It Works for Us

Is your congregation shrinking? Is the church building showing its age? Are you struggling to fill committee slots? Are you unable to offer quality programming? Can you no longer fund a full-time minister? Are you feeling tired depressed or frustrated with the state of your church?<br /><br />Many committed Christians despair about the future of their churches. But while It Works for Us: Exploring Best Practices in Partially Funded Ministry acknowledges the current challenges most churches face it drives toward potential solutions and uncovers how churches might thrive with fewer resources. Discover how other churches have explored best practices for establishing long-term health and vibrant ministry and test their innovative practices. Experiment with identified vitality components to discover how you too can determine the strength and potential in your congregation. Respond to issues with creative practical and positive action. Find your good future.<br /><br />Grounded in clear empirical data gleaned from a nation-wide survey and from mainline Canadian denominations It Works for Us analyses the trends in current ministry explores aspects of congregational morale encourages courageous uncomfortable and tender conversations and offers hope for the future of the Christian church in Canada. It is a natural follow-up to the author's previous study It's Real Ministry: How Part-time and Bi-vocational Clergy are Challenging and Empowering the Church and is a valuable tool for today's clergy lay persons and congregations.