Bøger i Calvin Shorts serien

Congregational community engagement is so widespread in the United States that it is best described as a congregational norm. Both congregational leaders and attenders, in fact, expect to be involved in community activities simply as a matter of course. Moreover, people in need assume aid from congregations is natural and normal. Beyond that, most congregations want to be involved in their communities-they see neighborhood participation as a natural product of their mission. And congregational social activity also tends to spur other action: studies show that individuals who attend congregations in which there is a strong and clear priority on community care are more likely than others to be civically engaged outside the congregation. In other words, congregational activity has ripple effects that are hard to even measure. Congregations interested in community engagement, though, should prepare to accurately assess both their limits and capacities in addressing community issues. There exists no step-by-step formula for congregational engagement that simply translates to all communities/neighborhoods. This book, however, offers a brief overview to stimulate congregational thinking about community engagement in a manner that includes insights regarding social science and local context.

This short book invites readers into a deeper understanding of cities and suburbs and the challenges they face. Because places play such an important role in human well-being, loving our neighbors includes caring for and cultivating good places for all. Despite their great prosperity, North American communities are beset with challenges: fiscal crises, concentrated poverty, fragmentation and division, failing schools, unaffordable housing, and lack of community feeling. Good Places combines a biblical framework with an exploration of how cities, neighborhoods, housing markets, and transportation systems work. Readers will find themselves challenged to extend Christian hospitality beyond the walls of their private homes into zoning codes, local politics, neighborhood associations, faith-based housing providers, and real estate development.

What does the Bible say about immigration? How do we love our migrant neighbor? What does it mean to love God and live out his will in relation to immigration? This book is designed to help Christians think biblically about issues related to immigration today.

American immigration policies have changed significantly over the past 200 years, but debates over more restrictive versus more open policies have recurring themes. By putting these debates in historical context, this book can help us understand the practical and ethical considerations that shape immigration policies today.