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Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works
Churches over the past generations have been weakened by a failure to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of their communities. Many have adopted a narrow vision, focusing on only one aspect of ministry. But in today's environment of faith-based opportunities many Christians are eager to start reaching out to their world with both Good News and good works, and therefore they are searching for appropriate ways to integrate both into their ministry.
In Churches That Make a Difference, best-selling author Ron Sider and his coauthors give those involved in community outreach a comprehensive resource for developing holistic ministry--a balance of evangelism and social outreach. Illustrations and helpful organizational tips detail the how-to's of an effective holistic ministry. Case studies that show how different churches across the United States reach out to their communities provide a variety of ideas and practical applications. User-friendly tools are included as well for congregational studies, surveys, evaluations, and community assessments.
The authors draw on extensive experience with church ministries and faith-based organizations as they share the life-changing vision and biblical mandate for living the whole gospel. Church leaders will be encouraged in their process of developing and maintaining a holistic ministry, and local churches will rediscover a passion for loving the whole person the way Jesus did.
In Churches That Make a Difference, best-selling author Ron Sider and his coauthors give those involved in community outreach a comprehensive resource for developing holistic ministry--a balance of evangelism and social outreach. Illustrations and helpful organizational tips detail the how-to's of an effective holistic ministry. Case studies that show how different churches across the United States reach out to their communities provide a variety of ideas and practical applications. User-friendly tools are included as well for congregational studies, surveys, evaluations, and community assessments.
The authors draw on extensive experience with church ministries and faith-based organizations as they share the life-changing vision and biblical mandate for living the whole gospel. Church leaders will be encouraged in their process of developing and maintaining a holistic ministry, and local churches will rediscover a passion for loving the whole person the way Jesus did.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2002
27 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Ronald J. Sider
79 books63 followersRonald J. Sider (PhD, Yale University) is the founder and president emeritus of Evangelicals for Social Action and distinguished professor of theology, holistic ministry, and public policy at Palmer Theological Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous books, including The Early Church on Killing, the bestselling Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, and The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 14, 2010
I didn't read every chapter--but I thought it was really well-written and inspired action rather than perfection. Chapter 12 in particular asked very specific questions that I found helpful, just thinking about the ways the church currently operates.
June 29, 2022
Such an inspiring book on the possibilities of what a church community could be if it were to pursue wholistic mission, with clear guidelines on how to get there with your own church community. Case studies on actual churches are used as examples throughout the book. This left me feeling excited to inspire more action in my own local community.
October 7, 2023
Use of Stories/Practical Insights
Appreciated the use of stories and effort to make insights practical, however read more like a how-to manual for holistic ministry. Reader should also be aware on the specific contexts of each anecdote as certain experiences may have been unique for that congregation.
Appreciated the use of stories and effort to make insights practical, however read more like a how-to manual for holistic ministry. Reader should also be aware on the specific contexts of each anecdote as certain experiences may have been unique for that congregation.
November 5, 2017
This is a phenomenal book! Plenty of inspirational examples, practical how-tos, and thought-provoking quotes. This is a book I’ll come back to again and again in creating holistic ministry that joins evangelism and social outreach.
July 12, 2018
This book was great and a much more "friendly" book than other Sider books I've read. Nevertheless it was challenging.
Read
May 2, 2023Allegedly
Read
November 19, 2015The call to holistic ministry, “reaching the community with the whole gospel for the whole person through whole churches,” is not beyond the reach of a small YWAM community. (p. 59) Micah 6:8 is a call to social action, which the church in Madison will respond to.
My thinking about first and second call is different than Sider, et al. Charles Finney, I agree, had primarily the evangelist calling and secondarily the social reformer working toward the abolition of slavery. William Wilberforce, also agreed, was primarily called to politics and secondarily an evangelist. (p.99) However, my thinking has been to emphasize God’s call to us. So the primary call is to restored relationship; God’s call to Adam after the Fall, though his second call, was to a lost friend. Our second call is to that which he created us to do. (Eph. 2:10)
Since reading this, “The Spirit can turn even simple tangible expressions of social concern into parables of kingdom truths,” (p. 67) I have been looking for simple parables. I thought of a powerful metaphor.
Just like the bronze serpent, a symbol’s value can change. Symbols can be very powerful with positive and negative affects. DL Moody and other Christian leaders of the 20th century declared, “The one thing needful is salvation or conversion.” Agreed. Moody, when criticized for his evangelistic methods, is quoted saying “Better the way I am doing it, than the way you are not doing it.” However, his positive evangelistic fervor, and gift, led him to say, “I have given up on this world; I am focused on rescuing lost souls.” His metaphor could be described as a “life raft,” powerfully influencing the 20th century Evangelical Church and conveying a message of Individualism and disengagement from social concern.
Unlike a ‘life raft’, Jesus’ parables were a message of transformation and growth, not merely of rescue and certainly not disengagement. Jesus metaphors were of seeds, fields, vineyards, yeast, and houses. Jesus’ call to us in the 21st century is to again take up his cross and his message of transformation and establishment. He is calling his Church, including YWAM Madison, to be a witness of His kingdom, building and growing, in the earth, not the witness of a ‘life raft’ escaping the earth.
