How does a congregation best serve its own neighborhood? This practical guide for congregations and parishes addresses this question by reviewing the growth of the ecumenically oriented community ministry movement in recent years. David Bos believes the typical "community ministry" rising from that movement possesses three vital and energizing characteristics: it is congregation-based and very local; it is a social ministry that sees issues through the prism of its own community; and it is ecumenical. He focuses on community ministry as a particular way of ministering to society, in which congregations of more than one denomination and of a particular locality (neighborhood, small town, rural county) share goals and resources. Bos sees community ministry as a local social ministry in which congregations respond in faith, hope, and love to the neighborhood, town, or rural county that they have as an immediate context for ministry.

There has been a rebirth of interest in bringing community back into social work, but what does community social work mean when applied to practice? What are the opportunities in a landscape dominated by shrinking budgets with their attendant procedural and risk-obsessed assessment and care management models? In this accessibly written book, Colin Turbett explores the erratic history of community social work. He goes on to demonstrate through contemporary examples how this preventative and relationship-based model can work for the individuals and communities served, and also provide an answer to the recruitment and retention issues adversely affecting mainstream settings.

An ever-increasing number of resources compete for the attention of congregational leaders. With a seemingly endless number of choices, finding the best resource on a particular topic for a specific congregation is an often daunting challenge. www.congregationalresources.org, is an invaluable companion to the groundbreaking online version of Alban Institute’s and Indianapolis Center for Congregation’s jointly researched and produced Congregational Resource Guide, launched in 2001 and accessed by thousands of seekers each week. The book conveniently and cogently puts the rich array of important resources into context by examining in depth, the key books, organizations, Web sites, and people that will help leaders gain an understanding of important issues facing their congregations. The book features ten overviews of important topics by widely recognized experts in their fields, including Amy Sherman on Community Ministry, Tom Fischer on Congregational Health, Lee Ramsey on Preaching, Paul Chaffee on Leadership, John Janka on Evaluation, and Jean Trumbauer on Lay Ministry. Each essay is accompanied by an annotated list of selected resources for researching further information. Helpful guides for using these valuable resources to promote and encourage congregational understanding and transformation are also included.

Examine a meaningful, integrated, systemic, and pragmatic view of hospital ministry! A Practical Guide to Hospital Ministry: Healing Ways is a comprehensive resource that examines the roles and responsibilities of hospital chaplains. It will help you make a shift toward a knowledge- and skill-based ministry that both incorporates and goes beyond current training approaches. In the words of author McCall, “In today’s healthcare and specialized ministry services, education and training must be progressive and thorough. It must include experiences that increase one’s expertise in working with individuals, groups, families, consumers, and systems. These services must be integrated into the total structure and resources of hospitals at all levels of mission, philosophy, and program. Furthermore . . . hospital ministry must strive to be a resource to the wider community and the church.” A Practical Guide to Hospital Ministry is a vital resource for those who want to integrate hospital ministry into organizations whose support and understanding of the discipline are weak or do not exist at all. A Practical Guide to Hospital Ministry provides numerous resources that can be of immediate use to anyone engaged in hospital ministry, including: job descriptions descriptions of various types of hospital ministries scope-of-practice statements sample pastoral care brochures and request forms orientation checklists sample religious preference codes a list of typical counseling problems therapeutic referral and progress forms For administrators, educators, and those seeking to provide spiritual and pastoral resources to hospitalized individuals and their families, A Practical Guide to Hospital Ministry will prove to be an invaluable reference work.

A compelling and extensive resource with ways for all congregations to reach beyond themselves to better serve. Spiritually vibrant congregations of all faiths thrive on the call to be leaven in today's world. Addresses the ups and downs on the way to success. Lively illuminates and offers practical wisdom for faith communities to engage in public ministries that express and enhance their core mission and identity.

Bound Together is a unique resource that addresses the intrinsic relationship between social justice issues and local faith and ecumenical community building. Bos articulates the theological warrants for ecumenical and interfaith ministry at a local level, showing how neighboring congregations of various denominations or faiths, simply by virtue of their common relationship to a surrounding community, have a theological connection that can cooperatively undergird joint ministry ventures. He explores how congregations or denominations of the same or different faiths can combine their resources and design a common strategy or program in response to the needs and assets of their particular community. To demonstrate, he takes a close look at both the African American denominations and the theology of the laity movement.

Authors Neuger and Newton Poling explore the various crises afflicting men today. Changing role expectations, gender expectations, and diminishing economic opportunities force men to find new foundations for self-esteem and identity.

In his acclaimed book Christi-Anarchy, Dave Andrews explored the ugly ruins of Christian history, and outlined the radical vision of Jesus for personal and community renewal. In 'Not Religion but Love' he shows how that vision can become a reality. With poignant, real-life stories drawn form his Brisbane backyard, Dave Andrews gives us a practical guide to working out Jesus' agenda for love and justice in our own lives and neighborhoods. Complete with group exercises and an ample collection of extra resources for study, Not Religion but Love is a book to read at your own risk: it might change your life.

This volume represents an instruction manual for community workers and academic researchers wishing to conduct community-based participatory action research. The principles and experience described here will also be useful for any individual from charitable bodies, government agencies, and academic institutions desiring to work with older communities in ensuring that they are able to start on the right footing. The contents of this book are applicable to all countries worldwide, while also providing much-needed contributions to such work in older communities in lower-to-middle income countries.