Recent Additions to the Congregational Resource Guide

Wondering what resources have been reviewed in the Congregational Resource Guide (CRG) since your last visit? Here are last 25 resources that we reviewed, along with the dates we added the reviews to the CRG. Click on the resource title to read a full review of the resource. Click on the category names to learn more about the categories in which each resource is included.

•  Reviewed 4/25/2008:
Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (Book)
Carol Howard Merritt, Author. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2007.
Carol Howard Merritt, a thirty-something pastor, describes how churches can provide a supportive place for young adults to nurture relationships and foster spiritual growth. She explains six avenues of ministry relevant to younger generations.
Found under Adult Ministry; Generation Theorgy.


•  Reviewed 4/24/2008:
Blessed Connections: Relationships that Sustain Vital Ministry (Book)
Judith A. Schwanz, Author. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2008.
Judith Schwanz has written a book for leaders who want to strengthen their ministries and lives by strengthening their relationships—with themselves, with others, and with God.
Found under Emotional Intelligence; Clergy: Sabbaticals; Clergy: Self-Care.


•  Reviewed 4/17/2008:
National Religious Campaign Against Torture (Organization)
Holding that torture violates the fundamental values of all religions, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture supports social justice efforts against state-sanctioned torture and educates faith communities and the public.
Found under Peace and Justice; Social Action.


•  Reviewed 4/16/2008:
Short-Term Spiritual Guidance (Book)
Duane R. Bidwell, Author. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2004.
Noting how spiritual direction differs from pastoral care, Duane Bidwell offers an overview of spiritual direction and explores how it can be specifically applied on a short-term basis in response to immediate needs.
Found under Spiritual Direction.


•  Reviewed 4/16/2008:
Evolution and Original Sin: Accounting for Evil in the World (Web Resource)
This multi-session discussion guide from the Washington Theological Consortium offers a fresh perspective on "original sin"—a perspective that honors both scientific thinking and the Christian tradition.
Found under Adult Education.


•  Reviewed 4/15/2008:
Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith (Book)
Barbara Brown Taylor, Author. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006.
This artfully written memoir chronicles Barbara Brown Taylor's decision to leave pastoral ministry. It provides an insightful take on pastors who leave local church ministry and taps into questions that many have about Christian faith.
Found under Clergy; Vocation; Narrative Leadership.


•  Reviewed 4/11/2008:
The Complete Guide to Small Group Ministry: Saving the World Ten at a Time (Book)
Robert L. Hill, Author. Boston, MA: Skinner House Books, 2003.
The Complete Guide to Small Group Ministry introduces congregations to "covenant groups," discusses their importance in congregational life, and provides guidelines to launching, sustaining, and growing them.
Found under Small Groups.


•  Reviewed 4/1/2008:
Beginning Ministry Together: The Alban Handbook for Clergy Transitions (Book)
Roy M. Oswald, James M. Heath, Ann W. Heath, Authors. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2003.
Beginning Ministry Together looks in detail at how to effectively navigate the transition that begins after a pastor announces he or she is leaving and continues through the hiring and adjustment of the new pastor.
Found under Pastoral Search; Interim Ministry; Clergy: New Pastorate.


•  Reviewed 4/1/2008:
Hope for Children in Poverty: Profiles and Possibilities (Book)
Ronald J. Sider, Heidi Rolland Unruh, Editors. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2007.
This book explores the devastating impact of poverty on children and on the nation as a whole, and offers a look at numerous and diverse ministries that can serve as models to Christians wishing to serve this vulnerable population.
Found under Public Ministry.


•  Reviewed 3/20/2008:
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time (Book)
Jeffrey D. Sachs, Author. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2005.
Economist Jeff Sachs shares what his more than 20 years of experience in helping poor countries has taught him about how the world's most extreme poverty can be eliminated in the next two decades.
Found under Public Ministry.


•  Reviewed 3/20/2008:
Growing Souls: Experiments in Contemplative Youth Ministry (Book)
Mark Yaconelli, Author. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2007.
Growing Souls is a collection of stories, experiences, and testimonies about an experiment exploring contemplative prayer and presence in youth ministry.
Found under Youth Ministry.


•  Reviewed 3/20/2008:
Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams (Book)
Mike Bonem, Roger Patterson, Authors. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
This exploration of the paradoxes of the second-chair leadership position uses real-life examples to illustrate how second-chair leaders can lead in their own right while at the same time supporting the work of the first-chair leader.
Found under Clergy: Associate Staff.


