Looking for the best books on missions, recommended by actual missionaries? This missionary reading list has been curated by the Crossworld community around the globe.

Whether you're wanting to serve on the mission field, deepen your understanding of global missions, or support missionaries from afar, these resources will open your eyes to God’s work in the world and motivate you to finish our Great Commission task.

Jump to:

Christian Missionary Biographies
Books on Disciple-Making and Church Planting
Books on Missiology and Missions Strategy
Books for Understanding Cultural Differences
Missions Books for Kids
Missions Devotionals and Daily Reads
Books About Crossworld’s Missions History
Non-Books About Missions

Best Christian Missionary Biographies

• Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II by Darlene Deibler Rose
• Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Dr. Howard Taylor and Geraldine Taylor | recommended by Crossworld worker Angie
• The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected by Nik Ripken | “The author traveled around the world to meet members of the persecuted church and tell their stories of courageously worshiping and serving God in spite of danger.” — Crossworld worker Chloe
• In the Land of Blue Burqas by Kate McCord
• Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliott
• Bruchko by Bruce Olson | “Really inspiring. It also contains a lot of wisdom about sacrifice, identifying with local culture, and courage.” — Crossworld worker John
• To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson
• God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew | “Brother Andrew dedicated his life to smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain and encouraging the persecuted church around the world. His many stories of specific and miraculous answered prayer will blow you away and help you to grow in your own faith and prayer life.” — Crossworld worker Chloe
• These Forty Years by Robert Munn | “After many adventures in Africa (e.g., arrested during World War Two on suspicion of spying), Bob Munn joined Bob Evans in 1951 to start the European Bible Institute near Paris, France. The style is that of a fascinating storyteller.” — Crossworld worker Jim

Best Books on Disciple-Making and Church Planting

• A Better Way: Make Disciples Wherever Life Happens by Dale Losch
• Jesus Christ, Disciplemaker by Bill Hull
• The Coffeehouse Gospel: Sharing Your Faith in Everyday Conversation by Matthew Paul Turner | “This book challenged my status quo on disciple-making.” — Crossworld worker Mark
• Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference by Neil Cole
• In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri J.M. Nouwen | “If there were ever a book that should be required reading for cross-cultural workers, it would be this book. It is short and simple — going through the three temptations of Jesus: the temptation to be relevant, the temptation to be spectacular and the temptation to be powerful. I have come back to this book over and over again throughout my time on the field.” — Crossworld worker Beth Anne
• A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
• I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus by Don Everts and Doug Schaupp | “As we seek to make disciples, it is important for us to understand where people are at and where they need to go on their journey of faith. This book describes some common stages people may go through and how we can meet them in those stages.” — Crossworld worker Beth Anne
• Underground Church: A Living Example of the Church in Its Most Potent Form by Brian Sanders | recommended by Crossworld worker Mark
• Church Multiplication Guide Revised: The Miracle of Church Reproduction by George Patterson and Richard Scoggins

Best Books on Missiology and Missions Strategy

• Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper | recommended by Crossworld worker Angie
• When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert | recommended by Crossworld worker Angie
• Make Haste Slowly by Donald K. Smith | recommended by Crossworld worker Wes
• Missions Disrupted: From Professional Missionaries to Missional Professionals by Larry Sharp | “This compilation of stories (with some essential theology) reveals the power of God-inspired entrepreneurial business to shape and influence culture and people through a biblical gospel which addresses all of life.” — Crossworld worker John
• Ministering Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships by Sherwood G. Lingenfelter and Marvin K. Mayers | recommended by Crossworld worker Randy
• Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility by Duane Elmer | “This book is filled with practical ways to grow in effective cross-cultural ministry, but at its core, it calls all of us to live with humility, which is counter-cultural to human nature regardless of whether we’re serving in our home culture or half-way around the world.” — Crossworld worker Katelyn
• Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission by Sue Eenigenburg and Robynn Bliss

Best Books for Understanding Cultural Differences

• Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien | “It is important as cross-cultural workers that we have assumptions and biases, and that the culture in which we are serving will most likely read and interpret Scripture differently than we do because of their own assumptions and biases too.” — Crossworld worker Beth Anne
• Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials by Jayson Georges and Mark Baker | “I found myself in awe of the beauty of the gospel as I saw it through a different lens, and nodding my head as the authors’ personal stories resonated with my own experience working in an Asian culture.” —Crossworld worker Chloe
• Ministering in Patronage Cultures: Biblical Models and Missional Implications by Jayson Georges | recommended by Crossworld worker Wes
• African Friends and Money Matters by David Maranz | recommended by Crossworld worker Wes
• The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why by Richard Nisbett | recommended by Crossworld worker Wes
• Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot-and-Cold-Climate Cultures by Sarah Lanier | recommended by Crossworld worker Karen
• Anthropological Insights for Missionaries by Paul G. Hiebert | recommended by Crossworld worker Randy
• Have We No Rights? by Mabel Williamson | recommended by Crossworld worker Mark
• We Are Not the Hero: A Missionary’s Guide for Sharing Christ, Not a Culture of Dependency by Jean Johnson | recommended by Crossworld worker Chloe

Best Missions Books for Kids

• The Trailblazers missionary biography series | recommended by Crossworld worker Angie
• The Good Book Company’s Missionary Biographies for Kids series
• Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds by David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken

Best Missions Devotionals and Daily Reads

• Believe and Surrender by Laura Wilson | “This book is written by a sister on the front lines longing to see the Kingdom come among the people she has been called to.” — Crossworld worker Daniella
• Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation by Jason Mandryk
• A Gospel Primer: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love by Milton Vincent | “Use this concise retelling of the gospel in poetry and prose to rehearse the good news to yourself every day.” — Crossworld worker Mallory

Books About Crossworld’s Missions History

• Christ’s Witchdoctor by Homer Dowdy
• Out of the Jaws of the Lion by Homer Dowdy
• The Amazing Danis: A Hidden Mountain Tribe Becomes a Modern-Day People of Faith by David Scovill
• The Greatest Missionary Generation: Inspiring Stories from Around the World by Larry Sharp

Best Non-Books About Missions

• “God’s Mission: Genesis to Revelation” video
• Women Worth Knowing podcast | recommended by Crossworld worker Angie
• Prayercast videos
• Unreached of the Day podcast
• “Facing a Task Unfinished” by Keith and Kristyn Getty
• “From Me to We: Understanding Collective Identity in Christ” episode from PostEverything podcast | recommended by Crossworld worker Debi
• A Life Overseas blog

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