This article details the work of the Birmingham Initiative, a Methodist inspired, ecumenical research project that operated in Birmingham, in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom between 1995 and 1999. As the Christian Education Development Officer employed by this project, the author undertook doctoral research among twenty-six inner-city,…

This bulletin is adapted from the third panel of three at a Manhattan Institute conference. The focus of this paper is on the re-entering ex-offender population. Howard Husock introduces the people who are on the front lines, working day-to-day with people coming out of prison, thinking about what are the right strategies. These people include…

This bulletin is adapted from the second panel of three at a Manhattan Institute conference. The focus of this paper is on the explosion of prison population and the inevitability of people reentering society from prison. Clarence Page believes this has a particularly brutal impact on the African-American community, and raises questions about how…

Designed to provide volunteer, religious education teachers with several tools to increase attendance at early morning religious classes and counteract student absenteeism, the study developed a computerized roll and record keeping system, taught new teaching skills and methods, instructed the teachers to make personal contact with absentees…

This document reports on a conference that addressed the involvement of the National Council of Churches of Christ/USA in literacy education in North America, at which literacy program participants, national leaders in literacy education, church leaders, and international literacy delegates described their successes and struggles. The first…

This paper addresses the educational implications of a unique Canadian program of refugee immigrant support and integration--private sponsorship. Individual Southeast Asian refugees and their families are financially supported by groups of five or more private individuals. Many such groups are affiliated with Christian church congregations. The…

Catholic charities and church groups have been actively engaged in providing basic shelter needs for homeless people long before the issue of homelessness came to the national attention. The purpose of this hearing was to allow the U.S. Catholic Conference and its Domestic Policy Committee to present its report, "Homelessness and Housing: A…

The Indiana Plan for Adult Religious education is a tested framework of action and training within which an effective adult education program can evolve. The plan is intended to help people in the understanding of and service to God. It aims to: stimulate adults to recognize that some of their religious education needs can be met through…

The volume begins with a discussion of the dynamic nature of small group processes and, more specifically, with how the group might develop social concerns, religious awareness, its own discipline, and the stimulation of individual growth. Group methods for work with junior high youth, senior high youth, young adults, and parents are reviewed.…

The question of the evaluation of the impact of religious education is important for three reasons: (1) it is of fascinating theoretical interest to learn what are the effective means of transmitting fundamental values and what are the ineffective means; (2) it also seems appropriate to evaluate the contribution of religion to the improvement of…

Drawing from Public/Private Ventures (P/PV's) five years of hands-on experience designing and implementing Amachi programs around the country, "Building From The Ground Up" describes best practices for planning, developing and managing a mentoring-children-of-prisoners program. This guidebook is essential for learning the professional procedures,…

The work of the Centre for the Study of Religion and Education in the Inner City, a church-related organization in Salford, England, is described. The role of religion in the formation of social and spiritual values is discussed, with emphasis on the needs of those in urban, multicultural settings. (PP)

Since 1978, the Diocese of Oakland, California, has operated the Family Aid-Catholic Education (FACE) program, which raises funds from local businesses and philanthropic organizations to provide partial tuition assistance to deserving low income families and to offer supplemental funding for innovative programing to inner-city Catholic schools.…

Asserts that desire for the holy and a faith that helps make sense of life are youths' quests. Gives adults who minister youths strategies to impart knowledge and the quest for it among peers and adults. (VWC)

The church school teacher has the ability to strengthen or weaken the overall effectiveness of the church school program. In many cases, loss of interest, church school dropout, and the decline of the church school result from poor teaching. A model is proposed that can address the problem of the declining church school through a teaching and…