New and Noteworthy: Authors from Churches of Christ
Wilder and Sunny Nathan Dahlstrom. Wilder and Sunny: The Adventures of Wilder Good #3
. Philadelphia: Paul Dry Books, 2015. 132 pages. $7.95.
This series, recommended by “Hank the Cowdog” author John R. Erickson, is written by Dahlstrom, a member of Quaker Avenue Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. The main character is a 12-year-old boy who enjoys hunting, fishing and horseback riding. This newest volume introduces a “secret girlfriend” who helps Wilder escape a mishap in the woods.
ON PREACHING 
Preach Better
Chris McCurley, editor. Preach Better: 10 Ways to Communicate the Gospel More Effectively 
Ten preachers for Churches of Christ in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and California offer lessons on topics including planning, passion, illustrations and attitude. These lessons apply not only to full-time ministers, but to anyone presenting a Gospel message.
MINISTRY AIDS 
Spiritual Giftedness
Doug Hamilton. Spiritual Giftedness: Empowering the Twenty-First Century Church 
Hamilton, minister for the Camp Hill Church of Christ in Pennsylvania, attributes the decline in church membership in the U.S. to souls not understanding how they can best serve. He seeks to empower congregations and individuals to identify spiritual gifts and to understand how to put them to work, involving all members in ministry.
fiction 
My First Day in Heaven
Rita Brown. My First Day in Heaven 
Brown, a longtime Bible school teacher and member of the Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland, Texas, imagines a humble woman’s first day in heaven.
Beautifully designed and formatted, this book would make a comforting gift for people who have lost a loved one.
It’s also appropriate for a quick, inspirational read.
