Organizations Books

Carl George wrote this book some time ago, but even today, it is a highly relevant and important book for many of today's churches. The concept of small groups is not exactly a new concept. Many churches have encouraged this for years. But few churches even now have turned the concept of small groups into a far reaching and fundamental tool of ministry, outreach, and caring that permeates the entire church mission. Even today, small groups tend to be a "back burner" concept among many churches.

This book tries to draw a direct relationship between small group ministry and church size. The theory is that a church can grow only so big and reach only so many people absent a vital and large emphasis on small groups. George cites a few megachurches as examples of the kind of ongoing growth and changed lives that occur when the church embraces small groups not with a recreational commitment, but with the kind of commitment that comes when something is considered a primary mission of the church.

The small group model for church growth is a model that works, not because George says so, but because several churches who have embraced this model are growing beyond many of the ceilings that the vast majority of churches who don't embrace this model can't seem to break through. Getting their people into small groups, when emphasized and encouraged, allows bigger churches to continue ministering to people and meeting their needs by allowing the congregation to minister to itself and not overtax the staff. This accomplishes the goal of the church not having to build up a huge staff of paid people to try and meet the needs of a big congregation. Therefore, allowing church funds to be spent not on an increased staff, but on more relevant activities that are more in line with the mission that God has imparted on the particular church. Further, small group multiplication allows the church to continue to grow and reach new people in the community in ways that are non threatening.

I did not give the book 5 stars only because the book does not appear to spend a lot of time discussing how a church can really establish a vital small group ministry and structure their staff in an effective way to cultivate it. Too often, growing churches want to do good things, but do not put the kind of infrastructure in place, whether people or facilities, to administer the programs with excellence. It's the classic problem of biting off more than we can chew. The motivations of the church are in the right place in these instances, but without a clear plan in place for administering a major small group ministry, George provides an incomplete strategy for implementing this approach. This may sound like a minor point, but it isn't. Ministries that are not undertaken with excellence are ministries that fail to fully fulfill the purpose for which the ministry was created. Having an administrative infrastructure in place that effectively manages a big small group ministry while also being an infrastructure that is frugal relative to church budgets is clearly one aspect of establishing a ministry with excellence. And this aspect is not easily addressable and thus, represents a significant challenge to George's model. It is solvable I believe, but George should have addressed this in more detail, in my view.

But clearly, George has hit on something that every church can benefit from if implemented correctly. At its core, Christianity needs to be about people. And in order to meet people's needs and transform people into fully devoted disciples of Christ, the church must place just as much a priority on meeting people's needs and providing care and support as it does on spreading the Gospel message. In fact, I would argue that those two things go hand in hand, and both are strengthened by the other. Having an active small group ministry that looks for small group solutions for a whole array of congregational concerns and interests is a proven model for church growth and evangelism, and something George describes very well. A good book, a good pastoral resource.

While some of the diagrams leave you wanting and wondering, the heart of the book solidifies the need for small groups. Especially in a era when there is so much demand on our time and so much stress in our lives. When George related the story of Jethro and his council to Moses, I knew our church HAD to get behind small groups in a big way. George shows how small groups are the key to a church family and how they are the true ministry of the church.

Carl George's "Prepare Your Church for the Future" is a must-read for those who desire to approach ministry in fresh ways in the coming years. His emphasis on the keys for developing groups for meaningful relationships and growth are second to none!

Many churches have adopted small group ministry as a way to connect Christians and to provide support and growth for their members. George shows how small groups can become an engine for evangelism and leadership development and enable churches to break through barriers to growth. Essential reading for any church wanting to grow -- in both numbers and depth. I also recommend the follow-up book by George, "The Coming Church Revolution," which goes into greater depth and detail and provides examples of many churches from several denominations that have successfully used this model.

