Excellent Protestant Congregations: The Guide to Best Places and Practices - Softcover

Wilkes, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 066422329X ISBN 13: 9780664223298

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001

Synopsis

While many individuals might seek out an assortment of spiritual practices and approaches, the local congregation still remains the place where most Christians turn for religious education, nurture, ritual, and a sense of community. Yet many congregations struggle to respond to the spiritual needs of new faces in their pews. In Excellent Protestant Congregations, respected religion journalist Paul Wilkes profiles nine dynamic, geographically and denominationally diverse congregations that have the ability to create a vibrant community of worship. The result is a book that provides real-world insights that are both inspiring and applicable in a local congregation.

About this title

About the Author

Paul Wilkes is an American writer, speaker, and filmmaker who is best known for his focus on religion, especially Roman Catholicism and its monastic tradition. Wilkes has written for The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, and Atlantic Monthly. His book, In Mysterious Ways: The Death and Life of a Parish Priest, won a Christopher Award.

Reviews

This readable survey of "state of the art" Protestant churches in the United States by religious journalist and Roman Catholic Wilkes (The Good Enough Catholic) offers success stories to inspire pastors and lay leaders. Wilkes's lively, journalistic narratives of the successes of nine diverse congregations, from affluent mainline churches to inner-city evangelical groups, focus on practical aspects of implementation. He describes the common traits these churches share (vision, energy, and optimism but not necessarily money) in a useful checklist for clergy and lay leaders. The book ends with a 60-page annotated list of "excellent" congregations in 38 states. Wilkes touts this as a Michelin-style "best" list, but its lack of geographic balance is disturbing. Strongly weighted in favor of Southern and Western congregations, it is regrettably sparse in its listings for Northeastern states and indicates hasty work and the lack of an objective survey instrument. Thus, this is recommended for larger public and church libraries as an inspirational tool but not a reference book. [The companion volume, Excellent Catholic Parishes, was published by Paulist Press in March. Ed.] Joyce W. Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.
- Joyce W. Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, NJ
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 066422329X
• ISBN 13: 9780664223298
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272