Ending with Hope
eBook - PDF

Ending with Hope

A Resource for Closing Congregations

  1. 187 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Ending with Hope

A Resource for Closing Congregations

About this book

Why is it we do funerals so well but often balk at even recognizing the death of a congregation? Couldn't we do grief ministry and funerals as well for social groups as we do for individuals?" challenges Gilson Waldkoenig, in his seminary classes. Waldkoenig, associate professor of church in society at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, contributes his special insights on the subject of church endings, in this unique and important book. Ending with Hope grows out of the understanding that although closing a congregation is in many ways about dying, it can also be about new life. Closing a congregation does not have to be about failure but can be about redirecting resources for new ministry. Contributors represent eight denominations and include more than a dozen pastors, lay leaders, judicatory staff, and others who have "been there"-who have helped congregations through the painful closing process. Resources include models for assessing whether a congregation should close; reflections on members' and pastors' experiences during closing; case studies; guidance for deciding what to do with a building; suggestions for selecting and preserving documents and artifacts; rituals for healthy closings; a survey of historical trends regarding closings; and other helpful materials.

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Yes, you can access Ending with Hope by Beth Ann Gaede in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Christian Church. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Preface
  2. PART 1: Decisions and Dynamics in Closings
  3. Chapter 1: Discerning God's Calling
  4. Chapter 2: Assessing Congregational Viability
  5. Chapter 3: Closing Churches in the Light of American Religious History
  6. Chapter 4: The Members' Experience
  7. Chapter 5: The Pastor's Experience
  8. Chapter 6: Merger as a New Beginning
  9. Chapter 7: A Judicatory Perspective
  10. PART2: Stories about Closings
  11. Chapter 8: A Tale of Two Closings
  12. Chapter 9: Closing Rural Congregations
  13. Chapter 10: A Struggle to the End
  14. Chapter 11: Ending with Strength
  15. PART3: Resources for Leaders
  16. Chapter 12: The Value of Ritual: Making Meaning, Forging Hope
  17. Chapter 13: Congregational Records and Artifacts
  18. Chapter 14: Deciding What to Do with the Building
  19. Chapter 15: Guidance for Decision Makers
  20. Contributors