Let’s start out by telling our readers a little about you. (Current ministry context, family, joys in life, etc.)
Charles Handren is the Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Glory of Christ Fellowship in Elk River, Minnesota. His wife Kimberly (1991) is a Spanish and English as a Second Language teacher, and his daughter, Rachel (1994), is a student at the University of Minnesota. Charles enjoys reading, cycling, hiking, fishing, and traveling. He holds degrees from California Baptist University (Riverside, California) and the American Baptist Seminary of the West (Berkeley, California), and is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Illinois).
What are you reading right now?
- Andrew Murray, Lord Teach Us to Pray
- Augustine, On Christian Doctrine
- John Chrysostom, On the Priesthood
- Carol A. Bailey, Qualitative Research Methods
What are some books you regularly re-read and why?
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret—this book has stoked the fires of my faith and of my consciousness of my union with Christ more than any other.
Bounds, Power Through Prayer—this book has been the most influential one on my personal and pastoral prayer life. I am profoundly grateful to the Lord for the work of E. M. Bounds but more so for the life of prayer—of communion with Christ—that brought forth his work.
What biographies or autobiographies have you read recently?
- The Autobiography of George Müller.
Speaking of biographies and such, is there any particular one that has influenced you a great deal in your faith?
- The Autobiography of George Müller
- George Marsden, A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards
If you were sitting down with a fellow believer and they asked for your top five book recommendations on Christian living, what would they be?
- John Piper, Desiring God
- Andrew Murray, Lord Teach Us to Pray
- Bob Kauflin, True Worshipers
- Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness
- Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism
- John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad
What books have molded how you serve and lead others in the gospel?
In addition to those I’ve already mentioned:
- Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor
- Don Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry
- Haddon Robinson, Expository Preaching
Finally, let’s conclude with this question. What are you learning about life and daily following Jesus?
Our union with Christ is our life, and consciousness of that union is our rest. Fruitfulness in Christ grows as constant, conscious communion with him grows.
Matthew D. Adams serves as Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, PCA in Dillon, SC. He graduated from Erskine Theological Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina with a Masters of Divinity. He lives in a small town by the name of Hamer, SC and is married to Beth.