Tackle Box

Reviews of Witness Resources
December 1997

Reviews are included for all the resource items listed below.
* Items marked with an asterisk are included as part of the Eastern Synod Witness Sub-committee Tackle Box. All other items are available for loan from the Synod Office.

1. Board of Congregational Life, Presbyterian Church in Canada, 1986. Video. What Do You Say After Hello?
*2. Carlson, Richard, and Ted Schroeder, 1996. Faith Sharing: Telling Our Story/Telling God's Story.
3. Diehl, William E., 1996. Ministry in Daily Life: A Practical Guide for Congregations.
4. Eastern Synod Witness Sub-Committee, 1994. Video. Lucy Natera: Sharing Our Faith.
5. Grindal, Harald, 1984. Telecare Ministry - Using the Telephone in Care Ministry.
6. Haugk, Kenneth C., 1992. Video. 17 Keys to Effective Ministry to Inactive Members.
7. Haugk, Kenneth C., 1990. Caring for Inactive Members: How to Make God's House a Home.
8. Haugk, Kenneth C., 1989. Reopening the Back Door: Answers to Questions about Ministering to Inactive Members.
9. Hoffman, Gerald J., 1990. How Your Congregation Can Become a More Hospitable Community.
10. Keener, David F., 1994. Preparing Lay Callers for Visitor Follow-Up.
11. Mead, Loren B., 1991. The Once and Future Church: Reinventing the Congregation for a New Mission Frontier.
12. Mead, Loren B., 1994. Transforming Congregations for the Future.
13. Percy, Harold, 1996. Good News People: An Introduction to Evangelism for Tongue-Tied Christians.
14. *Poling-Goldenne, David, 1996. Tips for Creative and Courageous Faith Sharing in Daily Life.
15. *Poling-Goldenne, David et al., 1996. The Reaching Congregation Program Guide.
16. Posterski, Donald C., and Irwin Barker, 1993. Where's a Good Church? Canadians Respond from the Pulpit, Podium and Pew.
17. Schaller, Lyle E., 1988. 44 Ways To Increase Church Attendance.
18. Sickles, Diana J., 1995. Preparing Lay Callers for Congregation Care.
19. Sorenson, Paul, 1995. Sharing Your Faith with Friends, Relatives, and Neighbors.
20. Stuenkel, Omar, 1987. Caring about Inactive Church Members.
21. Wollersheim, Gary M., 1995. Preparing Lay Callers for Community Outreach.
22. Wright, Tim, 1995. Unfinished Evangelism: More Than Getting Them in the Door.

1. Board of Congregational Life, Presbyterian Church in Canada. What Do You Say After Hello?. Tremble Visual Services, 1986.
Video. 30 minutes.

The video portrays four different kinds of visits: regular members, shut-ins, newcomers, and inactives. The visits themselves are far from role-models. But with a critical eye and the accompanying study guide, they could be helpful as a discussion starter as part of a program to train lay visitors. The video and guide are not strong enough to serve alone as a training program, but with the right adaptation, they would be useful with some of the other resource materials described in this Tackle Box. One word of caution, namely that there are a lot of terms used that are specific to the structure of the Presbyterian church. These might need to be explained or translated.

Rating: 3½ fishes <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Susan Johnson
Available for loan through the Synod AV library - video #402

2. Carlson, Richard, and Ted Schroeder. Faith Sharing: Telling Our Story/Telling God's Story. Chicago: ELCA, 1996.
Booklet. 12 pages.

A four session bible study which invites participants to discover and share their own faith stories. New Testament passages come to life in a way that helps learners connect with God's story and discover creative ways to reach out to others. Could be used with adult forums, small groups, leadership training or a congregational retreat. Designed to be used with the brochure Tips for Creative and Courageous Faith Sharing in Daily Life (Poling-Goldenne, 1996). What I like the most about this study is the way in which it uses bible stories to shed light on different aspects of sharing faith. I also like the practical applications and exercises used to help us begin to share our faith--I can see myself doing them!

Rating: 4½ fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Susan Johnson
Augsburg Fortress code number: 69-3552
Included as part of the Eastern Synod Witness Sub-Committee Tackle Box

5. Grindal, Harald. Telecare Ministry - Using the Telephone in Care Ministry. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984.
Paperback booklet. 32 pages.

Calling and caring is what telecare ministry is all about. This book makes a reasonable and compelling case for the opportunity that exists for ministry using the telephone, with insights taken from business, scripture, and communication theory. It describes a program modelled after one already in use at a Lutheran congregation in Minnesota. Very practical and useable, showing how the telephone can come alive with human interest for congregations. Brief and to the point, it is replete with rationale, tools, training, and a plan for implementation.

