Real Good Church
How Our Church Came Back from the Dead, and Yours Can, Too
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- € 10,99
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- € 10,99
Beschrijving uitgever
"This is a practical manual of everything our church did," says author Molly Phinney Baskette, "to reverse our death spiral and become the healthy, stable, spirited and robust community it is today—evident in the large percentage of children and young adults in our church, and a sixfold increase in pledged giving in the last decade." "Real Good Church" is a testament to Baskette's and First Church Somerville UCC's success, and a gift of hope for all churches that find themselves struggling to keep their doors open. What makes "Real Good Church" unique in the field of church growth books? It's practical. It actually tells churches what they can do—and how to do it. It offers beginning and intermediary steps for growth and renewal. Churches, no matter what situation they're in, will be able to jump in and get to work. It has a sense of humor. Baskette's easygoing, often self-deprecating writing style and approachable strategies will empower the reader and their church to revitalize itself. (If her church could do it, we can, too!)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With down-to-earth wisdom and humor, Baskette tells the story of how First Church Somerville, UCC transformed from a community of 35 worshippers on a financially dismal trajectory into a thriving, fiscally stable congregation four times that size in one decade. In twelve chapters with multiple subheadings Baskette, the congregation's pastor, addresses what worked and what didn't (the last chapter is entitled "Epic Failures"), covering how she and her church leadership addressed such issues as property, pastoral care, outreach, stewardship, conflict, and more. Whether the challenge relates to worship, finances, or Sunday School teachers, she advises church leaders to play the role of "Doomsday Pollyanna": communicating both urgent need for action and confidence in positive outcomes. Key themes get repeated mention: celebrate, bless everything, communicate an open and affirming welcome to people of all sexual orientations, spend money to grow. Sound, practical advice on everything from coffee hour to electronic giving, along with an appendix including recommended reading, sample job descriptions, liturgies, guest cards, and sermons makes this an invaluable, accessible resource for clergy and laity passionate about church revitalization.
