Public Offerings: Stories from the Front Lines of Community Ministry

Linda-Marie Delloff

Congregations of most faiths have always been involved in “ministry”—that is, service with persons beyond the congregation’s membership or regular participants. Although different faiths and denominations emphasize such public involvement to greater or lesser degree, increasingly some of the most vital congregations are those that have created public ministry programs that go beyond more traditional forms of “social ministry” or “outreach” to meet urgent new needs in fresh and creative ways.

In Public Offerings, Linda-Marie Delloff introduces readers to ten congregations that fit that profile in unique ways—congregations that have successfully developed the capacity to serve different publics by essential and effective means. Among the congregations she introduces us to are

A Lutheran church in Montana that has established a clinic to serve rural people without health insurance;
A Catholic parish in Chicago that has created an alternative school for troubled youth;
A Jewish synagogue in California that takes a unique approach to encouraging its members’ social commitment;
Four congregations in New York City that have quickly mobilized themselves to play a crucial role in serving victims of the September 11 attacks.

Through these compelling stories and an extensive resource list, Public Offerings suggests ways for all congregations to reach beyond themselves to better serve their neighbors. Foreword by Martin E. Marty.

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Praise for the Book

“Spiritually vibrant congregations of all faiths thrive on the call to be leaven in today's world. The stories of these 10 congregations—a good read—confirm my own experience with creative public ministry. The author does not ignore the ups and downs on the way to success. Sadly, the many contributions congregations make to their publics have received too little attention. This lively book illuminates those contributions and offers practical wisdom for faith communities to engage in public ministries that express and enhance their core mission and identity.” —Timothy Matovina

“Linda-Marie Delloff invites us to sit with congregations across the country to listen to their stories of public service. What we hear is both edifying and inspiring. This not a step-by-step set of instructions; more significantly, it is a collection of narratives of thoughtful and creative religious congreations who have taken risks that have enriched the lives of their communities and in turn strengthened themselves. These are compelling stories that have the power to move all of us to consider our own religious communities and to help us reexamine the way in which we can do public ministry.” —Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

About the Author

Linda-Marie Delloff is a senior writer for the Alban Institute. She is a regular columnist for The Lutheran magazine, a frequent contributor to many other periodicals, and the editor of several books.

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Public Offerings: Stories from the Front Lines of Community Ministry

ISBN# 1-56699-268-0
Alban No. AL258
paper, 118 pages
2002

In stock

$10.00 ($8.00 for members)

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