Contact: Cory Whitehead, Christianity Today, 630-260-6200 ext 4220

CAROL STREAM, Ill., Jan. 8, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Leadership Journal, a ministry of Christianity Today, has announced its annual book awards -- the editors' picks of the best books for pastors and church leaders from the last year.

Each year Leadership Journal, "the pastor's magazine," helps busy church leaders by recommending the books that are most worthy of their time. The book awards are chosen by a group of the publication's editors in two categories: The Leader's Inner Life, those books that encourage and nurture the leader's soul, and The Leader's Outer Life, books that engage and equip leaders practically for ministry.

This year's winner in the Leader's Inner Life category is In Search of Deep Faith by Jim Belcher and published by Intervarsity Press. Contributing editor Paul Atwater states Belcher's new book "...creates a love for courageous Christians of history, connects these discoveries to the challenges of today's world, and charts a course through the European continent that I would love to trek."

In the Leader's Outer Life category, this year's winner is I Am a Church Member by Thom S. Rainer and published by Broadman & Holman. Atwater shares that "one thing all Christians can be sure of is that Jesus loved the church and was committed to the church. Thom Rainer has given us a simple tool that has the potential to foster generations of health and productive service in churches of every size and denomination."

The full list of other highly-recommended books is printed in the Winter 2014 print issue of Leadership Journal. The list can also be found here.

Leadership Journal tackles real ministry in a complex world and offers pastors and church leaders fresh ideas and credible solutions. Through quarterly print issues, monthly digital issues, and web exclusives, LJ is filled with honest articles and in-depth interviews that will help leaders to enhance their ministry, encourage community, and embody vision.

Christianity Today is a nonprofit, global media ministry that equips Christians to renew their minds, serve the church, and create culture to the glory of God. With its vision to see the church grown up into the fullness of Christ, the ministry reaches more than 3.5 million people every month through a wide range of digital and print resources.