Best Practices from America's Best Churches [Paperback]

Paul Wilkes (Editor), Marty Minchin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2003

Protestant and Catholic Trailblazers

The New Orleans Pastoral Summit united Protestant and Catholic clergy in an unprecedented mutual search for today's best ways to spread the Word. With churches as small as 60 members and as large as 10,000, these clergy shared their hands-on, groundbreaking strategies to revitalize both individuals and communities. Their presentations are collected here, as well as contact information for each presenter.

Dynamic from first page to last, this exciting new book shows how to--

· create a warm, welcoming church environment.
· transform ordinary churchgoers into enthusiastic lay leaders.
· successfully get members to tithe their time, talents, and money.
· reach youth, the unchurched, and the marginalized.
· prevent pastoral and lay leader burnout.
· better fill the needs of the community and surrounding neighborhood.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Wilkes, project director for the Pastoral Summit, is an author, educator, and lecturer. In addition to teaching at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, he has worked extensively in radio, film, and television. His many books include Beyond the Walls, The Good Enough Catholic, The Seven Secrets of Successful Catholics, and Excellent Catholic Parishes: The Guide to Best Places and Practices.

Marty Minchin, project associate of the Pastoral Summit, is a former reporter for Newsday and the Wilmington Star-News. She teaches composition and literature at UNC-Wilmington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809141353
• ISBN-13: 978-0809141357
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,516,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Wilkes, author of the newly released Holding God In My
Hands from Liguori Publications, is one of America's most
respected writers on religious belief and personal spirituality.
He is the author of over twenty books, and the host, writer,
director or producer of seven PBS documentaries.
His book, In Due Season: A Catholic Life, was chosen by
Publishers Weekly as one of 2009's 100 outstanding books.
In a review, PW called In Due Season "an exquisite memoir
that often reads like a novel ."
Paul lectures across the country about the role of religious
belief in individual lives as well the place and impact of
religion in public life. As a commentator on religious issues,
he has appeared on all major television networks.
His book, In Mysterious Ways: The Death and Life of a Parish
Priest, was a Book of the Month Club selection, and won a
Christopher Award. In addition to MERTON, which aired
on PBS, Paul Wilkes was host, writer, and associate producer
of the acclaimed television series, SIX AMERICAN
FAMILIES, which won a DuPont-Columbia award for
documentary excellence.
He has written for numerous national magazines, such as The
New Yorker, The Atlantic and The New York Times Magazine,
and is a former reporter for the Baltimore Sun and the Boulder
(Colorado) Daily Camera.
He has been a visiting writer and guest lecturer at Clark
University, Columbia University, the University of
Pittsburgh, College of the Holy Cross, Boston University and
Brooklyn College. He was Welch Visiting Chair at Notre
Dame, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University
of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Paul has been honored for his body of work with a
Distinguished Alumnus Award from Columbia University's
Graduate School of Journalism, where he received his
advanced degree, and with a By-Line Award from
Marquette University, where he graduated.
A practicing Catholic, active in his parish, he lives in
Wilmington, North Carolina, with his wife Tracy, who
founded DREAMS, an arts program for at-risk children. The
Wilkes have two sons, Noah and Daniel.
In 2006, Paul founded Homes of Hope India-US to assist
orphanages and schools for street children in India. He is a
co-founder of CHIPS (Christian Help in Park Slope), a
Brooklyn center that has served the poor and homeless
young mothers and children for over thirty-five years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Practices from Effective Churches, August 24, 2009

By 

Stephen D. James "Steve James" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Best Practices from America's Best Churches (Paperback)

Wilkes has provided excellent insights into what practices are actually fruitful not in his own words, but in the words of pastors and lay leaders around the United States. It is not written as a primer on church leadership, but rather invites leaders from exemplary churches to share what they have learned about how God is working in and through their churches. It is a diverse bunch of churches and not a one-size fits all prescription. Emminently practical and based on observations of pastors and lay leaders in the trenches bringing the gospel to bear in this very challenging time.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Try dynamic orthodoxy instead, October 30, 2007

By 

Rich Leonardi (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best Practices from America's Best Churches (Paperback)

If horizontally-focused statements like the following appeal to you ...

"The Bible is important and needs to be engaged at every possible level, but there needs to be more living in community and struggling with community."

... then this is your kind of book. If not, you're likely to perceive it as chock-full of jargon and therapy-speak.

The time-tested method for building a successful parish is what some have called "dynamic orthodoxy": (1) faithfulness to authentic Christian doctrine, (2) reverent liturgical practices, and (3) enthusiasm for Christ and His Church. So save your money; dynamic orthodoxy is an approach available to everyone -- free.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of great ideas for every ministry!, September 23, 2004

By 

Brad Shorr "Brad Shorr" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Best Practices from America's Best Churches (Paperback)

Are you looking for ways to inspire more parishoners to come to church? Ways to get them deeper into their faith? Ways to bring unchurched people in contact with Jesus? This book has a lot of answers.

The format is a series of brief (10-15 page) essays written by parish leaders of "best practice" Catholic and Protestant churches that cover a wide variety of ministry topics: evangelizing, preaching, fundraising, etc. Each topic contains two or more essays, usually with a different focus.

Since there are so many types of churches and viewpoints represented, you will probably think some ideas sound great and other ideas don't really fit. But it seems as though all these churches struggle with the same basic questions regardless of denomination. It's definitely possible you could pick out just one or two ideas here that could be implemented in your church and really change lives.