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Church-going Insider or Gospel-carrying Outsider? A Different View of Congregations, a book by Judith McWilliams Dickhart, published in 2002. Dickhart details how congregations can become strong as they focus identity and programming on members' daily ministries.

Excerpt:
"We keep trying to do mission from inside church buildings. That's not where most of the action is. If we really want to reach more people in God's beloved world, we should put as much energy into recognizing Christians as Gospel-carrying outsiders as we do in cultivating them as church-going insiders."

The Empowering Church, a reprinted excerpt from a book by Davida Foy Crabtree, published in 1989. This excerpt is the whole of Chapter V, "The Renewal of the Church."

Excerpt:
"With [Jesus Christ's] words, 'This is my body, broken for you,' he established us as the Body of Christ ... The 'you' of whom he speaks is plural, not singular. The time was coming in which his disciples would be scattered rather than gathered, and communion ministers to the scattered Body as well as to the gathered Body. Today we gather for worship and sacrament, then scatter for ministry, bonded by our shared communion."

Theological and Biblical Perspectives on the Laity
An essay by Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., first published in 1975. Stuempfle explores the laity in the early church, the laity and the reformation, and the laity in the church today.

Excerpt:
"This essay ... will focus in a particular way on the special role of that vast majority among the people of God who are called to ministries other than the public proclamation of the Word and the administration of the sacraments. To do so is neither to forget nor to minimize the essential ministry of the clergy. It is, rather, to give visibility to that vast body of Christians through whom the grace and truth of God, proclaimed and served in a special way by the ordained, reach directly into the life of the world."

Who in the World . . . Quien en el Mundo
An activity book for children grades 3-6, published in 2002. The 24-page book incorporates input from the students of Pilgrim Lutheran School in Chicago, well-known illustrator Elyse J. Kennard and ELCA staff.

With delightful illustrations and both Spanish and English prompts, the book's pages draw children into deep thought and sharing about their present and future ministries as God’s people. It takes seriously the idea that children are already in ministry, even as they look forward to adulthood.

An assortment of helps for parents and teachers completes this unique resource that can help children assess and celebrate their unique ministries in God’s world.

Ordering information: This Imagining Book for Children can be ordered by sending a check (made payable to SPLASH, postage and handling are included) to Ministry in Daily Life, ELCA Vocation and Education unit, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631. Prices: $4.00 per copy (1-5 copies); $3.50 (6-19 copies); $3.00 per copy (20 or more copies).

For Church-going Insider or Gospel-carrying Outsider?
Ordering information: This 156-page paperback can be ordered by sending a check for $14.00 (made payable to SPLASH!; postage and handling are included) to Ministry in Daily Life, ELCA Vocation and Education unit, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631.

For Theological and Biblical Perspectives on Faith
Ordering information: This booklet is available free of charge through the Vocation and Education unit, ELCA.




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