Rating: 3 fishes <>< <>< <>< Reviewed by: Doug Kranz
No longer available from publisher. Synod Office has one copy available for loan.

6. Haugk, Kenneth C. 17 Keys to Effective Ministry to Inactive Members. St. Louis: Tebunah Ministries, 1992.
Video - VHS. 45 minutes. Includes 8-page Leader's Guide for discussion.

The content of this video is pretty well summarized by the title. After a short section on the importance of ministry to inactive members in today's church (where typically one-third of the members may be inactive), the 17 "keys" are presented. For each "key", there is both an idea or suggestion and the reasoning behind it.

This video should be seen in every congregation in the synod. (If you don't have any inactive members, it will help you to keep on not having any!) The message is clear and powerful. It will challenge the way you look at inactive members. It could change the way you look after them!

Rating: 4½ fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
Available from: Stephen Ministries, 8016 Dale Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63117-1449
Phone: (314)645-5511 Order Code: 8009 approx. $49.95 US
Available for loan through the Synod AV library - video #418

7. Haugk, Kenneth C. Caring for Inactive Members: How to Make God's House a Home. St. Louis: Tebunah Ministries, 1990.
Course Package. Consists of ten training modules.
Includes: Leader's Guide, three-ring loose-leaf binder. 349 pages
Participant Manual, paperback. 176 pages
Also requires Reopening the Back Door (Haugk, 1989) as additional textbook (not included)

This course is designed to develop better understanding of church inactivity and to help congregations acquire new attitudes and skills that will enable them to care effectively for inactive members. It is process-oriented and takes a threefold approach: prevention of inactivity, ministry to inactive members, and welcoming home inactive members.

The course can be used for various purposes: general education for anyone in the congregation; more targeted education for church leaders, Sunday School staff, ushers, greeters, etc.; or specific training for an inactive member team. A minimum of 10 hours of class instruction is required and extensions to 12, 14, or 18 hours are appropriate. The course may be offered in a series of class sessions, or in one or more retreats, or in a combination of class sessions and retreats. Various teaching/learning methods (discussion, lecture, small group exercises, independent work, skill practice, etc.) are used. Each module is completely scripted and close adherence to the script is advised. Specific suggestions for planning, scheduling, publicizing, and teaching the course (based on field testing in 67 congregations in a variety of settings in the U.S. and Canada) are included.

This course looks exciting and challenging! It presents a lot of information in a very practical and relevant way, while staying firmly in touch with bible-based theoretical perspectives. The course materials explain everything you need to know and do to use this course in your congregation--and probably more. The course leader(s) must commit a considerable amount of preparation time and participants are expected to do "homework". In some ways, this course may look just too big and challenging. To help decide whether to use it, you might consider some questions. Do you want to care for inactive members? Do you want to develop in your congregation a climate that will help prevent inactivity? Do you want to encourage widespread congregational support for and involvement in this ministry? Do you want a course that promotes training by the congregation for the congregation and reduces dependence on outside training help? Do you want a course that encourages shared leadership and ownership by lay members in both training and ministry? If your answers are "yes" (or even "maybe"), then this course can help you.

Rating: 4½ fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
Available from: Stephen Ministries, 8016 Dale Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63117-1449
Phone: (314)645-5511
Leader's Guide - Order Code: 4472 approx. $29.95 US
Participant Manual - Order Code: 4473 approx. $11.95 US

8. Haugk, Kenneth C. Reopening the Back Door: Answers to Questions about Ministering to Inactive Members. St. Louis: Tebunah Ministries, 1989.
Paperback. 192 pages.

Do you feel ministry to inactive members is difficult, intimidating, and usually unproductive? Is inactivity a familiar pet peeve in your congregation? Kenneth Haugk acknowledges these feelings but then moves on to make a compelling case that dealing with church inactivity can be exciting, joyful, and successful. His central theme is that effective ministry to inactive members must focus on process rather than results. Rejecting the traditional "get them back into the church" approach as a recipe for failure, Haugk presents an approach that is based on building relationships with inactive members: reaching out to them, listening to them, finding out what their needs and pains are, caring for them--in short, being Christ's ambassador to them.

This book is written almost entirely in question and answer format. There are 220 questions organized into fourteen major topics, e.g., defining inactivity and examining reasons for inactivity, moving from the negative to the positive, common mistakes and how to avoid them, seven steps your congregation can take, dealing with hurt and anger, and more than an ounce of prevention. The answers provide reasons, practical advice, and constant encouragement for ministering to inactive members.

