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L. Gail Irwin

Toward the Better Country: Church Closure and Resurrection Paperback – January 13, 2014

by L. Gail Irwin (Author)

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     The pews of many mainline churches are clearly not as full as they used to be. While committed Christians are trying everything they can to keep their churches open and thriving, history has shown that no local church is meant to live forever in its current form.    Like people, churches are born, live and breathe, fulfill their missions, and pass away. And recent history shows that more churches will be closing or re-shaping their ministry in the near future.
     Toward the Better Country tells about the grief stages, discernment processes and creative options explored by lay leaders, pastors and regional leaders who have dealt with this sensitive time in the life cycle of a church. These are woven in with the author's own experience of leading a church through steep decline toward closure.
     This resource, based on interviews with over thirty lay, clergy and judicatory leaders, offers healthy, practical ways for congregations to move through the terrain of loss, discern God's path for their future and pass on their legacies to emerging ministries. It can be used for personal reflection, leadership training, or in discernment groups in local churches. Scripture readings and questions for conversation are included at the end of each chapter, along with a list of additional resources for churches struggling with decline.

Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 13, 2014
Dimensions

6 x 0.44 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1625642318
ISBN-13

978-1625642318
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

L. Gail Irwin is an ordained minister and freelance writer who has served churches in the United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church (USA). She has published in "The Christian Century" and "These Days" magazines and in various poetry journals, and was a 2010 recipient of a Louisville Institute Pastoral Study Project grant. Her blog "From Death to Life" can be found on the Christian Century's blog network.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Resource Publications (January 13, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1625642318
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1625642318
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.44 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,276,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,197 in Small Business Bookkeeping (Books)
- #1,272 in Christian Church Administration (Books)
- #2,202 in Christian Business & Professional Growth

Customer Reviews:
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L. Gail Irwin

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L. Gail Irwin is an ordained minister and freelance writer who has served churches in the United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church (USA). She has published in "The Christian Century" and "These Days" magazines and in various poetry journals. She lives on a farm in rural Wisconsin.

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Nurya Love Parish

it makes difficult conversations possible with a structured format and excellent questions for discussion

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016

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This is the most coherent pastoral, theological and practical response available for the hundreds of congregations who may not be viable going forward. Accessible for lay leaders as well as judicatory officials, it makes difficult conversations possible with a structured format and excellent questions for discussion. It should be in the hands of every judicatory official in denominationally-based Christianity. It's truly a work of excellence.

2 people found this helpful

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Sharing the Journey

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016

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Using personal voice and theological reflection, Rev. Irwin explores the corporate and individual, public and personal aspects of church closure. This is not a book for the faint-hearted, but a true companion for members of congregations, for pastors, and especially for governing body staff who share the closure journey. A very worthwhile read. Rev.Jim Brazell, President, Board of Trustees, Cincinnati Presbytery, PCUSA.

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Church Life Cycles

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2019

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Cyclical stories that focus on the end of a church, but can help all churches ask important questions about how God is working in them.

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karen griffith

Very interesting, informative and helpful.