Scott and Troy pick there books of the year for 2023. It's our 3 favorites for six in total

Austin Carty joined Boulevard Baptist Church from First Baptist Church of Corbin, KY in 2019. Austin holds an undergraduate degree in literature from High Point University (B.A.), a Master of Divinity (M.Div) from Wake Forest University, and a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Emory University. He is the author of The Pastor's Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry, which received the 2023 Christianity Today Award of Merit and was named the Book of the Year by Preaching magazine.

Austin is married to April and together they have four children, Ada, Julianna, Witt, and Ben.

Steve Veasey: Artist, Writer, and Mental Health Advocate as he writes on his website ... is an excellent illustrator and author. did we mention he wrote a book?- you should read it. He grew up in British Columbia and lives there still. he enjoys long walks on the mountainside, staring out at lakes and drinking lots of Starbucks (typical BC things). and just in case you missed it-He also likes to draw.

The people who live with him think he's pretty great. so do the people he works with. maybe you should get in touch with him, and you'll think he's pretty great too.

What are the most important stories we tell? The ones we tell ourselves.

Tommy Brown is a pastor with a B.A. in Pastoral Ministry and Masters degrees in Divinity and Management. As a contemplative teacher, he seeks to connect the dots between Scripture, God's deep work in the human soul, and the patterns of our ordinary lives. He is the author of The Seven Money Types (Zondervan, '17) and The Ache for Meaning (NavPress, September '23).

Rich, a native of San Jose, California, studied music at The Phil Mattson School, and earned his bachelor's and master's from Jessup University. Over the years, he has worked as a church musician and ministry leader. He writes, consults, and speaks about the intersection of creativity, faith and leadership.

His new book, MINDBLOWN: Unlock Your Creative Genius by Bridging Science and Magic (2022), deconstructs creativity and the creative process. His first book, The Six Hats of the Worship Leader (2014), has helped thousands of church musicians and has appeared on the reading list at several universities. As a freelance writer, Rich writes here on RKblog.com, and several other prominent sites and has traveled throughout the US speaking to leaders and creatives.

As a musician and songwriter, Rich is part of A Beautiful Liturgy, a unique collaboration with his daughter, Emilie Kirkpatrick. They released a five-song EP in 2016, a Christmas single and music video "Glory Be to God" in 2018, and a single and music video "In the Silence" in 2020. In March of 2012, Rich released a five-song EP titled "Drink The Divine." His works are published by A Beautiful Liturgy Music (ASCAP), Epic Stache Music (ASCAP), and administered by his company Tehilla Music.

Rich loves a good espresso and deep conversations with friends, new and old. He lives in the East Bay Area, California, with his wife and family.

Ray Edwards is a Communications Strategist, Copywriter, and the author of "How to Write Copy That Sells".He's also the creator of The Copywriting Academy™, the Certified Direct Response Copywriter program, and The Ray Edwards Copywriting Agency. He's also the author of Read This or Die!: Persuading Yourself to a Better Life.

Kimberly is a professional helper and artist. Today, she is an English professor, published writer, and counselor. During her critical illness in 2021-2022, she began dreaming about The Way Back to Ourselves and founded it in August of 2022. Her writing has been published in Ekstasis, Fathom, Truly Co, Radix, Calla Press, The Dew Drop, and many others. She is in the process of publishing her debut poetry book, Of Wings & Dirt, which is inspired by her health journey, infertility, and miraculous motherhood. She is also at work on a devotional, A Way Through the Wilderness: 40 Devotionals for Suffering, and a nonfiction work about parenting and leading this new generation toward wholeness, which is the research and passion project that inspired this community. It, too, is titled The Way Back to Ourselves.

Words. Especially encouraging words are what we all need, to give them and receive them. These words can give us life and help us navigate the challenges that often occur in our lives. Scott and Troy talk about the power of encouraging words and the effects they have on us.

Sarah L. Sanderson is a writer, speaker, and teacher who believes in the life-giving freedom found in radical honesty. Her work has appeared at PBS NewsHour, Blackpast, Christianity Today, Fathom, The Unmooring, Christ and Pop Culture, The Other Journal, Motherly, Relief, Stark and Main, and Brain, Child, among others. She is also a monthly contributor to Three-Fifths. She studied English and Philosophy at Wheaton College, and holds a Master in Teaching degree from Seattle University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from Seattle Pacific University. As a creative writing teacher, she has worked with every age, from preschool through adults. Her first book, The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate, releases August 15, 2023 from WaterBrook. ‍Find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or stay in touch via her somewhat irregular email newsletter.