My earliest memories of Mass are of the first stages of the New Order. I remember having a Communion rail, then not having one. Over the years, I felt that the Mass provided me less and less grace. I have gone for years not going because there seemed to be no point. I won't say the New Order itself was bad, but in the way it is celebrated, it does seem to be susceptible to being "dumbed down" way too much. Almost by accident, I discovered that a Latin Tridentine Mass was celebrated near me every Sunday afternoon. Since then, I never miss Mass unless I have to work. It is almost like the Tridentine Mass provided something to my soul that the New Order did not. This book helps a lot to explain that phenomenon. If I felt that way, how much more deeply would the priest feel it?

Over the last few years, the students at the SSPX seminary in Winona, Minnesota, conducted interviews with priests who still say the Traditional Latin Mass as opposed to the Novus Ordo. THis little gem is the result of those interviews. None of the priests interviewed are members of the SSPX. THeir numbers include both secular and order priests, those ordained before the famous (or infamous) Second Vatican Council and those who lived through the touchy-feely drivel inflicted on modern seminarians. All have come to the same conclusion, namely that the changes that swept through the ROman Catholic CHurch in the 1960s and '70s have led to an unacceptable break with the Church's history and her Sacred Traditions. All of them would break away from their Liberal Bishops and begin providing The Mass and the Sacraments to the Traditional Faithfull in what Traditonal Catholics refer to as "Independant Chapels." SOme are cut off altogether from their pensions and have their faculties revoked by their bishops. Their interviews well reflect the bitterness of Traditional Catholics who have watched everything they love trounced in the years since the REvolution. One of them, ironically, tells how Archbishop Levada, the Pope's new appointment as head of the Holy Office, once told him how Transubstantiation "is a long and difficult word and we don't use it anymore." Others tell of years of suffering in silence and fear of being "outed" as Traditionalists. The world of modern day Catholic Tradition is a highly fascinating one and is known to so very few. The SSPX seminarians of Winona deserve a round of applause for bringing these interviews to light.

At my parish one of the easiest ways to tell a joke is to mention the traditionalist/Tridentine movement. Within minutes everyone listening will jump in to call the Traditionalists names and to mock them. I never really thought about it before but after reading Priest Where is Thy Mass, Mass Where is Thy Priest, I find myself wondering why there is so much hostility towards them.

Each one of these priests has a very sad story to tell. They preferred for various reasons to say the traditional mass instead of the Novus Ordo and they all got smacked down for it.

This is strange when you stop to consider that some of our bishops have ignored or covered up some pretty foul behavior in the past and yet these 17 men were handled with such scorn and even outright cruelty. If this is how traditionalists were usually treated in the 70s, 80s and 90s then it's no wonder why some are bitter about the experience.

The book makes for painful reading. Some of the priests here rebounded with humor, others are obviously angry and disgusted. All of them seemed sad and still a little shocked at how things have turned out. If you've ever cracked a joke about the traditionalists or was the least bit curious about them read this book and try to do it with an open mind. I'm glad I did.

I came back into the Church after a 35 year journey in evangelical protestantism. I figured that priests, bishops and the parishoners all believed in the teachings of the Church, consistent over 2000 years, or they would move on to the "church of fun" down the street. Wrong. I was dismayed beyond belief. I've always been a voracious reader and went through writings of various saints like Aquinas and St. Augustine. Where was the Catholic Church of history? It certainly isn't the one with the sign that says, "St. So-and-So Catholic Community." That one is Catholic in name only.
Through God's grace I discovered the traditional movement where people like myself will drive over an hour each way to attend "The Mass." People attend because they want to be Catholic. Read the book!

User friendly read with many tips and ideas for using your time efficiently and establishing the climate you want.

I "had "to buy this book for a class in my masters program and after using it in class and reading through it, I decided that I was NOT going to sell it back. This is a great resource and help for principals or administrators. This will be a well read and heavily highlighted book that will remain a part of my library.