This book is intended not just for pastors and lay leaders, but for everyone in the congregation. It is well organized and easy to read. The author's message is personal, positive, and practical and he presents it with humour and empathy. And, despite the subtitle, this book is not just about inactive members. In learning to care for inactive members, we can learn better ways to care for all members, to welcome newcomers, and to reach out to those outside the church. This reminder of the connection between ministry to inactive members and the mission of the church is one of the strengths of Haugk's book. Highly recommended!

Rating: 5 fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
ISBN: 0-9634093-0-1
Available from: Stephen Ministries, 8016 Dale Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63117-1449 Phone: (314)645-5511 Order Code: 4475 approx. $9.95 US

9. Hoffman, Gerald J. How Your Congregation Can Become a More Hospitable Community. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1990.
Paperback booklet, workbook style. 63 pages.

When you read this book, don't skip the preface! The author's stories, contrasting the hospitality he experienced at Disney World with the lack of hospitality he found in visits to some churches, provide a good reminder for congregations to check their hospitality ministries.

This book describes twenty characteristics of a hospitable congregation. It also has 16 different inventories for evaluating various aspects of hospitality in your congregation. Some of the inventories deal with specific areas of congregational life, e.g., worship services, youth ministry, or Sunday school, while others are more general. The intended purpose of each inventory is given, along with information about using the inventory: how to complete it; who should complete it (e.g., church council, evangelism committee, property committee, ushers and greeters, new members, a broad cross-section of congregation members, etc.); and how to use the results to discuss and plan ways to enhance hospitality in the congregation. Permission to photocopy the inventories for congregational use is included.

This book is useful in several ways. It raises awareness of the many ways that congregations can be hospitable, it provides methods for evaluating the congregation's hospitality, and it encourages all members to help make the congregation a more hospitable community. The large number of inventories (16) has advantages and disadvantages. It allows for quite a comprehensive evaluation of many areas of congregational life, but not everyone will find all the inventories equally useful. You probably won't use all of them in your congregation and you may find that some of the items on some of the inventories just don't make sense in your situation. Nevertheless, whether hospitality has been a neglected issue or a high priority in your congregation, there is much in this booklet to help support and strengthen your hospitality ministry.

Rating: 4 fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
Augsburg Fortress code number: 23-1689 approx. $11.75 Cdn

12. Mead, Loren B. Transforming Congregations for the Future. Washington, DC: Alban Institute, 1994.
Paperback. 139 pages.

This is the third book in Mead's Once and Future Church Series. The author warns that the church is in the midst of a very big storm and must give up its "business-as-usual" complacency. In making his case that congregations must be transfomed, Mead asks what we need congregations for. A short version of his answer: "Our congregations are called to be communities that follow Jesus in bringing good news to the pain of the world" (p. 31). The task of the congregation is to prepare its members for discipleship and apostleship, to help them be transformed "from passive observers of mission to active participants in it" (p. 69).

The two core chapters of this book elaborate on the purpose of congregations and the things congregations need to do to fulfill their purpose. Mead also discusses the role of denominational structures in helping congregations. He identifies some obstacles to the process of transformation and suggests some strategies for moving ahead. An "educational design", which can be used to help people come to a better understanding of their congregational ministry and their own place within that ministry, is included in an appendix.

By Mead's own admission, this is not an optimistic book. It is, however, a book that is potentially very useful--if we can bring ourselves to heed its message. It identifies issues and defines problems, clearly and bluntly, and it gives both practical suggestions and broad direction for finding solutions. It is intended to stimulate thinking, discussion, and action. This book should be read and studied as widely as possible by both leaders and members of congregations.

Rating: 4½ fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
ISBN: 1-56699-126-9
Alban code number: AL152
Augsburg Fortress code number: 40-126-1872 approx. $17.75 Cdn

13. Percy, Harold. Good News People: An Introduction to Evangelism for Tongue-Tied Christians. Toronto: Anglican Book Centre, 1996.
Paperback. 141 pages.

The basic idea of evangelism sounds so simple. "It's about a broken world and a loving God" (p. 27). Doing evangelism seems to be much more difficult for us. This is a book to help "ordinary Christians"--both lay people and clergy--do evangelism. Harold Percy emphatically rejects the view that everything we do in the church is evangelism. He presents what he considers a more correct understanding of evangelism and explains why it is so important. He also looks at reasons why people are so reluctant to do evangelism and gives encouragement to overcome this reluctance. A major part of the book is devoted to the congregational context and the individual role in doing evangelism. Several key questions are addressed. Where do I start? What should I say? How should I say it? What if it works? The book includes suggestions for further reading and a study guide for individual or group study of each of the eight chapters.

