Although considerable attention has focused on the inclusion of young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in school, work, and residential settings, less is known about their involvement in religious activities. This article focuses on supporting the presence and participation of people with disabilities and their families in…

Explores prevalent assumptions about what religious organizations are and do, how they fit into the independent or nonprofit sector, and what is reasonable to expect of or for them. Reviews basic facts about the nature, scope, operations, and support of religious organizations, examining their levels of independence. Focuses on the basic…

Churches, as educators, serve as agents of transformation for the individual, the group, and society. Religious adult education programs must speak to the issues, concerns, and aspirations of the surrounding community and establish links with other denominations and educational providers. (SK)

Surveyed urban welfare-to-work programs to investigate the dilemma of faith-based and other nonprofit organizations having to choose between government funding and independence. Federal funding, though key to increasing an organization's impact and size significantly, also limits its independence. Proposes three steps toward resolution (e.g.,…

Notes that the congregation-based child care community is a dominant, diverse, vibrant, and growing segment of child care provision, and updates current state of these centers. Explores how congregations are expected to play an increasingly important role in the child care field. Includes overall child care statistics for 12 denominations in the…

Support provided by 69 local churches to individuals with disabilities was studied through a mail survey. Results indicate that 56 of the churches were attended by individuals with developmental disabilities, and support was provided by churches in the form of food, transportation, opportunities for service to the church and the community, and…

Examined the impact of the conjugal unit on church activism. Showed that the most powerful influence on the church activism of either husband or wife was the activism of the spouse, particularly the wife. Determined system properties of the marriage to be an important determinant, when other factors are controlled. (Author/KS)

Clarifies the constitutional issue raised by government efforts to cooperate with faith-based organizations, noting that while programs can be constitutional without necessarily being good public policy, too frequently political and constitutional controversies mix these two considerations, thus confusing those trying to understand and resolve…

Narrates the NCEA Seminary Department's 100-year history. States that during the last quarter of this century, seminaries have become increasingly attuned to the roles of women and lay deacons in study and ministry, the needs of Hispanics and other minority groups, and a variety of psychosexual considerations. (VWC)

This article discusses the role of organized religion in providing respite services to families of children with disabilities. Respite programs using church volunteers are seen as an opportunity for new and effective partnerships between secular service systems and the religious community. Model programs are described. (PB)

Prison Fellowship Ministries' church and community based Transition of Prisoners (TOP) program in Detroit is examined. TOP mobilizes, trains, and equips primarily African-American churches and volunteers to assist ex-offenders to successfully reintegrate into their community. Preliminary outcome data suggest that participation in TOP reduces need…

Despite the fact that the twentieth-century ecumenical movement was coeval with the beginning of a "language revolution" and the "theology of crisis," it was only at the beginning of the present decade that the problem of unity in verbal formulations reached the agenda of the World Council of Churches (WCC). At that time the…

In the late 19th century, camps in the Adirondacks responded to concerns that the American character was softening. Much camping philosophy came from the progressive movement in education. Aspects of Indian culture were adopted because they seemed to fit naturally in the Adirondacks, and children loved them. Adirondack camps have always been…

Argues that the act of worship can become an act of resistance against the hegemony of a dominant culture. Maintains that congregational life offers the possibility to awaken people's discontent, foster skepticism toward prevailing assumptions, articulate ethical alternatives, and develop readiness for struggle and change. (MJP)