Monthly Book Club - Meets the First Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room.
BOOK CLUB 2026 SELECTIONS
JANUARY | The Grumble-Free Year: Twelve Months, Eleven Family Members and One Impossible Goal | By: Tricia Goyer | 224 pgs | $3.00 | In The Grumble-Free Year, Tricia Goyer offers readers a front row seat to how her large family of eleven tackles going complaint-free and developing hearts of gratitude for a year. Join her on her journey and discover a healthier, more thankful approach to life. The book includes doable action steps based in scripture, a Grumble-Free Challenge assessment tool, and discussion questions.
FEBRUARY | Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl | By: Harriet A. Jacobs, Myrlie Evers-Williams | 248 pages | $5.00 | One of the most memorable slave narratives, Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl illustrates the overarching evil and pervasive depravity of the institution of slavery. In great and painful detail, Jacobs describes her life as a Southern slave, the exploitation that haunted her daily life, her abuse by her master, the involvement she sought with another white man in order to escape her master, and her determination to win freedom for herself and her children. From her seven years of hiding in a garret that was three feet high, to her harrowing escape north to a reunion with her children and freedom, Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl remains an outstanding example of one woman’s extraordinary courage in the face of almost unbeatable odds, as well as one of the most significant testimonials in American history.
MARCH | Grace Anna Sings: A Story of Hope Through a Little Girl with a Big Voice | By: Angela Rodgers | 202 pages | $2.00 | Often in life we feel beat down. Life has lost its joy and we want to give up. Then there is a light—a light from someone unexpected. A story so inspiring, we begin to wake up and dream again. Before the birth Grace Anna, Angela experienced heartbreaking loss that left her seeking God’s guidance and healing to make it through each day. After Grace Anna’s birth, Angela went from being a science teacher to an advocate for her daughter. The Rodgers have gone through incredible highs and heartbreaking lows. But through it all, God has been their refuge and has blessed them with amazing, joyful lives. Grace Anna’s inspirational journey has touched millions across the world and is proof that life is what you make it. Open your heart to God’s love and be uplifted through the courage, strength, and resilience of one of God’s tiniest warriors.
APRIL | Called Out: Why I Traded Two Dream Jobs for a Life of True Calling | By: Paula Faris | 192 pages | $1.00 | Don't Miss Out on Your True Calling. Too often we lean into the wrong things and burn out. We buy society's lie that our worth is our work, our value is our vocation, our calling is our career. Confusing what we do with who we are wreaks havoc on our bodies, our souls, and our relationships. In Called Out, Paula Faris shares her journey through conquering fears that nearly kept her from the high-profile, high-stakes world of broadcast journalism, and then the dangers when that world threatened to consume her. She burned out and faced public humiliation, physical breakdowns, and family struggles. But as she struggled to find who she was outside of what she did, she discovered her true purpose and true calling. Beyond Paula's own story, Called Out provides step-by-step guidance to help you think through your own calling and purpose. Written with passion and conviction, this book reflects on what it truly means to be called, how to move past the fear holding you back, and how to walk in God's path for you.
MAY | Equality is Biblical: Lifting the Curse of Eve | By: Penelope Wilcock | 128 pages | $2.00 | Women have proved their equality with men in leadership, scholarship and exercising spiritual gifts, but traditional interpretations of Scripture mean that leadership is still viewed by many as the preserve of men. Penelope Wilcock argues that Christ's new and living way leads us out of all forms of dominance and subjugation, including imprisonment within gender roles. She proposes a reading of Scripture that respects its authority while embracing the full equality of women and men in the eyes of God.
NO MEETINGS | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST
SEPTEMBER | Reload Love Transforming Bullets to Beauty and Battlegrounds to Playgrounds | by Lenya Heitzig | 208 pages | FREE | This is the story of one woman who refused to look away from atrocities on her television screen. Lenya Heitzig allowed her heart to break at the plight of refugees and the deaths of innocent children, and then she begged God for a job to do. In this gritty, passionate story, Lenya details the epic way God answered her prayers-how a spark came to life turning weapons of war into something beautiful. Experience the hope found in a children's playground as you journey with her through the jungles of Burma and the war-torn streets of the Middle East. Though the shape of your heart and passion may look very different, you will find hope and inspiration in ordinary people who go to incredible lengths to share God's life-giving love.
OCTOBER | Runaway Radical | by Amy Hollingsworth and Jonathan Hollingsworth | 240 pages | $1.00 | In Runaway Radical, Amy and Jonathan Hollingsworth share from Jonathan's story of what happens when young adults with great intentions and radical faith become entrapped by, rather than liberated by their calling. Together they share an important cautionary tale for all who participate in compassion activism.
NOVEMBER | Kids off the Block The Inspiring True Story of One Woman’s Quest to Protect Chicago’s Most Vulnerable Youth | by Diane Latiker with Bethany Mauger | 272 pages | $1.00 | What can you do to make a difference in God's kingdom? For one Chicago believer, the answer was as simple---and radical---as opening her door, and her heart, to the at-risk teens in her neighborhood. Learn how Diane's small ministry grew from a personal crusade to a nationally known program that has helped over 3,000 struggling young people.
DECEMBER | We'll Laugh About This (Someday): Essays on Taking Life a Smidge Too Seriously | By: Anna Lind Thomas | 240 pages | $2.00 | A hilarious argument in favor of taking life a smidge less seriously. Popular humor writer Anna Lind Thomas had an epiphany after her essay about a humiliating fart went mega-viral: Everything’s funny . . .eventually. You’ll cry-laugh your way through the many grave offenses she’s endured, like
not getting credit for Lady Gaga’s career,
an epic financial crisis,
and exercising while her children dole out biting critiques about her dimpled thighs.