Description:

By Heidi Unruh - Assess your church's readiness for outreach! This tool is designed in cooperation with Evangelicals for Social Action to help the local church:

- Appreciate the uniqueness of your church's story and vision.
- Identify where God has already been at work in and through your congregation.
- Bring patterns of church outreach into sharper focus.
- Identify strenghts and weaknesses for holistic ministry.
- Help develop a strategy for mission transformation that anticipate challenges.
- Take the pulse of your church's commitment to mission and openness to change.

The tool helps church leaders customize their outreach ministries to their unique identity and vision as a church. It can be used in conjunction with Tom Bandy's "Facing Reality" or Bill Easum's "Complete Ministry Audit".

Author:

Heidi graduated from Eastern Seminary in 1996 with an MA in Theology and Public Policy. Heidi began working with Evangelicals for Social Action in 1993 and served as managing editor of the Crossroads Monograph Series on Faith and Public Policy. She is currently affiliated with ESA as a specialist in church-based holistic ministries and faith-based initiatives. Heidi Unruh is also Associate Director of the Congregations, Community Outreach, and Leadership Development Project, sponsored by Eastern Seminary and directed by Ron Sider. This study examines the relationship between evangelism and social outreach, the varieties of faith-based programs, and the characteristics of dynamic, sustainable holistic ministries.

The project has led to the development of various resources for church leaders, including the book Churches That Make a Difference (co-authored with Ron Sider and Phil Olson), the workbook Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference: A Guide to the Holistic Ministry Journey, and a video What Is Holistic Ministry?.