Although American Roman Catholic priest Father Joseph Maier founded the Mercy Centre in the heart of Bangkok's Khlong Toey slums in the early 1970s, music was not part of the program until around 2010 when Dr. Mick Moloney began raising funds to support the teaching of Thai classical music. With additional donations, the music program has grown…

An International Student Program (ISP) should be an essential part of a church's mission program. A vital purpose of every church must be disciple-making. When a church-operated Christian school sets up an ISP, this must be its primary purpose. With this as its main objective, a church must formulate its central belief systems regarding Truth,…

In Thailand, 408 campuses of the Buddhist Scripture School provide education to orphans, minorities, and disadvantaged children. Approximately 34,000 students are enrolled on the campuses nationwide. These students were ordained as novices and monks. In addition to studying their religious curriculum, they take courses in the general education,…

Faith-based communities supporting diverse and underserved communities are increasingly being recognized by researchers as community "anchor institutions" and equitable partners in research engagement. Research suggests that faith-based organizations (FBOs) can promote health and well-being within congregations and throughout…

Minimal prior research has examined the school chaplaincy programme in Australia. This exploratory study sought to identify the values primary school chaplains feel are the most important to them personally, and in their role as chaplain. Eight chaplains working in government primary schools were interviewed. Inductive thematic analysis was used…

Rural clergy often lack colleagues and may struggle with isolation, especially if over-extended in multi-parish benefices. Theory suggests that this sense of isolation could be addressed by launching clergy action learning sets, which have the potential to establish a peer support network through the formation of social capital as a by-product of…

In light of today's explosion of knowledge and the complexity of American culture, Pentecostal church leaders face the daunting challenge of effecting biblical change in their communities. Biblical truth reveals that true, lasting change begins by the power of God activated in a believer through faith and perseverance in Christ. To assure the…

Evangelical institutions of higher education began introducing programs of social work education after 1960 during a period of academic reform and dramatic social change. Public dialogue increasingly acknowledged impoverishment as a reality in America, and the renewal of social concern among evangelicals stimulated interest in education for the…

The French Revolution bears an ironic responsibility for generating works of charity. To counteract the devastating social effects of that late 18th century uprising, numerous religious communities were founded in France, among them the Congregation of Holy Cross. The Congregation of Holy Cross, the founding religious community behind the…

A well-rounded congregational approach to the elderly should be based on three premises: (1) older persons can give as well as receive ministry; (2) ministry should assist with aging gracefully and supporting the frail, sick, and dependent; and (3) intergenerational solidarity is to be highly valued. (SK)

Recounts the historical development of catechesis formation and training of catechists in Lansing, Michigan. Narrates the development in 1991 by the Diocesan Office of Catechesis of a committee of principals, directors of religious education, coordinators of youth ministry, and staff people to address catechesis formation concerns and to revise…

This four-part booklet provides guidance for clergy members interested in establishing or maintaining cooperative relations with local community colleges. Part I presents a metaphorical rationale for these relations; discourages an overemphasis on "presence ministries"; presents ways to initiate short-term exchanges between the college…

The manual is designed for the use of religious leaders to assist them in the development and planning of strategies that will increase effectiveness and meaning in the ministry. The document is presented in two parts. The first section (38 pages) contains a discussion of the purpose, design, and uses of the plan book. Three schedules for…

A representative group from The United Methodist Church met to consider continuing education of the ordained pastor and to formulate recommendations for the church's strategy in ministerial continuing education. After a paper on continuing professional education, another described the minister as a professional--educated, expert, institutional,…