When I was a new assistant principal, I bought this book for a resource for my job. I am glad that I did. Not only did it help me throughout my assistant's career, but it assisted me while I worked on my master's.
It is a hands-on resource book that can help with many situations or prepare you for new situations. In our jobs, every day is a surprise, so the more effective resources that we have on our shelf, the more relaxed we are when it comes our way.
I believe that this is a book that should be in the curriculum of every college campus preparing dynamic, future principals.
Cathy Blair

I am two thirds through this book, but there is so much advice and consciousness-raising information that is thoughtfully presented and very much need that it's not necessary to wait until I finish the book to write a glowing recommendation. There are ideas I will need this year to boost collegiality and morale. Some of the problem-sharing ideas are quick and easy to implement, too. I would like to have read more about interviewing and hiring teachers, but other than that I am quite pleased. I'll pick up this book often as a refresher.

This book is perfect for me, a freshman in college. It is very inspirational and definately starts the day out on the right foot. I would recomend this to anyone from 13 to 73, this can be read through year after year and be applied to an ever growing, ever maturing christian male. You won't be dissatisfied.

I picked this book up on a whim...a last minute purchase, without even looking inside at most of the content...I've had it for more than two years now, and I've made it a daily practice to read the chapter for the day before leaving my house to go to work...This collection of Bible lessons and day to day experiences from so many different authors has brought a great deal of peace into my hectic life...I would highly recommend this book to any man, single or married, with or without children...my favorite passage has got to be the one from Max Lucado..."Choose This Day"...GO BUY THIS BOOK!

This book culminates many different sources into one, practical, and intelligent synopsis for men. This book is good for men ages 15 and older seeking to either form, renew, or solidify their values based upon those in the Christian faith. However, this book also provides great moral guidance without being too "preachy". It is very reader-friendly and can take four minutes to read a daily devotion that will leave you reflecting upon its merit for hours. In addition to the devotional passages, there are carefully chosen passages of the Bible that relate to the contemporary topic at hand. Without a doubt, this is a book that I will give to both my father and son - and that I will continue to re-read for years to come.

I acquired my first copy of this book at a used book store. Since then I have purchased dozens to give to friends and associates. It is simply the best men's devotional I have found. It is often the highlight of my personal devotions. One reason the book is so good is that the author has skillfully selected from some of the best Christian authors - classic and current. The range of contributors, subjects and perspectives is impressive. Mr. Harrison seems to have a natural instinct for selecting gems of thought that hit home and challenge men to take and live their faith seriously and productively!

Reads more like a novel than a how-to guide on a topic that could be considered boring. Very up-to-date resource suggestions. Very conversational writing style--not at all like a textbook. Highly recommended for anyone in fundraising.

One of America's most experienced prospect researchers has written the mother-lode on research in fundraising.

Cecelia Hogan's new book is 390 pages of pure value - for fundraisers, researchers, managers and suppliers. Although written primarily for an American audience, its value lies in its cool, concise, cautious approach to research, from day one to the end of your campaign.

Cecelia makes her mark early in the book with a 20-page treatise on the ethics of research. This moral (but not moralizing) tone pervades the book, reminding us to respect our donors and to focus on using "the first philanthropic dollar raised to efficiently identify the next."

The heart of the book is a series of chapters about research techniques. Covering "research math," building a pool of prospects, screening, tracking and managing research, these sections will be of value to researchers from Belfast to Bologna and from Alaska to Adelaide. The techniques that Cecelia describes are applicable in all of these places, even if the sources cited may be American. And experienced researchers will find plenty of value; I found new techniques, new sources, and, new ways of looking at research in this book.

Included in the book is a series of useful appendices including a glossary and models for the paperwork associated with research, as well as more US sources of information and help.

The book is well edited and produced, leaving me with just one gripe - Cecelia's over-use of the first person plural. We don't need to write like that all the time, Cecelia. Good writing can include a passive tense or two.

Whether you are a fundraiser, a researcher or a manager, buy this book and learn all about prospecting from an expert.

Prospect Research: A Primer for Growing Nonprofits is one of the best resources available for those who are new to prospect research, for those who need a refresher or for development officers looking for research guidance. It provides the basics (who, what, when, why, where & how)in easy-to-understand terms and format as well as sample forms. In addition, it takes the process one step further with explanations and ideas for prospect management and tracking. All the information you need to build and/or improve your organization's prospect research department operation.

