women on their own terms. The result this careful and thoughtful scholar is edification and instruction for the Christian life.”
Get the book here.
Jared Wilson, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Spurgeon College; Author in Residence, and FTC Editorial Council Member
Winner: Pastoring Small Towns: Help and Hope for Those Ministering in Smaller Places by Ronnie Martin and Donnie Griggs (B&H Books)
“Having pastored smaller churches, most recently in a very small Vermont town, I am always on the lookout for resources that get to the heart of this unique — but normal! — ministry so often overlooked by all the aspirational leadership guides in the evangelical marketplace. I’m thankful for this great little book by two veterans of small-town ministry. Martin and Griggs share their hearts and bare their souls, providing hard-won wisdom and grace-drenched insight for the thousands of ‘little guys’ in the trenches. As much as a single book can, this book pastors pastors. The year’s best in the ministry category.”
Get the book here.
Runner-Up: Pastor, Jesus Is Enough: Hope for the Weary, the Burned Out, and the Broken by Jeremy Writebol (Lexham Press)
“Jesus’ letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3 are not the most likely reference point for a gospel-centered encouragement to modern-day pastors, but they make for a rich and stirring exhortation in Writebol’s book, which is a theologically stout but wonderfully devotional and highly applicational exhortation to pastors about the sufficiency of the gospel for ministry.”
Get the book here.
Lucas Hahn, Director of Marketing and Content Strategy and Managing Editor of For the Church
Winner: Help for the Hungry Soul: Eight Encouragements to Grow Your Appetite for God’s Word by Kristen Wetherell (Crossway)
“In Help for the Hungry Soul, Wetherell helps cast a refreshed and renewed vision for the importance of Bible intake by addressing the hunger problem at the core of the human heart. Packed with Scripture, wisdom, practical application, and encouraging stories, Wetherell outlines the ‘how-to’ of Bible reading by unpacking the ‘why’ along the way. This book, especially as it framed the word as a ‘treasury of the Lord’s compassion’, was edifying and encouraging in my daily Bible reading.”
Get the book here.
Runner-Up: The AItheist: a novella by Michael J. Svigel (Independently Published)
“The AItheist is a powerful little 100-page book that tells a riveting story of a Christian theologian-turned-atheist’s attempt to convince a sentient AI (artificial intelligence) machine to question the Christian faith amidst pain and suffering. Full of emotion, banter, and apologetics, the story that unfolds is heartbreaking yet beautiful. The few hours it takes to read is worth every minute.”
Get the book here.
Brett Fredenberg, Associate Editor at For the Church
Winner: The Holy Spirit: An Introduction (Short Studies in Systematic Theology) by Fred Sanders (Crossway)
“Gregory of Nazianzus once said of the Trinity, ‘No sooner do I conceive of the one than I am illumined by the splendor of the three; no sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to the one.’ In this wonderful introduction on the Holy Spirit, Fred Sanders demonstrates as much as he helpfully distinguishes the Holy Spirit yet does not divorce His person from the Father and Son. In fact, as Sanders has said before, you really haven’t begun studying the Holy Spirit if you miss the eternal relations of origins in the Trinity. This book helps you commune with the Holy Spirit and ponder the very heart of the Trinity. I couldn’t recommend it enough!”
Get the book here.
Runner-up: Christian Philosophy as a Way of Life: An Invitation to Wonder by Ross Inman (Baker Academic)
“This book is the summation of an idea that has gripped my mind and heart this past year: contemplating God is not a means to some other end but is our very purpose. If we slow down long enough to consider the true, the good, and the beautiful in God and all things in relation to Him, we’ll return to a more human way of life on earth with God—one filled with awe and wonder. If you’re prone to disregard philosophy as impractical, ethereal, or merely intellectual, then read this book to see how it’s so much more, and so much less, at the same time!”
Get the book here.
Abby Schroeder, Associate Editor at For the Church
Winner: Every Moment Holy, Volume III: The Work of the People by Douglas Kaine McKelvey (Every Moment Holy)
“Now more than ever, I find myself repeatedly needing to refocus on the Lord in my daily tasks. Everywhere I turn, the world clamors for my attention, constantly vying with the Lord for my focus. Every Moment Holy is a beautiful collection of liturgies that serves as a subtle nudge, reminding me of God’s omnipresence in every facet of life. It skillfully challenges the common tendency among Christians to compartmentalize life into distinct spheres of work, leisure, and worship. Instead, the liturgies advocate for a holistic perspective centered on Christ, where every aspect of life becomes an act of worship.
