Deeply Woven Roots: Improving the Quality of Life in Your Community

by Gary Gunderson

With insight born of experience and conviction, The Carter Center's Gary Gunderson suggests ways that congregations, religious leaders, and concerned individuals can take practical steps to improve the health of their communities. As governmental involvement in alleviating social problems wanes, Gunderson argues, congregations are uniquely positioned to "feed the roots" that build and sustain community life. Their commitment can make the difference in addressing such problems as violence, substance abuse, housing, nutrition, and public health. His book shows why congregations matter, how religious commitment helps people transcend the individualism of today's world, what singular powers religious persons can bring to their communities, and how parishes can train people in skills for knowledge-building and community-building. He then offers a model of what a congregation in the year 2010 might be doing to improve the health of its larger "neighborhood."Eminently practical yet deeply religious, Gunderson's book will help people of faith nurture community life at its roots.

Genres: Religion

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Rich Kooyer]

Gunderson believes that there is a strength in communication as it exists in community. That is the web as it exists between members and the strands that go out into the community. The intentional connection of people to others within the community when relations are seen is a consequence of good hospitality and care.The ability to witness our community through the fears, pain and triumphs are amazingly powerful moments our life cycles. Those cycles are smaller cycles within larger ones that we must understand and persist in order to keep perspective and strive for greater understanding.It was also his comments about “every house will eventually have the internet”. I have four computers and a phone who have the internet. Then there are two GPS’s with connectivity to the world. I wonder if he has thought about another edition to change his book to the changing technology in the world? The congregational communication and what God has planned for ministry for others and how it manifests in pastoral care can be seen as strength. Those connections that we create, nurture and reinforce through hospitality and grace will be strong. And it will be our strength, exactly as Gunderson put it.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the publisher: With insight born of experience and conviction, The Carter Center's Gary Gunderson suggests ways that congregations, religious leaders, and concerned individuals can take practical steps to improve the health of their communities.As governmental involvement in alleviating social problems wanes, Gunderson argues, congregations are uniquely positioned to feed the roots that build and sustain community life. Their commitment can make the difference in addressing such problems as violence, substance abuse, housing, nutrition, and public health. His book shows why congregations matter, how religious commitment helps people transcend the individualism of today's world, what singular powers religious persons can bring to their communities, and how parishes can train people in skills for knowledge-building and community-building. He then offers a model of what a congregation in the year 2010 might be doing to improve the health of its larger neighborhood.Eminently practical yet deeply religious, Gunderson's book will help people of faith nurture community life at its roots

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

His list is so basic of "strengths" is so simple, so basic, that you will wonder why you couldn't have come up with it yourself. And then when you read it again--and the anecdotal detail that he provides--you realize you are reading an elemental chart of community engagement.
I love this book, and have used it many times in the past decade in helping community groups understand their strengths and their opportunities.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grunderson offers some valuable insights into how religious congregations can draw on unknown and underused strengths to impact their communities as well as the relationships among congregants. His expertise is the intersection of religious congregations and public health, so his work and insights are needed as congregations struggle to impact for good the quality of life of people in communities large and small.