"The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns

This book is beautifully written. I requested it for review and truthfully was not expecting much...thinking to myself....another "rich man gives back" story. However, the opposite is true. The author of this book was once the CEO of Lenox, a company known for it's fine china and gifts. He finds himself called to the ministry, although he is not even aware of this calling at first. He is approached on several occasions to consider becoming President of World Vision, a ministry that reaches out to orphaned children in Third World countries. Like Jonah in the Bible, Richard runs on several occasions in the opposite direction of where God is calling him to go. He believes that he has nothing to offer this ministry based on the fact that he has never been involved with the orphaned. Once Richard heeds the calling God has placed on his life, life is never the same. He sets aside worldly success for something far more significant and discovers the full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This book serves a reminder to all believers in Christ that if God calls us to a ministry, we do well to heed His call and go, regardless of what we think our calling is. Richard Sterns urges readers to ask the question, What if? What if all followers of Jesus looked beyond the walls of their churches and worked together in reclaiming the world for Christ's kingdom? What if we demonstrated God's love for the world instead of just talking about it? Let me encourage you, if you are struggling right now because you feel a calling on your life that you are running from, read this book. You will find Richard passionate about a ministry that he once ran from and he will challenge you to listen to our God who knows best.