This is a small book with a lot in it. The in-depth look at evangelism provides much to think about. It is not a difficult book to read, but probably not one to read in one session. It is a book to come back to, over and over again, for inspiration, encouragement, and everyday practical help for living and sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rating: 4½ fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
ISBN: 1-55126-165-0 approx. $12.00 Cdn
Available from: Anglican Book Centre, 600 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2J6

14. Poling-Goldenne, David. Tips for Creative and Courageous Faith Sharing in Daily Life. Chicago: ELCA, 1996.
Trifold brochure.

Brochure which highlights dozens of suggestions for creative ways to share one's faith within the context of daily life, work, home, school, and special moments. The suggestions are practical, embrace a wide variety of "comfort levels", and stimulate further thought about faith sharing. Ideas could be shared through the Sunday bulletin or newsletter. This could also be used within the family setting. What I like about this brochure is that it provides many different ideas for sharing faith in a wide range of comfort levels.

Rating: 4½ fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Susan Johnson
Augsburg Fortress code number: 69-3559
Included as part of the Eastern Synod Witness Sub-Committee Tackle Box

15. Poling-Goldenne, David, Dale Olson, Marta Poling-Goldenne, and Tom Bandy. The Reaching Congregation Program Guide. Chicago: ELCA, 1996.
Booklet. 12 pages.

A program guide and assessment tool to help congregations organize for intentional outreach. Offers guidance concerning critical ministry shifts that move a congregation from maintenance to mission, an assessment tool to measure present success with intentional outreach, a listing of more than 60 intentional outreach strategies for consideration, and an action planning process. Use this tool with your key leaders, your evangelism committee, or as content for a congregational retreat. Although this resource might not provide you with all the answers, I really like the way it starts you asking good questions.

Rating: 4 fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< Reviewed by: Susan Johnson
Augsburg Fortress code number: 69-3553
Included as part of the Eastern Synod Witness Sub-Committee Tackle Box

16. Posterski, Donald C., and Irwin Barker. Where's a Good Church? Canadians Respond from the Pulpit, Podium and Pew. Winfield, BC: Wood Lake Books, 1993.
Paperback. 270 pages.

A truly Canadian perspective on the factors influencing church effectiveness encompassing the opinions and reflections of the entire range of church participants from clergy to laity. This book is the result of surveying those who are involved in the church and asking what qualities matter to them--what are they looking for, what keeps them, and what drives them away? The material is presented in three subject areas dealing with what is the situation now, what is the Canadian culture and its impact on church life, and where do we go from here. Well presented, not overly ponderous. Something worth paying attention to.

Rating: 4 fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< Reviewed by: Doug Kranz
ISBN: 0-929032-94-2
Augsburg Fortress code number: 40-94-8436 approx. $17.95 Cdn

18. Sickles, Diana J. Preparing Lay Callers for Congregation Care. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1995.
Paperback booklet. 32 pages.

This is a manual for training lay members to call on other members. It begins with some "why" and "how" issues for setting up a congregational calling ministry--for in-person or telephone calling; on an ongoing or time-specific basis; for all members or target groups such as new members, nonparticipating members, or out-going leaders. The book gives detailed outlines for five training sessions, each with its own theme: faith stories, caring communities, sharing joy and pain, listening, and serving as a caller. Each two and a half hour session has the same format: training, calling, and sharing. The calling part of each session involves actual calls (in person or by telephone) to members of the congregation.

The strengths of this book are the first ten pages on the "why" and "how" of this type of ministry, the clear message that calling ministry is mostly a listening ministry, and the emphasis on process rather than results. The detailed outlines for training sessions may be either a strength or a weakness. Whether this prescribed format really suits your congregation or whether you should adapt it for your needs is something to consider carefully if you use this manual.

Rating: 3½ fishes <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
Augsburg Fortress code number: 15-9102 approx. $8.50 Cdn

19. Sorenson, Paul. Sharing Your Faith with Friends, Relatives, and Neighbors. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1995.
Participant manual, 28 pages. Leader guide, 27 pages.

