Transforming Church in Rural America

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Publisher : New Leaf Publishing Group
ISBN 13 : 1614582130
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (145 download)

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Book Synopsis Transforming Church in Rural America by : Shannon O'Dell

Download or read book Transforming Church in Rural America written by Shannon O'Dell and published by New Leaf Publishing Group. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "No matter what size church you are a part of, this book will challenge your traditional thinking, force you to look beyond the status quo, and enable you to grasp a bigger vision of what God has in store for your ministry and your leadership." -Ed Young, Fellowship Church "Shannon O'Dell's passion for the rural church in America is contagious" -Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv Small church buildings dotting the countryside are home to ministries that often struggle with limited attendance, no money, and little expectation that change can revitalize their future. In Transforming Church in Rural America, Pastor Shannon O'Dell shares a powerful vision of relevance, possibility, and excellence for these small churches, or for any ministry that is stuck in a "rural state of mind." The book reveals: how to generate growth through transformed lives ways to create active evangelism in your community no-cost solutions for staffing challenges, enhancing the worship experience, and inspiring volunteers Focusing on vision, attitude, leadership, and innovation, you can learn the practical strategies and biblical guidance that helped to grow a church of 31 into a multi-campus church of several thousand, with a national and global outreach. Discover effective structure and ways to cast God-given vision so others can follow and make an impact. Experience the blueprint for transforming into effective, dynamic, and thriving churches no matter where the location or how small it may be. MORE INFO

Reclaiming Rural

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538135256
Total Pages : 137 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (381 download)

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Book Synopsis Reclaiming Rural by : Allen T. Stanton

Download or read book Reclaiming Rural written by Allen T. Stanton and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-05-15 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As rural America continues to undergo massive economic and demographic shifts, rural churches are uniquely positioned to provide community leadership. Leading a rural congregation requires a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these communities, as well as a strong theological and community-focused identity. Allen T. Stanton describes how in establishing this identity, rural leaders build a meaningful and vital ministry. Reclaiming Rural explores the myths and realities of rural places, and how those common narratives impact the leadership of rural churches. Ultimately, rural congregations must practice a contextual understanding of vitality, which understands both the strengths and challenges of leading in a rural setting. Arguing for a practice of evangelism imbued with this mission of vitality, Reclaiming Rural promotes the church as a leader in economic and community development, modeled upon a Wesleyan theology of grace. Acknowledging the many challenges facing rural churches, this book is an energetic and encouraging guide to overcoming social and economic obstacles to build a thriving congregation.

Rural Ministry

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780687016068
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis Rural Ministry by : Shannon Jung

Download or read book Rural Ministry written by Shannon Jung and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grounded in social research, Rural Ministry evaluates the diminishing establishment of the church in rural America, which is linked to the fifty-year-old crisis in rural ministry. It names the primary issues for leaders of Protestant and Catholic churches to ponder: the graying of the population; the closing of schools, hospitals, and factories; and the corporate buyout of farms during the 1980s. In addition to retelling the history of this crisis, Shannon Jung and the other contributors to this volume offer a set of Christian principles that respond to social problems in rural life. The situation is so intense that the book offers examples from around the heartland of cooperative or collaborative parishes that blend denominational and theological differences across the Protestant and Catholic spectrum. Key Benefits: Offers a vision of nationwide renewal in rural America; Advocates true ecumenical solutions to issues confronting the rural church in America; Sidebars feature examples and illustrations; Informs new rural ministers of the culture and issues about to confront them, allowing them to better handle the challenges and opportunities of the rural environment; Motivates congregations to activate ministries in new and provocative ways, insuring the spread of the gospel; Can help troubled churches survive.

Church Administration Handbook

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Publisher : B&H Publishing Group
ISBN 13 : 143366898X
Total Pages : 349 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (336 download)

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Book Synopsis Church Administration Handbook by : Bruce P. Powers

Download or read book Church Administration Handbook written by Bruce P. Powers and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What’s new about this third edition of the long respected and often used Church Administration Handbook? In addition to time and technological-sensitive updates to the basic organizational details, editor Bruce Powers writes: “The needs of people and churches have continued to change, with questions now being raised about the quality of congregational life, nature of leadership, and responsibility for ministry among all believers . . . As we have prepared this edition, we have sought to address five primary needs. 1. Leadership skills and administrative tools that can be adapted for use in a variety of contexts from traditional to contemporary, from rural to urban, and from unicultural to multicultural settings; 2. Spiritual formation that relates to all of life (from birth to death); 3. Mission consciousness (in community, regionally, nationally, and globally); 4. Ministry of all believers (particularly calling out and equipping vocational, bivocational, and lay ministers); and 5. Leadership competence (the ability to inspire, motivate, and equip the saints for the work of ministry).”

