Studying Congregations: A New Handbook [Paperback]

Nancy Ammerman (Editor), Jackson Carroll (Editor), Carl Dudley (Editor), William McKinney (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998

Studying Congregations: A New Handbook is a revised and updated edition of Handbook for Congregational Studies, replacing that previous text.

In this new edition, the authors update what has become the primary textbook in the field of congregational studies in the seminary classroom. Studying Congregations: A New Handbook will also be a useful reference for pastors, denominational leaders, and strategic planning committees. It includes Appendix A: Parish Profile Inventory and Appendix B: Standard Demographic and Religious Involvement Variables.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nancy T. Ammerman is Professor of Sociology of Religion, Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Connecticut. She is the author of Congregation and Community. (1998)

Jackson W. Carroll is the Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Professor of Religion and Society, and Director of the J. M. Ormond Center for Research, Planning, and Development in the Divinity School of Duke University. He is author of several books, including As One With Authority: Reflective Leadership in Ministry.

Carl S. Dudley is Co-director of the Center for Social and Religious Research and Professor of Church and Community at Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Connecticut. He is author of several books, including Making the Small Church Effective and Basic Steps Toward Community Ministry. (1998)

William McKinney is President and Professor of American Religion at Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California. He is co-author of American Mainline Religion and the Responsibility People. (1998)

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687006511
• ISBN-13: 978-0687006519
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Church Institutions & Organizations

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful book for analyzing congregations, May 7, 2001

By 

E (rural Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Studying Congregations: A New Handbook (Paperback)

This book provides a step-by-step process for analyzing a congregation-- its theology, context, culture and identity, dynamics, resources, and leadership. For church leaders looking for ways to figure out what's *really* been happening in a congregation, what its mission might be, and where it might be headed, this is a valuable book!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Specific in focus, excellent in application, January 9, 2007

By 

Thomas J. Collins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Studying Congregations: A New Handbook (Paperback)

The book is specific in focus and excellent in application.
It is everything it is presented to be.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Studying Congregations Review, March 13, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Helgren (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Studying Congregations: A New Handbook (Paperback)

The book is great. It outlines how to study a congregation with objectivity as the key. It also provides sample surveys, which is great. Good for individuals or for group research.