Carl S. Dudley's Books

Dudley and Johnson show how churches are revitalized by claiming the symbols that best articulate self-identity. They describe five images of churches' relationships to their communities over time--the survivor, prophet, pillar, pilgrim, and servant styles--found in a wide variety of congregations and situations.

In this era of "faith-based initiatives," congregations increasingly find themselves in the business of establishing and supporting community ministries-daycare for infants and toddlers, respite care for elders, and programs for housing rehab and home repair, tutoring, and social justice advocacy. In this volume, Carl S. Dudley revises and updates his earlier book, Basic Steps toward Community Ministry, which Loren Mead called "the most valuable book on parish ministry I've seen in a decade.

Dudley's work in Making the Small Church Effective (1978) broke new ground in understanding the dynamics of life in the small congregation. In this revised edition, Dudley revisits the small church, posing new questions reflective of the considerable changes that have swept over small churches in the last two decades. Among the most significant recent developments are shifts in institutional loyalty and individual's sense of identity in relation to larger groups and organizations. Dudley explores the key components that contribute to a small congregation's sense of unity and that motivate its members to more faithfully live out their faith.

Dudley and a research team go back to 24 ministries still in existence five years after the Church and Community Project's completion. They discovered how the myths and expectations of funding, lay/clergy leadership, and church/society partnerships were shattered by what is doable; how the often Herculean efforts frustrated and tired participants, who were then uplifted and sustained by making a difference; and how faith was the foundation for action, and how, through action, the poor, the homeless, and others in need became real people and not statistics.

Churches struggling with dwindling memberships will find new ideas for making positive use of community transition, absorbing newcomers, and more.

What makes the small church so reliably steady, closely intimate, and beautifully simple -- a worthy model of the Christian church? Carl S. Dudley affirms the main cause as lying within the minds of the church members.

Churches struggling with dwindling memberships will find new ideas for making positive use of community transition, absorbing newcomers, and more.

Book's by Carl S. Dudley

Energizing the Congregation

Energizing the Congregation

Community Ministry

Community Ministry

Effective Small Churches in the Twenty-First Century

Effective Small Churches in the Twenty-First Century

Next Steps in Community Ministry

Next Steps in Community Ministry

Developing Your Small Church's Potential

Developing Your Small Church's Potential

Making the Small Church Effective

Making the Small Church Effective

Effective Small Churches in the Twenty-First Century

Effective Small Churches in the Twenty-First Century

Community Ministry

Community Ministry

Developing Your Small Church's Potential

Developing Your Small Church's Potential

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