BOOK NOTES

A Ready Hope: Effective Disaster Ministry for Congregations
by Kathryn M. Haueisen and Carol H. Flores, Alban, 2009

People naturally turn to churches for help in times of crisis. Would your church be ready to respond if a major disaster hit your community? Do you have a plan for communicating with members when electricity and phone lines go down? What if the Red Cross asked to set up a shelter in your facility? This book considers the congregational implications of different phases of disaster response by tracing the hypothetical story of a Midwestern church in a flood-stricken region. The book is a reminder of how important it is to think through difficult situations before they arise in this post-9/11, post-Katrina era. To order from Amazon.com, click here. To order from Cokesbury.com, click here.

Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership
by Dan Hotchkiss, Alban, 2009

Congregational governance structures and practices can encourage or thwart vital ministry. If you have not reviewed decision-making patterns in your church in a number of years, this book can help your leaders think through what models best fit your situation. Whatever your church’s polity, you will find parts of the book that speak to your context and needs. As you use this valuable resource, keep in mind that changes in governance are as likely as changes in worship to result in conflict. So take your time, involve key leaders, and take full advantage of this fine book. To order from Amazon.com, click here. To order from Cokesbury.com, click here.

Ministry in Hard Times
by Bill Easum and Bill Tenny-Brittian, Abingdon, 2010

In relatively good economic times, churches often fail to ask important questions about the priorities and trade-offs reflected in how they spend their money. This book raises precisely those questions. The authors suggest categories of spending that you should "always increase" and those you should "always cut" in hard times. This book is sure to make you mad somewhere along the way, perhaps on several occasions. But you will also find some good ideas. Even if you don’t agree with the authors on every topic, their book will prompt you to think about finances from some new angles. To order from Amazon.com, click here. To order from Cokesbury.com, click here.

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