New Book Provides Valuable Resource for Successful Parish Social Ministry Efforts

Catholic Charities USA
Monday, 29 April 2002

Meeting the social needs of their communities—the elderly, teen moms, poor schools, blighted neighborhoods—is as essential to the life of the parish just as the Eucharist it celebrates. A new book, Parish Social Ministry: Strategies for Success from Ave Maria Press provides an excellent resource for parishioners looking to start or build upon a social ministry outreach effort to help those in need.

Parish social ministry builds parish communities of service and social change using key vehicles that are rooted in Catholic social teaching: direct service, legislative advocacy, global solidarity, and community organizing.

Parish Social Ministry: Strategies for Success blends a rich stew of scripture, principles, and key strategies with practical know-how, providing concrete approaches to building and reinforcing parish social ministry. Author Tom Ulrich, vice president for training, convening, and mission at Catholic Charities USA, has taken years of experience, knowledge, and insight and turned them into useful advice for parish leaders. The manual will help readers:

- Be a local catalyst for parish social ministry efforts.
- Recruit for success.
- Organize, train, and support effective parish social ministry teams.

Discover the roots of parish social ministry in catholic social teaching.

The book is organized in two parts. The first part includes tips on how to develop and operate a successful Parish Social Ministry program, offering first-person accounts from those implementing successful parish social ministry strategies. The second part offers a collection of worksheets and resources for parish social ministry.

For more information, or to contact Catholic Charities USA, see their website at: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org