Gospel Eldership

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Publisher : New Growth Press
ISBN 13 : 194257262X
Total Pages : 120 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (425 download)

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Book Synopsis Gospel Eldership by : Robert H. Thune

Download or read book Gospel Eldership written by Robert H. Thune and published by New Growth Press. This book was released on 2016-03-16 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biblical church leadership requires more than good management principles or theological knowledge; it calls for deep, personal roots in the gospel. Gospel Eldership is a ten-lesson workbook to help pastors develop elders who are strong in the gospel and able to apply it to the real-time needs of the church.

Simple Church

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Publisher : B&H Publishing Group
ISBN 13 : 0805447997
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (54 download)

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Book Synopsis Simple Church by : Thom S. Rainer

Download or read book Simple Church written by Thom S. Rainer and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2011-06 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in paperback, this multi-awarded national best seller shares a clear message from case studies of 400 North American congregations: church is done best when it's kept simple.

Administration in the Small Membership Church

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780687646432
Total Pages : 102 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (464 download)

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Book Synopsis Administration in the Small Membership Church by : John H. Tyson

Download or read book Administration in the Small Membership Church written by John H. Tyson and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many pastors, church administration may be their least favorite area of ministry. But whether they love it or loathe it, they probably spend more time on administration than on any other single area of ministry. This book will help pastors create and maintain effective structures that will enable them to spend most of their time on what they truly value. Describes church administration as a ministry in the small membership church. Outlines key steps to organize and manage time, volunteers, and resources of the small membership churches including multi-point charges. Gives practical methods for creating and maintaining viable structures for effective church management * Helps pastors organize their church(es), so that they can focus on what gives them the most satisfaction in ministry. * Helps pastors recruit and retain the right people for the right jobs, thereby maximizing ministry especially where resources are limited. * Gives pastors ways to sharpen their vision for local church and mission beyond the local church ministry.

There's Hope for Your Church

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Publisher : Baker Books
ISBN 13 : 0801014069
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis There's Hope for Your Church by : Gary McIntosh

Download or read book There's Hope for Your Church written by Gary McIntosh and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2012-05 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Veteran church consultant calls church leaders back to the hope that God can and does restore churches, equipping them with practical tools to bring about healthy growth.

God Land

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Publisher : Indiana University Press
ISBN 13 : 0253041546
Total Pages : 142 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (53 download)

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Book Synopsis God Land by : Lyz Lenz

Download or read book God Land written by Lyz Lenz and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2019-07-19 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Will resonate with any readers interested in understanding American landscapes where white, evangelical Christianity dominates both politics and culture.” —Publishers Weekly In the wake of the 2016 election, Lyz Lenz watched as her country and her marriage were torn apart by the competing forces of faith and politics. A mother of two, a Christian, and a lifelong resident of middle America, Lenz was bewildered by the pain and loss around her—the empty churches and the broken hearts. What was happening to faith in the heartland? From drugstores in Sydney, Iowa, to skeet shooting in rural Illinois, to the mega churches of Minneapolis, Lenz set out to discover the changing forces of faith and tradition in God’s country. Part journalism, part memoir, God Land is a journey into the heart of a deeply divided America. Lenz visits places of worship across the heartland and speaks to the everyday people who often struggle to keep their churches afloat and to cope in a land of instability. Through a thoughtful interrogation of the effects of faith and religion on our lives, our relationships, and our country, God Land investigates whether our divides can ever be bridged and if America can ever come together. “God Land, Lyz Lenz’s much-anticipated debut book, is a marvel. Not only is it a window into the middle America so many like to stereotype but fail to fully understand in all of its complexity, but it mixes reportage, memoir, and gorgeous prose so seamlessly I wanted to know how she did it.” —Sarah Weinman, author of The Real Lolita

Thriving Churches

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Publisher : The United Church of Canada
ISBN 13 : 1551342596
Total Pages : 120 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (513 download)

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Book Synopsis Thriving Churches by : Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd

Download or read book Thriving Churches written by Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd and published by The United Church of Canada. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THRIVING CHURCHES tells the story of two United Church ministers who travelled across Canada visiting flourishing United Churches to uncover the reasons for their success. Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd, minister at Westworth United Church in Winnipeg, visited urban churches, and Tammy Allan, minister at Olds-Sundre Pastoral Charge, Alberta, visited rural churches. They found these churches shared a number of features that helped them not only survive but also thrive through challenging times. Filled with concrete examples from congregations of all sizes, this book will inspire. Also included is an eight-session study guide on spiritual attributes of thriving churches.