The call of God is the “holistic ministry paradox”, calling us to “love God and love our neighbor”. You cannot truly love and serve people unless you love God. And you can’t truly love God unless you love and serve others.” “Our relationship with the Lord and our relationship with other people are inseparable.” (p. 131)
What insights will I find on the Church and Professional Mobilization?
“Ministry of Christian community development without evangelism is like a body without a soul.” Our aim is to help students become agents of transformation. (p. 63)
One sign of a lack of holism is that many campus ministry outreaches, albeit include a ‘project’, are divorced from any true emphasis on calling to the professions or long-term service ministries. This indicates a lack of concern for the broader social needs of the world. (p.67)
The most effective means here at the UW-Madison is “discipleship-oriented evangelism”, helping students take the next logical step with God. (p. 65) We must address the multifaceted needs of the whole student. (p.89) Pool resources with a cluster of ministries for collaboration and build on the small things into an on going, evolving process of growth and development. Must include a strong relational component to adapt to the complexity of (student’s) lives.” (p.89)
“The goal of the church’s holistic outreach is the transformation of people, communities, and society for the glory of God.” God is calling the Church to pursue structural change in society. (p. 97) Ray Bakke points out that to present an “incarnational servanthood” model is to present a “unique and profound combination of Jesus as message and Jesus as model.” (p. 137)
I’m encouraged by this book’s flexibility and compatibility with ministries and churches of many different sizes.
My thinking about first and second call is different than Sider, et al. Charles Finney, I agree, had primarily the evangelist calling and secondarily the social reformer working toward the abolition of slavery. William Wilberforce, also agreed, was primarily called to politics and secondarily an evangelist. (p.99) However, my thinking has been to emphasize God’s call to us. So the primary call is to restored relationship; God’s call to Adam after the Fall, though his second call, was to a lost friend. Our second call is to that which he created us to do. (Eph. 2:10)
Since reading this, “The Spirit can turn even simple tangible expressions of social concern into parables of kingdom truths,” (p. 67) I have been looking for simple parables. I thought of a powerful metaphor.
Just like the bronze serpent, a symbol’s value can change. Symbols can be very powerful with positive and negative affects. DL Moody and other Christian leaders of the 20th century declared, “The one thing needful is salvation or conversion.” Agreed. Moody, when criticized for his evangelistic methods, is quoted saying “Better the way I am doing it, than the way you are not doing it.” However, his positive evangelistic fervor, and gift, led him to say, “I have given up on this world; I am focused on rescuing lost souls.” His metaphor could be described as a “life raft,” powerfully influencing the 20th century Evangelical Church and conveying a message of Individualism and disengagement from social concern.
Unlike a ‘life raft’, Jesus’ parables were a message of transformation and growth, not merely of rescue and certainly not disengagement. Jesus metaphors were of seeds, fields, vineyards, yeast, and houses. Jesus’ call to us in the 21st century is to again take up his cross and his message of transformation and establishment. He is calling his Church, including YWAM Madison, to be a witness of His kingdom, building and growing, in the earth, not the witness of a ‘life raft’ escaping the earth.
The call of God is the “holistic ministry paradox”, calling us to “love God and love our neighbor”. You cannot truly love and serve people unless you love God. And you can’t truly love God unless you love and serve others.” “Our relationship with the Lord and our relationship with other people are inseparable.” (p. 131)
What insights will I find on the Church and Professional Mobilization?
“Ministry of Christian community development without evangelism is like a body without a soul.” Our aim is to help students become agents of transformation. (p. 63)
One sign of a lack of holism is that many campus ministry outreaches, albeit include a ‘project’, are divorced from any true emphasis on calling to the professions or long-term service ministries. This indicates a lack of concern for the broader social needs of the world. (p.67)
The most effective means here at the UW-Madison is “discipleship-oriented evangelism”, helping students take the next logical step with God. (p. 65) We must address the multifaceted needs of the whole student. (p.89) Pool resources with a cluster of ministries for collaboration and build on the small things into an on going, evolving process of growth and development. Must include a strong relational component to adapt to the complexity of (student’s) lives.” (p.89)
“The goal of the church’s holistic outreach is the transformation of people, communities, and society for the glory of God.” God is calling the Church to pursue structural change in society. (p. 97) Ray Bakke points out that to present an “incarnational servanthood” model is to present a “unique and profound combination of Jesus as message and Jesus as model.” (p. 137)
I’m encouraged by this book’s flexibility and compatibility with ministries and churches of many different sizes.
August 18, 2012
I like it. Sider and company do a great job laying out why churches must seek to balance social ministries evangelism and political engagement.
It is a very practical book for leading a church to become more holistic.
Unfortunately when it comes to political engagement particularly on economics their view of justice is democratic party politics. This consistent partisan philosophy kept it from being a 5 star book.
It is a very practical book for leading a church to become more holistic.
Unfortunately when it comes to political engagement particularly on economics their view of justice is democratic party politics. This consistent partisan philosophy kept it from being a 5 star book.
February 4, 2008
Hard to sink my teeth into.
June 4, 2008
Great book. Essentially a study of churches engaged in holisitc ministry, I found every chapter interesting and instructive. Get it!
January 22, 2010
... and I thought crossing the East-West cultural divide was tough ...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews