The COMPLETE
GUIDE TORELIGIOUS EDUCATION VOLUNTEERS,
The COMPLETE
GUIDE TO
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION VOLUNTEERS,
by Donald Ratcliff (with a special chapter by James Michael Lee)
Summary: The title of this
book says it all. It is truly complete. In fact, it is so thoroughgoing, so well
researched, so packed with
usable suggestions, and so well written
that it is really the "Bible" of books not only on volunteerism in religious
education but also on volunteerism in the church.
Spirit of the Book: This book breathes not only practicality at every turn, but also how religious education volunteers are really indispensable to the energy, growth, and reach of every congregation's religious education program.
What this Book Gives You: This book gives you everything-really everything-you need to know about each and every phase of inaugurating, building, maintaining, and improving your volunteer program in religious education. Step by step in practical detail it helps you work successfully with volunteers.
Distinctiveness: Why this Book is Special: This power-packed book is special because of its comprehensiveness. No area of volunteerism is left untouched. Indeed, this book is more complete than any other book on volunteerism, including books in the "secular arena". Also this book is unique because of its exhaustive annotated bibliography listing a great many resources to help you work effectively with volunteers.
Major Features: Some of the major features of this book include: (1) a vision of volunteerism as helping the religious education volunteer as well as the overall program; (2) a special "volunteer religious education lattice" in which religious education leaders can progressively educate volunteers along stages in which they become increasingly proficient; (3) the most comprehensive step-by-step treatment of religious education volunteers ever published.
Chapters
Part I-Introducing Religious Education
Volunteers
1. The Nature of Volunteerism
2. Biblical Roots of
Volunteerism
3. The Broad Spectrum of Church Volunteerism
4. Religious
Education Volunteers are Very Special
Part II-Planning for Religious Education
Volunteers
5. What Needs Can Volunteers Meet?
6. Forming the Goals of the
Volunteer Program'
7. How Goals Lead to Volunteer Programs
Part III-Recruiting Religious Education
Volunteers
8. Where to Find Volunteers
9. Encouraging Persons to
Volunteer
10. Screening Prospective Volunteers
11. Getting Commitments
from Volunteers
Part IV-Supervising and Training Religious
Education Volunteers
12. Supervising and Orienting Volunteers to the
Task
13. Training Volunteers s they Work
14. Evaluating Volunteers'
Work
15. Encouraging Volunteer Improvement
Part V-Drop-In and Drop-Out Religious Education
Volunteers
16. Short-Term Volunteers
17. Keeping and Motivating
Volunteers
18. Encouraging Some Volunteers to Leave
Part VI-Administering Volunteer Religious
Education Programs
19. Administering the Volunteer Program
20. Climate and
Context of the Volunteer Program
21. Holding Effective Meetings with
Volunteers
22. Communicating with Volunteers
23. Solving Volunteer
Problems
Part VII-Evaluating Religious Education
Volunteer Programs
24. Evaluating the Results of Volunteer Programs
25.
Adjusting the Volunteer Program
Part VIII-Trends and Resources in Religious
Education Volunteerism
26. Where is Religious Education Volunteerism
Going?
27. Appendix: Where to Get More Information of
Volunteers
Praise for this Book: This book has been widely praised.
A review in RELIGIOUS EDUCATION says; "This is truly a complete guide. It is an able response to the crisis situation in churches due to a lack of sufficient volunteers."
A review in CHRISTIAN EDUCATION JOURNAL states: " This is a well-researched book. Well-written and very helpful."
A review in NAPCE NEWSLETTER calls this "one of the finest compilations on religious volunteerism in print. It synthesis the field."
TRENTON FERRO of Indiana University (Pa.) And co-editor of PAACE JOURNAL OF LIFELONG LEARNING says that this book "covers all the bases. An extremely useful resource.
Price and
Such:
246 pages List Price:
$21.95 ISBN 0-89135-089-6