A steady transition has been taking place in church services with the employment of visual electronic media intended to enhance the worship experience for congregants. Electronically assisted worship utilizes presentational software and hardware to incorporate video, film clips, texts, graphics, lyrics, TV broadcasts, Internet, Twitter, and even…

This article reports on the adult education programs sponsored by various Protestant church denominations in Australia. (MF)

A United Church of Canada research project attempted to determine whether the "functional community" concept was a viable basis for restructuring congregations for rural ministry in Colchester County, Nova Scotia. Research documented the functional community concept via socioeconomic variables such as social and political history,…

Intended to show the general growth and development of the church library field, this bibliographical survey reviews periodical articles, published manuals, and unpublished library school papers related to libraries located in or attached to local church buildings. The following areas are explored: general studies; the role and function of church…

This paper presents a brief review of the ways in which a church has incorporated art activities, particularly drama, in its ministry. The contents of the paper include a discussion of the initiation of and planning for a church theater, a description of the activities offered as part of the drama program, an overview of the staffing of the drama…

Describes the humanitarian efforts of St. Luke's Parish to reach out to the community and help others. Its attempts to spread justice and peace have made it a healing presence in southern society. (YKH)

Ninety-two adults with developmental disabilities were interviewed about their church attendance. Fifty-two percent reported they had attended church in the last seven days. Of these attendees, 73 percent attended a Christian church, 94 percent know the name of their church, and 48 percent attended church with a family member. (Contains…

In 1996, the Council of Bishops called upon the United Methodist Church to reshape its mission in response to the crisis among children and the impoverished within the primary goal of evangelization. As one response to the Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty, congregations may undertake specific actions to make their churches more…

The Literacy Improvement Needs Collaboration in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was assisted by African-American ministers from the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance in recruiting adults from the community for a literacy program and 50 volunteers to serve as tutors and community liaisons. Some of the stigma of illiteracy was alleviated by using…

Barriers exist at a variety of levels that either impede or prohibit persons with disabilities from full participation within the worship, education, and mission of congregations. Placing the emerging body of literature on inclusion in congregations in conversation with a case study of one particular congregation, the author examines the sources…

The increase in the number of community organizations offering educational programs prompted the first national survey of adult education sponsored by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). All private, nonprofit organizations were included whose prime reason for existence was to offer services, or to serve as a vehicle for…

Support provided by 69 local churches to individuals with disabilities was studied through a mail survey. Results indicate that 56 of the churches were attended by individuals with developmental disabilities, and support was provided by churches in the form of food, transportation, opportunities for service to the church and the community, and…

Examines the growing number of Christian churches working to overcome prior oppressive relationships and support rather than destroy Native American notions of spirituality. Indicates that some churches accept and encourage Native spiritual practices regardless of their relation to Christian doctrines, while others integrate traditional beliefs…

This is an exploratory paper which describes six Korean churches in Chicago, Illinois. The report provides historical background on the Korean people and on the social structure of their community in Chicago. The data is based on information collected on the churches during the period from June 1967 to March 1968. Methods used to gather the data…

Explores ways in which the congregation-as-educator metaphor of educational ministry has contributed to the role and identity of the local church educator. Focuses on three issues affecting the role and function of the church educator: (1) tension between homiletic and therapeutic paradigms; (2) the educator's authority; and (3) the educator as…