After a 7 year absence, I reentered the field of prospect research in 2003 just when this book came out. I can't say enough how much it helped me reacquaint myself with traditional research methods as well as introducing me to the many new information research, management, and analysis processes that technology has inspired.

Not sure if I'll stay in prospect research, but will definitely keep the book!

I found this book extremely useful!!
Is all I wanted to know -as a first approach to protestant worship. I reccommend it to all the people interested in protestant traditions, differences and origins. Besides, the book is very well-written (so you won't get tired of it easily!) and it is not excessively long. It's a great option!

As one who has studied liturgy at the University of Notre Dame and as one who has had a long interest in Protestant worship traditions, I found Professor White's work exceptional. Few other persons, if any, could pull together so much information from such an array of sources and present it richly in a way that is very understandable. As one who has a library of several hundred books on liturgy, this work would definitely be one of the five or ten that I would keep if I had to get rid of all others.

Ever wonder how different denominations came into existence? where did baptists come from? what is the history of methodism? in a consise chapter on each of the major denominational developments following the reformation, James F. White traces the origins of each denomination, and follows them through to their modern incarnations. excellent for the beginning church historian.

As I was going through my inquirer's class in the Episcopal Church, I ran across this book in the local Bible Book Store. It only encouraged me to continue. I absolutely recommend it to everyone interested in Protestant Christianity. For example, I was totally baffled as to why the church I was attending had the choir separated from the congregation and facing each other or a blank wall, in a completely illogical manner. Once I read Professor White's description of the church buildings encouraged after the rather ambitious Catholic Revival in the Anglican Communion, I understood.
But that is only about one chapter in this comprehensive book. Professor White describes with dispassion and accuracy the worship of virtually all the mainline Protestant denominations and their development since the Reformation. If you find this topic interesting, this is an indispensable book.

If you are looking for an analysis of basic Christian beliefs that will most likely make you take a second look at all you were taught in church, than this is the book for you. The author is relentless in her deconstruction of so much of the Christian myth that has been misconstrued as history. She urges the reader to get beyond the literalization that has dominated Christian thought since the enlightenment and to see the Bible for what it is...a theology book. This is a highly readable and, dare I say, "fun" text to delve into and would make for great discussion in a study group. If you like the writings of liberal Episcopal theologian John Shelby Spong, you will enjoy this text immensely.

This book was recomended to me after I read Eunichs for the Kingdom of Heaven (another real thought provoking book). This isn't a book where a pissed off person starts going off on religion and such with no logic or reason. She is thoughtful and careful, giving many good refrences for each topic. What she says makes sense. Even if you are caught up in the fairy tale and all, read this book. It can help make sense of your beliefs.

In a well-researched and thoughtful way the author explores those aspects of Christian belief that are difficult to accept on face value (like the virgin birth, the tendency to blame the Jews and excuse the Romans for the crucifixion, very different Christmas stories, and miracle stories) and peels away layers of theological presentations and pious fantasies to give us a glimpse of original worship and spirituality. Her writing is provocative and at the same time it is funny. I laughed out loud as I read sections of the book. If you are open to questions about Christianity and the development of religious beliefs you might enjoy this book very much.

There are people who will wonder, after reading this book, if one can remove all of what Ranke-Heinemann calls "fairy tales" from Christianity and still have a practiceable religion left when you're finished. I would answer that yes, you can. And if you can't, you have a highly impoverished understanding about what the gospel is all about (which is true of most Christians, unfortunately).

Ranke-Heinemann, an eccentric but brilliant theologian, focuses her efforts on deconstructing the "fairy tales" of the Christian tradition, and does so with a good sense of humour. At first she comes across as very anti-faith, but this proves to be a false impression. It is only the false beliefs that need to be put away.

