This blog focuses mostly on issues and ideas, not personalities. But the truth is, all of us love to get to know the people behind ideas – what makes them tick, what they love, what helped make them who they are.
Not long ago, the CAFO team gathered for our annual strategic planning retreat. It was a rich time in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains – growing closer as friends and followers of Christ…and also refining vision and priorities. Over one dinner, the topic of favorite books came up — and one by one, each member of the team shared theirs. I loved hearing these, and thought you might also. So…here they are!
***Ashley Otani
Favorite Books: Mark of the Lion Trilogy Series by Francine Rivers (Voice in the Wind, Echo in the Darkness and As Sure as the Dawn)
***Brandie Smith
All-Time Favorite Book: The Brother Lawrence Collection: Practice and Presence of God, Spiritual Maxims, The Life of Brother Lawrence by Brother LawrenceMost recent title read: The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey
***David Hennessey
Non-fiction: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeFiction: Trust God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges; When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
***Debbie Croft
Non-fiction: The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds (on Prayer) by E.M. BoundsFiction: Lowlands of Scotland Series by Liz Curtis Higgs (Thorn in My Heart, Fair is the Rose and Whence Came a Prince); A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’EngleMost recent titles read: How Children Succeed by Paul Tough; The Heretic’s Wife byBrenda Rickman Vantrease
***Elizabeth Wiebe
Fiction: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; The Help by Kathryn StockettNon-Fiction: The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller; The Praying Life by Paul Miller
***Jason Johnson
Non-fiction: The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell; Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
***Jason Weber
Fiction: Dominion by Randy Alcorn; Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Non-fiction: Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges; What’s so Amazing about Grace by Philip YanceyMost recent titles read: 40 Days to a Closer Walk with God by J. David Muyskens; A Walk to Beautiful by Jimmy Wayne
***Jedd Medefind
Non-fiction: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
Fiction: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (Runners Up: books by Chaim Potok, Leif Enger, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, CS Lewis and Stephen Lawhead.)
Most recent: Coming Apart by Charles Murray
***Jodi Jackson-Tucker
Non-fiction: The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns; Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford; Radical by David Platt
Fiction: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
***Nicole Wilke
Non-fiction: Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford; The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness byTimothy Keller
Fiction: The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis