February 2026 | LISLE, IL—On Tuesday, February 17, InterVarsity Press (IVP) will kick off the first of seven Just Show Up Book Clubs (JSU), where you simply show up to read, listen, and discuss books with others. No homework, no pressure—just meaningful conversations and shared learning. This season will feature books that fall into one of two themed tracks: justice and spiritual formation.
The IVP JSU Book Club is made possible through a grant from the Grace and Mercy Foundation, an organization that partners with nonprofit organizations to promote lifelong learning through JSU Book Clubs and the Public Reading of Scripture (PRS).
“The mission of Grace and Mercy and the Just Show Up Book Club is also the mission of IVP,” said Terumi Echols, president and publisher at IVP. “We both strive to get life-changing books into the hands of readers so they can read, discuss, and grow in their understanding of faith and the world around them. We are so grateful for their support in offering a format like the IVP Just Show Up Book Club that will bring people together to read and discuss transformative resources.”
The following schedule lays out the titles in each upcoming book club track. Attendees can join all seven book clubs or select just one. Visit ivpress.com to learn more and to sign up for the IVP JSU Book Club.
JUSTICE TRACK
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. Central, starting February 17 (11 weeks)
Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0: Moving Communities into Unity, Wholeness and Justice by Brenda Salter McNeil
We can see the injustice and inequality in our lives and in the world. We are ready to rise up. But how, exactly, do we do this? How does one reconcile? What we need is a clear sense of direction.
Based on her extensive consulting experience with churches, colleges, and organizations, Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil has created a roadmap to show us the way. She guides us through the common topics of discussion and past the bumpy social terrain and political boundaries that will arise. If you are ready to take the next step into unity, wholeness, and justice, then this is the book for you.
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. Central, starting May 5 (17 weeks)
Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate by Matthew Soerens, Jenny Yang, and Leith Anderson
Immigration is one of the most complicated issues of our time. Voices on all sides argue strongly for action and change. Christians find themselves torn between the desire to uphold laws and the call to minister to the vulnerable.
In this book, World Relief immigration experts Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang move beyond the rhetoric to offer a Christian response to immigration. They put a human face on the issue and tell stories of immigrants’ experiences in and out of the system. With careful historical understanding and thoughtful policy analysis, they debunk myths and misconceptions about immigration and show the limitations of the current immigration system. Ultimately, they point toward immigration reform that is compassionate, sensible, and just as they offer concrete ways for you and your church to welcome and minister to your immigrant neighbors.
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. Central, starting September 1 (11 weeks)
Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler
Have you ever felt too progressive for conservatives, but too conservative for progressives?
The authors of this book represent the AND Campaign, which exists to educate and organize Christians for faithful civic and cultural engagement. They insist that not only are we called to love our neighbors through the political process but also that doing so requires us to transcend the binary way the debates are usually framed. In simple, understandable language, they lay out the biblical case for political engagement and help Christians navigate the complex world of politics with integrity, from political messaging and the politics of race to protests, advocacy, and more.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION TRACK
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. Central, starting February 19 (10 weeks)
The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows by James Bryan Smith
We all have ideas that we tell ourselves about God and how he works in our lives. Some are true—but many are false. James Bryan Smith believes those thoughts determine not only who we are, but how we live. In fact, Smith declares, the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here.
Turning to the Gospels, Smith invites you to put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God. Once you’ve discovered the truth in Scripture, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind.
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. Central, starting April 30 (11 weeks)
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
Framed around one typical day, this book explores life through the lens of liturgy—small practices and habits that form us. In each chapter, Warren considers a common daily experience, like making the bed, brushing her teeth, and losing her keys. Drawing from the diversity of her life as a campus minister, Anglican priest, friend, wife, and mother, Warren opens up a practical theology of the everyday.
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. Central, starting July 16 (6 weeks)
The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery by David G. Benner
In this exploration of Christian identity, psychologist and spiritual director David G. Benner illuminates the spirituality of self-discovery. He exposes the false selves that you may hide behind and calls you to discover the true self that emerges from your uniqueness in Christ. Freeing you from illusions about yourself, Benner shows that self-understanding leads to the fulfillment of your God-given destiny and vocation.
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. Central, starting August 27 (13 weeks)
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene H. Peterson
Since Eugene Peterson first wrote this spiritual formation classic more than forty years ago, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been inspired by its call to deeper discipleship.
As a society, we are still obsessed with the immediate, but Peterson’s time-tested prescription for discipleship remains the same—a long obedience in the same direction.
Long obedience requires a deepening life of prayer. Peterson finds encouragement for today’s pilgrims in the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134), sung by travelers on their way to worship in Jerusalem. With prophetic and pastoral wisdom, Peterson shows how the psalms teach us to grow in worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community, blessing, and more.
Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com