She makes no effort to "reconstruct" Christianity after she's finished "deconstructing" it, but this is not the point of her book. If you want to find a fresh approach to Jesus, I highly recommend Marcus Borg's "Jesus: A New Vision" and "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time."

An earlier reviewer suggested that someone who likes the writings of Jack Spong will enjoy this book as well. This is probably true, but the comparison is far more flattering for Spong than it is for Ranke-Heinemann. Spong's books are never as well-written or well-argued as this. Spong is a lightweight compared to Ranke-Heinemann.

In Quality Without Tears, Crosby adds new layers to his original "zero defects" philosophy. He offers fourteen steps for quality improvement in teams.

Let's look at one of them, Step 6, "corrective action." The common problem with "corrective action," says Crosby, is that people don't understand what the term means.

Suppose, says Crosby, that you suddenly found a grizzly bear in your back yard: "The answer would not be to set up an armed camp to protect yourself from the bear. This is the sort of action that takes place when parts of an organization are given a shoot-to-kill license. All that results is a lot of yard that can't be used and several dead bears."

Corrective actions have to begin by identifying the source of the bears.

Another step is Zero Defects Day: "Many people rarely have exciting days at work . . . A well-planned, dignified, Zero Defects Day on which management understands what it is talking about is a delight that will be remembered forever."

Recognition also plays a role. An organization recognizes people who can serve as "beacons." These are the people who shine so brightly that they help keep everyone heading in the right direction:

"Many managers feel, somewhat cynically, that people are being paid to do their jobs and that's that. This attitude reflects an insensitivity to people that is a trademark of many hockey-style managers."

To drive his philosophy home, Crosby cites an unusual case study:

In "A Quality Carol," Emory Spellman falls asleep on a bus. A spirit appears and takes him to see his deceased partner. The partner is repairing thousands of defective items that their company has made.

This is punishment ...

"... For being the cause of the hassle other people had to live with. For not preventing these things by being interested in quality."

The apparition warns:

"All these years, you have treated quality like something you could take in or take out. Well, unless you change your ways, you are going to wind up right next to me, forever and ever, twenty-four hours a day. No time off, no visitors, no meetings ---- just all the problems you ever caused."

Predictably, three more visitors appear.

Quality Past is a former college professor who wants to retract something he had taught Emory. The misinformed lesson was to cut corners on quality.

Quality Present appears as a woman who tries to sell him on the quality vaccine. Failing in that, she brings Emory's customers to him through a television screen. One after another comes into view with a litany of complaints about the company's products and services.

When Quality Future enters, Emory finally sees the light. The final and most portentous visitor is a "severe looking person carrying a briefcase and dressed in a black three-piece suit." He has just bought the company from a bankruptcy court.

Emory returns later in the book and applies Crosby's methods to avert that fate.

Phil Crosby has the most coherent view of achieving quality of anyone I've read in 25 years of management. I continue to come back to him when I hit a quality problem in our company or those from whom we buy. This book is the best summary of his philosophy, in my opinion.

A solid understanding and committment with the concepts presented on this book: the absolutes of quality, the fourteen steps process and the individuals role, will cause quality to happen if the company decides to be involved in the life long process of quality improvement.'Hassle free offers better working relationships, a smooth system and happy employees'

Philip Crosby is widely recognized as a quality pioneer for the concepts he drove homw with Quality is Free and Quality Without Tears. After reading, Quality Without Tears, I was struck by how deep a conviction he held that his concepts were valid. It's easy to say that now that they have become widely accepted, but it takes a visionary to act that way when they're a somewehat new approach.

The concepts which Crosby developed were a extension of the work of Dr. Edwards Deming (who also has published a bunch of books) and Crosby's work seems to be the basis of the later Six Sigma approach that proved to work so well.

Warwick has been raising by mail for years. This easy to read book offers charts, graphs, and systematic approaches to this successful, albeit investment-heavy, form of fund raising. This is an excellent book to get started or to review systems already in place.

