The single greatest way you can grow as a leader in 2025 is to read books. As a fellow pastor, I’d like to save you time and focus your attention where it needs to be for maximum growth and development.

We’re continuing our series as I count down my top 15 best books for church leaders, narrowed down from hundreds of books that I’ve read in 2024. Add these to your own reading list.

Here’s the next 3, in no particular order.

#10: Zwingli the Pastor: A Life in Conflict by Stephen Brett Eccher
Eccher tells the story of Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531), embattled pastor and reformer. Zwingli’s ministry in Zurich was characterized by conflict — conflict that fueled him. It influenced his theological development, inspired his commitment to bring reform, and compelled his devotion to the congregation he led through the tumult of the Reformation. Eccher reveals a complex Zwingli, whose life and legacy continue to influence Protestantism today.

#11: Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout by Cal Newport
Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. Drawing from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe, Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment.

#12: The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security by Scott Galloway
Galloway lays bare the rules of financial success in today’s economy. In his characteristic unvarnished, no-BS style, he explains what you need to know in order to better your chances for economic security no matter what. Brimming with wise, game-changing advice from one of the world’s most popular business school professors, this book offers a powerful framework for making the most of what opportunities come your way

Stay tuned for more of my best books for church leaders, to add to your reading list for 2025!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. Can’t wait for the full list to be revealed? If you’d like to access the full report now, just click here to request it for FREE ($39.95 value).

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.