Suggested Book List for Those Interested in Global Work 

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Kevin DeYoung- Taking God at His Word 

This book is readable, pastoral, and explicitly focused on the doctrine of Scripture:

 

Greg Gilbert- What Is the Gospel? 

This is a short, very clear explanation of the actual content of the gospel: God, humanity, sin, Jesus Christ, the cross, resurrection, repentance, and faith. It gives you the foundation for everything else. Before learning how to evangelize or how the church should evangelize, you need to be crystal clear on what the gospel actually is.

 

Mark Dever- The Gospel and Personal Evangelism                                                                                                  

The distinctive strength in this book is that Dever doesn't treat evangelism as a specialized activity reserved for pastors or missionaries. It asks how ordinary Christians speak about Jesus and how the local church cultivates a culture of evangelism. It moves the question from “What is the gospel?” to “How do I actually tell people the gospel?”

 

John Piper — Let the Nations Be Glad!
If you read only one book on missions, we suggest this the one. Piper builds the theology of missions around the supremacy of God and the goal of God’s glory among all peoples. It is explicitly intended for people preparing for or involved in missions. 

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Andy Johnson — Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global
This is particularly useful if you’re asking, “Okay, but how does someone actually get involved in global missions?” It deals with the local church’s role in sending, supporting, partnering with, and working alongside missionaries.

 

David Platt — Something Must Change 

This book is particularly relevant to the question of whether we can be content while billions remain unreached.

 

Paul Borthwick — How to Be a World-Class Christian 

Borthwick is helpful for thinking about how ordinary Christians participate in God’s global purposes.

 

Thomas Hale — On Being a Missionary 

This is a much more practical book: relationships, family, culture, ministry, hardship, etc.

 

Denny Spitters & Matthew Ellison — When Everything Is Missions  

This is useful for thinking about what missions actually is and isn’t.

Books for learning to think cross-culturally:  Having a heart for missions is wonderful; knowing how not to accidentally export your own culture along with the gospel is equally important.

 

Sherwood Lingenfelter & Marvin Mayers — Ministering Cross-Culturally
Excellent for understanding how culture shapes communication, relationships, leadership, and ministry.

 

Sarah Lanier — Foreign to Familiar
A very accessible introduction to cultural differences, particularly useful for someone just beginning to work internationally. It appears on missionary-training reading lists. 

 

Paul G. Hiebert — Anthropological Insights for Missionaries
More academic, but enormously valuable if you’re serious about understanding culture and doing missions thoughtfully.

 

Missionary Biographies                                                              

Don’t read only theology and strategy. Read stories of people who actually went. Some excellent ones to get you started:

 

Courtney Anderson — To the Golden Shore
The life of Adoniram Judson. This is probably my first choice for a missionary biography. This book has been specifically recommends as one of first books for people considering missions. 

 

John G. Paton — The Autobiography of John G. Paton
A classic missionary autobiography. 

 

Elisabeth Elliot — Shadow of the Almighty
The story of Jim Elliot and the mission to the Waorani.

 

Lain Murray — Beauty for Ashes
The life of Amy Carmichael, particularly compelling for understanding sacrificial long-term ministry.

 

Norman Grubb — C. T. Studd: Cricketer & Pioneer
The remarkable story of C. T. Studd.

 

Additional Suggestions:

A.W. Tozer — The Pursuit of God                                                            

Not technically a missions manual, but arguably one of the best books for understanding the spiritual ethos that has deeply influenced the Alliance.

The C&MA itself continues to make Tozer and Simpson devotional material available through Alliance resources.
 

Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert — When Helping Hurts                    

Especially important if you’re interested in CAMA or development work.

It challenges simplistic approaches to poverty and humanitarian ministry and asks what genuinely helps communities flourish.

 

Bryant L. Myers — Walking with the Poor                                            

 More substantial, but excellent if you’re considering development, poverty alleviation, community development, or holistic ministry.