This toolkit of intentional and compassionate strategies takes an encouraging, incremental approach to help even small groups get started quickly. Study the separate chapters on: imaginative marketing; the ministry of greeting, crafting welcoming materials, tracking and involving newcomers and structuring groups for growth. Then adapt an additional 34 pages of template forms, brochures, and procedures to your needs while employing Weeks’ point-by-point recommendations to: make sure your signs and property invite, not confuse; create powerful, welcoming ads and print communication, train and prepare greeters; and develop programs to incorporate and track newcomers during their first critical months.

A guide to children's ministry that serves families with special needs Jesus set a high standard when He said "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." The call is not limited to children who will sit quietly at His feet and listen, who color between the lines, who raise their hands and wait to be called upon, and who work at grade level. Children's ministries are responsible to be ready to bring children with disabilities to Jesus' feet too. Every Child Welcome is the guide for leaders and volunteers to assist in purposeful planning and skill development for a ministry inclusive of children with unique needs. Experienced children's ministry leaders, and parents of special-needs children themselves, the authors are superbly equipped to offer a thoughtful, thorough approach to creating a positive environment for children--one where all children will be able to digest the important concepts being taught. For leaders and volunteers, Every Child Welcome will provide the knowledge and tools to * create a welcoming environment before kids arrive * help children learn more effectively by connecting new information to what they already know * reinforce the main idea of a lesson, building background knowledge and reviewing important concepts * supplement instruction with hands-on activities to increase attention and participation * reinforce and wrap up an activity effectively

To really understand scripture, read Your Bible—An Easy-to-Understand Guide to God’s Word. It’s a collection of four bestselling titles that make the Bible clear! Inside, you’ll find Know Your Bible (1.7 million copies sold), a Genesis-to-Revelation overview; How to Study the Bible (700,000 copies sold), a helpful guide to personal Bible study; How Did We Get the Bible, explaining both the original text and translations over time; and Bible Memory Plan, to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. This powerful book will start you on a journey of understanding that can truly change your life!

Columnist and pastor’s wife Diana Davis has been compiling new ways of conducting various church programs for decades—paying close attention to everything from how a church interior is best utilized to how congregations most effectively engage in community outreach.These creative methods are generously compiled in Fresh Ideas for Your Church, a handy guide to inspire “how your church does church.” Featuring seventy-five unique categories and scores of ideas within each one, this resource will help everyone in the church from volunteers to the senior pastor.A sampling of topics: Baptism, Children’s Area, Christmas, Fall Festival, Greeters, Library, New Member Assimilation, Prayer Ministry, Scripture of the Year, Sports Evangelism, Web Site, Youth, and more.

"The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science provides an outstanding resource in 33 published volumes with 2 helpful indexes. This thorough reference set--written by 1300 eminent, international experts--offers librarians, information/computer scientists, bibliographers, documentalists, systems analysts, and students, convenient access to the techniques and tools of both library and information science. Impeccably researched, cross referenced, alphabetized by subject, and generously illustrated, the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science integrates the essential theoretical and practical information accumulating in this rapidly growing field."

A self-directed teacher training resource offering four courses of study for both experienced teachers and beginners. For many churches teacher training is a once-a year event, or even a budget casualty. 32 Ways to Become a Great Sunday School Teacher uses self-study sessions to help teachers design individualized programs that assist them in learning how to teach. New teachers will learn the basics of teaching (how faith develops; the ages and stages of learning); veterans will find ways to enrich their prayer lives and incorporate different teaching styles in a lesson. A sampler of topics: How to Study a Bible Passage; Multiple Intelligence Learning; Death, Illness, Other Crises; Using Questions in Teaching; The Gospels; Prayer in the Classroom; The Sacraments; Symbols of Christianity