•  Reviewed 3/18/2008:
The Appreciative Inquiry Summit: A Practitioner’s Guide for Leading Large-Group Change (Book)
Diana Whitney, James D. Ludema, Bernard J. Mohr, Thomas J. Griffin, Authors. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2003.
This is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to conducting a whole organization planning process based on collective strengths and full participation. Written for corporate settings, this rigorous approach can be creatively adapted for congregations.
Found under Appreciative Inquiry.


•  Reviewed 3/17/2008:
When Moses Meets Aaron: Staffing and Supervision in Large Congregations (Book)
Gil Rendle, Susan Beaumont, Authors. Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2007.
Leading a staff team can be a challenge. One has to manage everyday details while inspiring and driving a congregation’s vision. This book—an invaluable toolkit—takes the best of human resource know-how and applies it to the large congregation.
Found under Staffing.


•  Reviewed 3/14/2008:
Growing a Beloved Community: Twelve Hallmarks of a Healthy Congregation (Book)
Tom Owen-Towle, Author. Boston, MA: Skinner House Books, 2004.
Tom Owen-Towle outlines twelve characteristics of healthy, vital congregations. Grounded in the image of the "beloved community," these characteristics include mutual care, a commitment to social justice, and the nurturance of generosity.
Found under Congregational Vitality; Congregational Spirituality.


•  Reviewed 3/11/2008:
Reinventing Your Board: A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Policy Governance (Book)
John Carver, Miriam Carver, Authors. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006.
This book builds on the Policy Governance model John Carver introduced in Boards That Make a Difference, offering detailed advice for implementing and effectively applying the model in real-life situations.
Found under Board Development.


•  Reviewed 3/11/2008:
The Strategic Board: The Step-by-Step Guide to High-Impact Governance (Book)
Mark Light, Author. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001.
This book offers nonprofit boards guidance for implementing a plan for setting organizational direction, delegating work, and monitoring the organization's effectiveness in meeting its stated goals.
Found under Board Development.


•  Reviewed 3/11/2008:
The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids (Book)
Madeline Levine, Author. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2006.
Based on extensive research and the author's many years of experience as a psychologist and parent, this book offers advice to affluent parents to help them raise children with a healthy sense of self.
Found under Family Ministry; Youth Ministry .


•  Reviewed 3/10/2008:
Wake Me Up When the Data Is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results (Book)
Lori Silverman, Author. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.
This book offers extensive examples of how story is being used globally in a variety of business disciplines, as well as to how organizations are using story to bring about organizational change, build teams, and deal with difficult issues.
Found under Narrative Leadership.


•  Reviewed 3/10/2008:
Storytelling in Organizations: Why Storytelling Is Transforming 21st Century Organizations and Management (Book)
John Seely Brown, Stephen Denning, Katalina Groh, Laurence Prusak, Authors. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005.
Four executives share their discoveries regarding the importance of storytelling for management and organizations. They explore how narrative can transfer knowledge and effect change, and predict the future of storytelling in organizations.
Found under Narrative Leadership.


•  Reviewed 3/10/2008:
The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative (Book)
Stephen Denning, Author. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
Stephen Denning discusses storytelling as a crucial discipline for leadership, showing how the use of narrative can motivate, build trust, transmit values, facilitate teamwork, neutralize gossip and rumor, and create and share a vision.
Found under Narrative Leadership.


•  Reviewed 3/10/2008:
The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion through the Art of Storytelling (Book)
Annette Simmons, Author. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2001.
Through exploring six types of stories, this book shows how leaders can use stories to authentically communicate themsevles and their goals in ways that move others to share and support those goals.
Found under Narrative Leadership.


•  Reviewed 3/10/2008:
Corporate Legends and Lore: The Power of Storytelling as a Management Tool (Book)
Peg Neuhauser, Author. Austin, TX: PCN Associates, 1993.
Peg Neuhauser explores how narrative can enhance a leader's effectiveness, connect people to an organization, help manage change, and create adaptive organizations. She shares six types of stories that can promote positive change.
Found under Narrative Leadership.


•  Reviewed 3/07/2008:
U.S. Religious Landscape Survey 2008 (Web Resource)
Washington, DC: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
This report explores the religious composition of the U.S., changes in affiliation, and affiliation reviewed by demographics. The report is available as a PDF download or online, with interactive data: affiliations, maps, portraits, and comparisons.
Found under Religion in America; Demographic Information and Statistics.


•  Reviewed 3/07/2008:
The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry (Book)
Sue Annis Hammond, Author. Plano, TX: Thin Book Publishing, 1998.
This slender volume explains appreciative inquiry as a tool for organizational change and makes it understandable for people new to the topic. It explains how to generate an appreciative inquiry process that inspires people to build on their strengths.
Found under Appreciative Inquiry.