I have seen him speak and then got this book. It is very entertaining but most of all it addresses the subject very methodically. Every reader will recognize the mediocre and unmoving writing that he is fixing and cleaning and transforming. If you are new to fund raising and need a primer on writing the annual letter (often the only fund raising small organizations do) look no further. The Expression "he wrote the book..." may just have been coined to describe this.

I used the basic approach he advocates and turned a dismal campaign around 180 degrees: from break even/loss to real money from a very tired (of the organization) list.

I have seen him speak and then got this book. It is very entertaining but most of all it addresses the subject very methodically. Every reader will recognize the mediocre and unmoving writing that he is fixing and cleaning and transforming. If you are new to fund raising and need a primer on writing the annual letter (often the only fund raising small organizations do) look no further. The Expression "he wrote the book..." may just have been coined to describe this.

I used the basic approach he advocates and turned a dismal campaign around 180 degrees: from break even/loss to real money from a very tired (of the organization) list.

I have seen him speak and then got this book. It is very entertaining but most of all it addresses the subject very methodically. Every reader will recognize the mediocre and unmoving writing that he is fixing and cleaning and transforming. If you are new to fund raising and need a primer on writing the annual letter (often the only fund raising small organizations do) look no further. The Expression "he wrote the book..." may just have been coined to describe this.

I used the basic approach he advocates and turned a dismal campaign around 180 degrees: from break even/loss to real money from a very tired (of the organization) list.

This is a very important book for anyone interested in literacy and learning. Bureaucrats (and others) who follow dictates blindly need to know the weaknesses of the NRP and the realities of the research involved.

This is an amazing book that all educators and parents should read who are concerned about the travesty being forced on schools in the name of science and leaving no children behind. Coles carefully, objectively, yet with a passion for children underlying all, reviews the research findings that supposedly underlie the push for rigid, sequential, skills without meaning instruction being demanded of schools that serve low income children. Coles makes it clear that, while the present regime uses the public relations language of 'scientifically-based research', the fact is that such claims are more fiction, more the product of advertizing than truth. He further makes it clear that the real truth, real science has been both ignored and suppressed to further the ideological aims of those in present power. Michael Peterson, Ph.D. Professor, Wayne State University, Detroit.

A central theme of this book is the insight that the claims of superiority of intensive phonics instruction and phonemic awareness instruction rest on studies in which one group does heavy phonics or phonemic awareness instruction and the comparison group does either nothing at all, or an activity that has nothing to do with reading. Coles points out that it should be no surprise that the phonics or phonemic awareness group will read better after such a comparison. But Coles concludes that even this is not true: When the trained group is better, they are typically only clearly better on low level tests, eg tests of phonemic awareness and phonics. There is hardly any evidence that they actually read better. Coles has taught us that we always need to ask this question when somebody says a reading method is better: Better than what?

Coles provides extensive documentation of this point. This book, along with Garan's Resisting Reading Mandates, pulls the rug out from under the National Reading Panel's claim that heavy skills training is called for in teaching children to read.

When the National Reading Panel was being convened and the names of the people to be on it were announced, I couldn't believe there were no primary classroom teachers. I thought, what's up with that? How can they have a national panel on how children learn to read and not represent the teachers who are in the trenches every day? They are the real experts! But the report made us out to be victims. Their selections seemed to point to the fact that teachers are no more than ignorant pawns who really "don't know what they don't know."

Gerry Coles in his book, Reading, the Naked Truth; Literacy, Legislation and Lies asks the same question. Where are the teachers? He once again shows his support for the knowledge of the classroom teacher as he questions the theoretical underpinnings of the findings in the National Reading Panel Report. All teachers base their teaching on theory. Our theory is based on what we see working and not working with the students in our classrooms. Apparently the members of the panel, even though many openly admit they are failures at teaching children to read, don't trust teachers' knowledge and abilities. Gerry does. Carefully analyzing the findings of the report and spelling out its serious flaws, in a book that is easy to fit into a teacher's busy life, he shows us that what we always believed to be true about teaching children to read, is still true.