Mary-Kate Brisset

Summary of Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works

Baker Books, 2002.  $19.99

www.bakerbooks.com

by Mary-Kate Brissett (FASTEN, 2007)

Resource Type: Book summary

Audience: Pastors and lay leaders wanting an excellent overview of the principles and practices of church-based holistic ministry

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Churches that Make a Difference is a thorough handbook for churches that want to embrace holistic ministry in their congregations.  Historically, America has expected social work to be secular, objective, and separated from the world of faith communities and congregations.  However, the problem of poverty is not being solved by government and public agencies.  Sider, Olson and Unruh introduce their book with some amazing results that faith-based groups are having in some of America’s poorest and toughest neighborhoods.  President Bush’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has furthered the attention and strength of faith-based ministries, and researchers like these authors are adding statistical support to what is becoming clear anecdotally:  faith-based groups are changing the nation.

The authors use this book to guide churches into holistic ministry so that they can participate in this exciting time for Christianity in North America.  Many church’s mindsets are changing, too, as more and more are finding ways to balance social action and evangelism rather than siding with one or the other.

Part 1 begins by introducing holistic ministry:  What does it mean?  What does it look like?  The authors present several very diverse examples to communicate the fact that holistic ministry can fit any church’s context and is diverse by nature.  However, some patterns of success have emerged through their research:

·         ministries that value personal spiritual transformation as an agent of social change,

·         social service ministries as an entry to evangelism,

·         reconciliation ministries that communicate unity in Christ,

·         community development ministries that express God’s love and passion for wholeness in individuals and communities,

·         justice ministries expressing the empowering message of the Gospel, and

·         effectiveness ministries that show skeptics that the church can make a difference.

The authors then go on to explain the spiritual and theological background for pursuing holistic ministry, beginning with the teaching and model of Jesus Christ in his ministry on Earth.  They also discuss the biblical doctrines of community, sin, salvation, and heaven as they fit into this context of community ministry. 

Not only is it right theologically, but the practical benefits of holistic ministry are staggering.  The authors discuss some of these benefits, the effectiveness of holistic ministry.  Important to note is the strengthening influence that social action and evangelism have on each other when used together.

The centrality of sharing the Good News is foundational to holistic ministry.  The book provides a list of the types of evangelism that churches use and how churches can adapt these different types to fit their community and the community’s needs.  The authors also explain how to assess your church’s evangelism and how to train leaders and members to be better evangelists, no matter what type you use.  They stress relational evangelism, putting the relationship at the core of evangelism. 

Social Action is another diverse field of ministry, and the authors explain the different types here as well:  relief, individual development, community development and structural change.  They encourage churches to move from the simpler ministry of relief to structural change.  Change in this way benefits individuals, deals with sin on its structural level, obeys God’s command to pursue justice, reflects Jesus as Lord of all creation, and points the world to the justice and love of God.  There are different ways to pursue this sort of structural change, and the book gives guidelines on education, advocacy and intervention. 

Achieving an integrated relationship between evangelism and social outreach is often a difficult step for churches so this book gives guidelines in this area as well.  They discuss ways to incorporate a religious element into social service ministry.  They also describe the different ways this relationship can be manifested in churches. 

Part 2 of this book describes the components of holistic ministries and provides practical advice on achieving effectiveness and success.  Congregations must first have the divine love and power of God.  Holistic ministry is both an overflow of the love of God and an absolutely essential aspect of a healthy relationship with God.  Therefore, churches must be about worship and prayer at all times, in all things. 

The authors also guide readers to consider the importance of servanthood, submission, visionary compassion, and joy.  They caution readers against the “Messiah Syndrome” and provide ways of avoiding it.  The personal spiritual transformation of believers that is necessary before embarking on holistic ministries is detailed --  the authors encourage prayer, bible study and meditation.

Effective holistic ministry also requires a commitment to community outreach.  The church’s mission must be centered on its role as witness, agent and sign of the kingdom of God.  The authors explain these dynamics as well as the boundaries and barriers that exist between the church and the community.  Some of these include spiritual, geographic, cultural, and physical boundaries.  The process of building bridges is difficult, but the authors provide biblical and practical advice on how to begin. 

Congregations must also be healthy internally before they can be effective in outreach.  The authors discuss the congregational activities of worship, sacraments and tithing in this chapter.  They also explain the crucial role that discipleship, small groups, and youth ministry play in congregational healthy.  To pursue deep and lasting health, the church must attend to these elements of congregational life:

·         internal needs,

·         reconciliation,

·         hospitality to outsiders,

·         fellowship among members, and

·         accountability.

Church leadership clearly deserves a fair amount of attention.  The authors discuss the necessary elements of good church leadership:  discipleship, costly and contagious love, faith, humility, and flexibility.  Church leaders must embrace the vision of the church and they need the ability to build people up, be an agent of change, connect people with one another, and maintain a biblical perspective.  This chapter also tackles the issues of team ministry and new leadership development.

The next chapter discusses creating a ministry-centered organizational structure.  The authors provide step-by-step advice on how to organize your congregation for holistic ministry and help churches find the appropriate relationship between the church and its ministry program. 

Partnerships are essential in true community ministry and outreach – the authors explain why this is both from a practical and a theological perspective.  They also give qualities of good partnerships and different ways churches can partner with other groups.  The possibilities for partnership are certainly broad:  churches can partner with businesses, public schools, national organizations, and the government.  They can be a part of community, ministry, church or clergy coalitions or serve on public boards or committees. 

The third and final section of the book is about cultivating and implementing a vision.  The authors explain how to develop a vision suitable for your own unique church and community.  A crucial part of this process is study of both the congregation and the community – this book provides reasons for this and the steps to accomplish it.  The authors then provide 13 steps to developing a vision. 

They then walk readers through how to rally support in both the leadership and the congregation – how to educate, motivate, empower and reward the congregation. 

The authors then address fears, change and conflict.  They discuss the risks and opportunities of ministry to volunteers, members, the church facilities and the ministry itself.  They encourage readers to embrace change and discuss how to deal with conflict constructively and biblically. 

The appendices include profiles of the churches the authors have studied in their research as well as an extensive list of additional resources.  These resources include books, periodicals, websites, organizations, networks and training programs.

Churches That Make a Difference gives readers a thorough look at holistic ministry in congregations, covering both the practical and theological sides of the issues.  Their advice is clear, biblical, and balanced.  Congregations of all denominations, situations and styles will find help in this book.  It is organized well, making it easy for readers to flip through and find just what they are looking for.  The authors include plenty of Biblical and modern-day examples and support for their arguments.  Leaders reading the book will find helpful counsel both for their congregation and for their personal spiritual lives as well.