Unlike Volumes I and II, Volume III is written by a diverse team of writers, artists, and songwriters, giving depth and texture to the readers experience. This anthology of liturgies seamlessly elevates mundane moments, such as yard work, wrapping Christmas gifts, dropping a kid off at school, and taking a walk in the neighborhood into opportunities for prayerful reflection. Every Moment Holy is a poignant tool, that I anticipate revisiting repeatedly, serving as a reminder of God’s unceasing presence in the smallest and most routine details of my life.”
Get the book here.
Runner-Up: Sunday Matters: 52 Devotionals to Prepare Your Heart for Church by Paul David Tripp (Crossway)
“In his book Sunday Matters, Paul David Tripp directs our gaze toward Christ and offers a refreshing perspective on the challenges many believers face when it comes to preparing their hearts and minds for Sunday mornings. As anyone who has worked in a church can attest, Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings can often feel like battlegrounds where the enemy seeks to distract and drain our energy.
Tripp, drawing from his wealth of experience, offers a practical solution to this common struggle. In this book, he presents 52 devotionals tailor-made for those crucial moments on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, just before heading to church. What sets these devotionals apart is their ability to refocus your heart and mind on the Lord when your physical body may be the only thing that feels present in the church building.
One of the standout features of Sunday Matters is the comprehensive structure of each devotional. Tripp doesn’t just leave you with a brief message; instead, he enriches your experience by providing carefully selected scripture passages, thoughtful reflections, and even prompts for family discussions. This multifaceted approach ensures that readers not only engage with the material but also are equipped to lead their families toward a heart that is prepared for Sunday worship.
Tripp’s book is a valuable tool for anyone seeking to reclaim the sanctity of Sunday mornings. Whether you attend church weekly or serve within a church community, Sunday Matters equips all believers to fortify their hearts against the distractions of the enemy, fostering a sense of rest, reflection, and renewal that truly makes Sunday mornings matter.”
Get the book here.
Grace Sutton, Associate Editor at For the Church
Winner: Women Leading Well: Stewarding the Gift of Ministry Leadership by Emily W. Dean (B&H Academic)
“This is the book I wish I had when I first considered my call to ministry as a woman. From her personal experience and the experience of other women, Dr. Dean outlines the unique joys and challenges of being a woman in ministry and the variety of forms that calling can take: being a mother, volunteer, mentor, or director. Her practical advice is invaluable for women considering ministry and encouraging for those already ‘in the trenches.'”
Get the book here.
Runner-Up: Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing by Jonathan Leeman (Crossway)
“In an era increasingly suspicious of authority (even in Christian circles), Leeman’s book is a clear and nuanced study of authority when it is Scripturally defined, granted, and exercised. Leeman doesn’t coddle or hide the well-known sins of authority-gone-wrong, but still makes his readers grapple with the God-given authority of a church, elder, husband, parent, employer, or government. Authority offers a timely, balanced vision of these biblical positions in a world desperate to see them reflect the One with all authority.”
Get the book here.
Levi Moore, Manager, Sword & Trowel Bookstore and Tomlinson Cafe
Winner: 27 Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament edited by G.K. Beale, D.A. Carson, Benjamin L. Gladd, and Andrew David Naselli (Baker Academic)
“Continuing the saga of the New Testament use of the Old Testament, Beale, Carson, Gladd, and Naselli have produce an enormously useful work for exploring and researching the intertextual elements of Scripture by topic. Formatted as one might expect a dictionary to be, the relatively short but substantive articles encapsulate a wide array of topics in a way that gives a launch point for more targeted research, especially with each article having a bibliography to guide readers to reputable resources. This volume is an absolute must to have for those who are serious about Old and New Testament studies alike.”
Get the book here.
Runner-up: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Advent to Epiphany by Jonathan Gibson (Crossway)
“Having already made his mark on the world of liturgical personal worship with Be Thou My Vision, Jonathan Gibson made his mark yet again this year with the release of his Advent focused volume, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Having read through his former volume several times myself, turning to this new volume was a seamless transition that has strengthened my focus on the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ and his imminent sacrifice. This liturgical work’s ready-made worship plan aids the reader to focus on worshipping the Savior rather than wondering how to go about doing so. Especially poignant in this volume, just as in the former volume, are the constant reminders of three historic creeds of the church (Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian) and the prayers of the men of God who helped shape church history.”
Get the book here.
Once again, we would like to extend a congratulations to the authors and publishers represented in the 2022 For the Church Book Awards. You can view previous winners of the FTC Book Awards here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.