Author Dana Horrell has called on his years of experience in community action to create this practical guide to help congregations reach out to their local communities. Church leaders often want to do more to engage their community contexts, but when it comes to the actual "how-to-do-it," they find themselves blocked. Engage! provides practical and proven tools to help leaders develop methods and strategies to get started and break through these barriers.These tools, twenty-six in all, are drawn from a variety of sources, including congregations, church consultants, researchers, and nonprofit organizations. Some of these tools have a long history of use and may seem quite familiar, while others may seem new and untested, yet intriguing. These tools represent best practices and have been tried somewhere and found a degree of success.
Dana Horrell serves as coeditor of The Parish Paper and as director of FaithfulCitizen.net, which offers workshops and consulting on community engagement. He also currently serves as pastor of South Bethlehem United Methodist Church near Albany, New York. An independent filmmaker, he has produced twenty-two video briefs on congregations and community engagement.
Foreword Introduction ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS 1. Determine the Problem to be Solved 2. Start a Project 3. Recruit Volunteers 4. Equip Volunteers 5. Fund Your work 6. Build Capacity REFLECTIVE TOOLS 7. Prepare through Study 8. Enlist Specialists 9. Pose Questions about Your Experience 10. Write It Up 11. Cultivate Self-Awareness MAPPING TOOLS 12. Do a Survey 13. Hold a Focus Group 14. Map Your Community 15. Conduct a Community Tour 16. Do Social Analysis DIALOGUE TOOLS 17. Encourage Team Dialogue 18. Start a Conversation with a Stranger 19. Accompany Someone in Need 20. Encourage and Support Personal Development 21. Hold a One-on-One Interview COLLABORATIVE TOOLS 22. Engage in Public Policy Deliberation 23. Invite Someone to Share the Life of Faith 24. Organize a Block Party 25. Play Serious Games 26. Engaging in Long-Term Community Development
"Finally! A book that goes beyond the theology of community engagement to the concrete steps required to be in meaningful ministry with our congregation's neighbors. The strength of this book is its clear and easy-to-understand tools, which are practical and tested. Lay leaders and pastors will be encouraged by the accessibility of the many ways they can roll up their sleeves and begin (or deepen) the ministry they have always hoped for." --Cynthia Woolever, coeditor, The Parish Paper "Dana Horrell has written a book full of practical suggestions, not only for making a home in a new land, but also for serving the needs of neighbors there. It is a book for mission-minded leaders of mission-dedicated congregations." --Donald W. Shriver, Jr., president emeritus, Union Theological Seminary "Engage! is filled with practical tools that will help any congregation that is serious about getting more engaged with their community. Of particular note are the chapters that focus on helping church members get fully engaged in the process of developing and implementing new ministry--one of the more challenging aspects of the work." --Joy Skjegstad, author, 7 Creative Models for Community Ministry