By focusing on relationship building, participants learn to talk about their faith in a variety of ways--through invitation, casual conversation, care, sharing beliefs, defending the gospel, and challenging injustice. Lay members can lead this experiential process designed for use in small, relational groups. Six sessions. I have to be honest and say that both Maaike and I agree that we prefer the bible study Faith Sharing: Telling Our Story/Telling God's Story (Carlson and Schroeder, 1996) to this resource.
I find the content of this study a little shallow using lots of multiple choice questions instead of open-ended discussion. I also find the hands on activities more awkward and not as useful--I can't see myself doing all of them For some people this might be a safer way to begin.

Rating: 3½ fishes <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Susan Johnson
Participant manual - Augsburg Fortress code number: 15-9298 approx. $7.50 Cdn
Leader guide - Augsburg Fortress code number: 15-9299 approx. $10.25 Cdn

20. Stuenkel, Omar. Caring about Inactive Church Members. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1987.
Paperback booklet. 48 pages.

One sentence summarizes this little book: "Relationships and attitudes are the two keys to regaining inactives for fuller participation in the life of the congregation" (p. 44). The emphasis for relating to inactive members is on caring rather than judgement, on gospel rather than law. Topics include biblical foundations, relationships as children of God, understanding how and why members become inactive, recognizing early signs of impending inactivity, approaching inactive members and listening to them, and rebuilding broken relationships. Chapter 7 is about recruiting and training lay members to visit inactive members. The importance of congregational programs, pastoral care, and organizational roles is also discussed.

This is a useful, concise introduction to the subject of church inactivity. If you are serious about ministering to inactive members, however, don't let this be your only resource. In some areas it is too concise (each chapter has only 3 or 4 pages). The section on recruiting and training lay visitors is especially inadequate. Also, information from studies of church membership and inactivity done 15 or 20 years ago in the United States may not give a good picture of the characteristics, attitudes, and expectations of our inactive members today. On the positive side, the "For Discussion" questions at the end of each chapter are a valuable feature of this book, either for personal reflection or for discussion by any group concerned about inactive members.

Rating: 3 fishes <>< <>< <>< Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
No longer available from publisher. Synod Office has two copies available for loan.

21. Wollersheim, Gary M. Preparing Lay Callers for Community Outreach. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1995.
Paperback booklet. 32 pages.

The basic premises of this booklet are that every community is a mission field and that community outreach calls are every Christian's business. A community call is defined as "an intentional contact made in order to develop a relationship" (p. 6). The importance of community calling and some ways of preparing the congregation and community for effective outreach are discussed. Chapter 3 describes six kinds of initial calls and identifies positives, potential hurdles, and special preparation for each. The six kinds are basic contact call, call to invite people we know, new neighbour call, special event call, community organizing call, and telephone call. Chapter 4 deals with various types of "cultivation" or follow-up calls. The book concludes with a general outline for training lay callers that is adaptable to any type of initial or cultivation call.

An excellent resource! Basic principles and a wealth of practical information are presented in a clear, well-organized way by a pastor/developer who has made over 10,000 initial calls. This is not a detailed "how to" manual. Rather, it has a style that says, "Here are the things you need to know about; now think about how you can best use or adapt this information for your congregation and community." The list of purposes for initial calling on p. 12 is rather thought-provoking. (Is that the kind of list you would get if you asked your congregation for reasons for community calling?) One concern: the estimates of the number of initial calls that can be made in a day or a few hours might seem a bit daunting to a novice caller!

Rating: 4 fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< Reviewed by: Maaike Froelich
Augsburg Fortress code number: 15-9101 approx. $8.50 Cdn

22. Wright, Tim. Unfinished Evangelism: More Than Getting Them in the Door. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1995.
Paperback. 126 pages.

An excellent beginning resource for those interested in moving their congregations from maintenance to mission. Wright is concerned with growing disciples, not just getting more folks to worship on Sunday mornings. It is formatted to be used either by individuals or, better yet, with small groups, i.e. Council, Witness Committee. Each chapter ends with "Dreamshop", a few questions to enable discussion, brainstorming, and visioning.

The book is easy reading, humorous, and insightful and in spite of Wright's pastoring a "Community Church of Joy" it maintains and supports Lutheran theological and liturgical traditions. It asks real questions and provides practical suggestions for solutions. Wright maintains that every congregation has a strategy for reaching and nurturing, even those who have no strategy. Wright attempts to provide concrete questions for those congregations willing to look at their current strategy and evaluate it and then offers practical suggestions to try.

It has a good bibliography of resources and program materials which are available. A good book for those just getting started--or those who at least recognize there might be a problem.

Rating: 4½ fishes <>< <>< <>< <>< < Reviewed by: Judi Williams
Augsburg Fortress code number: 10-27948 approx. $14.95 Cdn