Rural Church Turnaround

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Publisher : Crosslink Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781633572058
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis Rural Church Turnaround by : Danny Davis

Download or read book Rural Church Turnaround written by Danny Davis and published by Crosslink Publishing. This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Rural churches across North America are dying at alarming rates. Rural Church Turnaround is about real people who decided their rual communities needed a life-giving church. Rural Church Turnaround recoutns the experiences of pastors and lay eladers who led their dying congregations back to health, vitality, and impactful ministry."--Back cover

Teams That Thrive

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Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 0830897577
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (38 download)

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Book Synopsis Teams That Thrive by : Ryan T. Hartwig

Download or read book Teams That Thrive written by Ryan T. Hartwig and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-03-10 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do the top church teams do to thrive together? Researchers and practitioners Ryan Hartwig and Warren Bird have discovered churches who have learned to thrive under healthy team leadership. Using actual church examples, this coaching tool presents their discoveries, culminating in five disciplines that will enable your team to thrive.

Imagining the Small Church

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1566995558
Total Pages : 116 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (669 download)

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Book Synopsis Imagining the Small Church by : Steve Willis

Download or read book Imagining the Small Church written by Steve Willis and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012-11-06 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagining the Small Church: Celebrating a Simpler Path bears witness to what God is doing in small churches. Steve Willis tells stories from the small churches he has pastored in rural, town, and urban settings and dares to imagine that their way of being has something to teach all churches in this time of change in the American Christian Church. Willis tells us in the introduction, 'This book boasts no ten or fifteen steps to a successful small church. Instead, I hope to encourage you to give up on steps altogether and even to give up on success, at least how success is usually measured. I also hope to help the reader imagine the small church differently; to see with new eyes the joys and pleasures of living small and sustainably.' The joys and sorrows Willis helps us see through the compelling stories of faith in the small church puts flesh and bones on the possibilities that lie ahead for congregations in the future as well as the here and now. From the foreword by Tony Pappas: 'In Imagining the Small Church, pastor, writer, and lover of small things Steve Willis takes us on a narrative and imaginative journey. Some readers will have a sense that what Willis is describing simply names what they have already known in their hearts about their small churches. For them the journey will cover some familiar ground, explore some territory from a fresh angle, but deposit them nearly home again, hopefully with just a bit more awareness and appreciation. For others, though, Willis will take them on a long journey to a far and foreign place. They probably won't bother to finish reading it, and they will miss his invitation to find pastoring a small church extremely rewarding and meaningful. They will find this a strange book weird, off-center, and impractical; unlivable in the twenty-first century and undesirable in any event. This is because Willis is taking on the ethos, the values of our age, and claiming that it needn't be so. We can live on a different basis. We can live on the basis of gospel values.' There will be a variety of paths as the Church seeks new ways of being in this time. Willis knows this. In Imagining the Small Church he presents us with one that embraces a life of faith on the periphery and challenges church leaders to do the same.

Church Revitalization in Rural America

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780998738468
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (384 download)

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Book Synopsis Church Revitalization in Rural America by : Tom Cheyney

Download or read book Church Revitalization in Rural America written by Tom Cheyney and published by . This book was released on 2018-08-08 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The lasting solutions to rural America's churches challenges will be found in rural America. The rural church in America in the twenty-first century must develop new relationships and new ways of doing things to ensure prosperous and socially healthy future. But we should not delude ourselves into thinking that the rural American church has so many unique issues. In fact, most of the challenges facing the rural American church today are often the same challenges for the declining rural, urban fringe, and extreme urban church seeking renewal and revitalization. Yet, while the challenges are similar, the solutions are more unique. It has been just a little over a year since I completed my study sabbatical focusing on rural church revitalization. Our research revealed three profound types of churches among the rural landscape. The first type were those churches which were benign. These benign churches were 118 (33.71%) out of the 350 rural churches surveyed. Benign churches are the churches which have primarily a maintenance mindset which is displayed by very little effort and very low expectations. The second type we discovered were the bewildered churches in the rural landscape. Bewildered churches are those which are so frustrated that they are all but ready to jump off the proverbial bridge. These churches were 117 (33.43%) out of the 350 churches interviewed and surveyed. They are not only doing nothing they have no desire to seek renewal or life. They are the ones which have the mantra that the last one left alive remember to turn the lights off. The third type of rural church our research and interviews revealed are those who are the bold. These bold churches along the rural landscape have leaders which operate more as a community watcher and chaplain for the entire region not just a few church members. These churches were 115 (32.86%) of the 350 churches surveyed and interviewed. Without a doubt these were the healthiest of all the three types. They had a forward focus and were willing to try almost anything to reach their tiny population for Christ Jesus. Those churches were led by leaders who were strong voices for righteousness in their rural communities. They were not only participants with community leaders but they were partners in projects for the good of the area. These bold churches also stretched the usual outreach area around their church from six miles to thirty miles. The bold churches were most interested in connecting with the community. They sought ways to think outside of the box for the betterment of community not just the church. They emphasized newness over deadness. I am extremely encouraged at what I have seen and the pastors who are giving it their all for the sake of Christ in these rural areas. As a rural church revitalizer, you cannot settle for just doing a little. You must give it your all if you are going to revitalize a rural church. Successful rural revitalizers stay out front and on the edge. Dying rural churches are more focused on relaxing in a recliner. There have been many who I met that could barely make ends meet and yet their daily walk and Christian experienced makes ours pale in compare. There was such joy and intimacy in these congregations. The pace was much slower and so much more relaxed. These rural churches affirmed the membership and accepted everyone. Pastors of these rural churches were known in these small communities. They were making a difference. This will be the most challenging ministry assignment you will ever face! Might I make one more parting observation? While so many in denominational life are focusing on a small number of urban centers for their future hopes, perhaps such short sightedness will be the cause for us to lose the rest of America. What a sad day that will be. Our Lord Jesus loves the little communities just as much as He does the big ones. Hold on and keep on. Hold on Rural Church Revitalizer. Hold on!

Church Planting Movements

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Publisher : WIGTake Resources
ISBN 13 : 9780974756202
Total Pages : 374 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (562 download)

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Book Synopsis Church Planting Movements by : V. David Garrison

Download or read book Church Planting Movements written by V. David Garrison and published by WIGTake Resources. This book was released on 2007 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Garrison, PhD University of Chicago, defines Church Planting Movements as rapidly multiplying indigenous churches planting churches that sweep across a people group or population segment. Garrison's Church Planting Movements: How God Is Redeeming a Lost World signaled a breakthrough in missionary church planting. After the publication of Garrison's book in 2004 it became impossible to talk about missions without referencing Church Planting Movements. Church Planting Movements examines more than two-dozen movements of multiplying churches on five continents. After presenting these case studies, Garrison identifies ten universal elements present in each movement. He then broadens the circle of examination to identify a further ten common characteristics, factors identified in most, but not all, of the movements. He concludes his examination with a list of "Seven Deadly Sins," i.e. harmful practices that stifle or impede Church Planting Movements. Important for evangelical readers, the author returns to his findings to see how they stand up to the light of Scripture. What he discovers is that Church Planting Movements are much more consistent with the New Testament lay-led house-church movements that swept rapidly through the Mediterranean world in the face of hostile opposition than today's more sedentary professional institutionalized Christianity. Learn more about Church Planting Movements from the book's website: www.ChurchPlantingMovements.com.

God's Country

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Publisher : MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1513802402
Total Pages : 202 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (138 download)

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Book Synopsis God's Country by : Bradley Roth

Download or read book God's Country written by Bradley Roth and published by MennoMedia, Inc.. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the poetic force of Kathleen Norris and the pastoral warmth of Eugene Peterson, Kansas pastor Roth sets forth a vision for vibrant rural churches, for ministry in congregations that bear a profound sense of both loss and possibility, and for harvesting fruits of transformation and renewal. Rooted in stories from Scripture, his own ministry, and interviews with rural church leaders, Roth offers a sturdy theological and practical alternative to church-growth strategies that rely on success stories and flashy metrics. Reclaiming God’s vision for the rural church, Roth writes, means learning how to praise, abide, watch, pray, grow, work the edges, die, befriend, and dream. In God’s Country, rediscover the stunning abundance of God’s presence in rural communities. Name the ways that the rural church testifies to God’s glory and goodness. Learn to live and love and minister right where you are, no matter how small or unassuming it may seem. Winner of the Award of Merit, Christianity Today 2018 Book Awards, The Church / Pastoral Leadership category. Free downloadable study guide available here.

Inside the Small Church

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1566995620
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (669 download)

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Book Synopsis Inside the Small Church by : Anthony G. Pappas

Download or read book Inside the Small Church written by Anthony G. Pappas and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2001-11-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even as so-called megachurches capture the attention of many church watchers, small congregations continue to dominate America's religious landscape in both rural and urban settings. Although sometimes obscured by their larger siblings, these small churches play a prominent role and hold a unique place in both local and national cultures. How can leaders help to keep these often at-risk churches alive and to meet their potential for ministry? Small-church expert Tony Pappas has gathered a cornucopia of essays into an indispensable book for anyone interested in the rich life of these small but significant congregations. Drawing on classic and updated articles by a variety of writers from his own small-church newsletter The Five Stones; from Alban journals Action Information and Congregations; and adding new pieces developed especially for this volume, Pappas provides timeless ideas on learning to value, pastor, develop, and lead the small church. In addition to time-honored articles by the editor, other contributors to this volume include Sherry and Douglas Alan Walrath, Gary Farley, Lawrence W. Farris, Loren Mead, Caroline Westerhoff, Steven Burt, Carl Dudley, David Ray, James Lowery, and a host of others known for their work-and love-for the small church. Readers of Inside the Small Church will come away with a renewed love and appreciation for these vital congregations as well as with new skills for ministry.