Reviewed Book: Craig, Robert H. Dry Bones Live: Helping Congregations Discover New Life. Louisville, Ky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993

Diegel, Matthew H.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 21Issue 2 Aspects of Ecumenity Article 2511-1-1995Dry Bones Live: Helping Congregations DiscoverNew LifeMatthew H. DiegelFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationDiegel, Matthew H. (1995) "Dry Bones Live: Helping Congregations Discover New Life," Consensus: Vol. 21 : Iss. 2 , Article 25.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol21/iss2/25Book Reviews 141familiar understanding and repeats the themes and ideas in the varioussections of his presentation. Personally, I did not find this resource all thathelpful for sermon preparation.Julianna Wehrfritz-HansonShepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church,Calgary, AlbertaDry Bones Live: Helping Congregations Discover NewLifeRobert H. Craig and Robert C. WorleyLouisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992128 pp. $9.99 U.S.Craig and Worley have completely revised their original work. DryBones, Breathe (Chicago: Center for the Study of Church OrganizationBehavior of McCormick Theological Seminary, 1978). They see a need formembers to be less passive, to see the congregation as “a covenant peoplecalled by God to be actors in their faith communities and in the world”(p. 2). Those who are leaders are to support this by having “a facili-tating style or set of processes to help members live out commitments tothe church” (p. 2). One way of accomplishing this is through “transfor-mational change theory”. “Values are applied to understanding, throughparticipatory processes, in order that constructive change may result. Suchactivity is not merely rational but mobilizing, full of mandates that requireaccountability” (p. 3).What does this mean? In other words, the authors assert the usefulnessof questionnaires, or “survey instruments”, in the congregation as a meansof understanding and empowering mission, of revitalizing the church. Tothis end, they study what role vision should play in ministry; the responsi-bility of parish leadership in shaping the ministry of the congregation; andthe interaction necessary between the members and the leadership. Theyprovide examples of how to develop and use such surveys to aid the namingof, and achieving, vision and mission.One of the strengths of this book is that it not only examines settingup initial surveys, but also shows how important it is to share the resultswith the participants, and to work beyond the initial self-assessment to setgoals, train, obtain resources, evaluate progress, and refine ministry. Weare bombarded with questionnaires every day, and wonder if our answersreally make any difference. Craig and Worley demonstrate how to silencethese doubts, by keeping the leadership in constant communication withthe members. The writers offer a convincing argument that showing themembers that their opinions count will make them more active. This book142 Consensusaids local leaders to ask the right questions, to listen, and to involve themembers in responding to what is learned.Yet this strength also reveals one of the weaknesses: one wonders whenthe paperwork ever stops! So much time is to be committed to preparingand analyzing and giving feedback, that it may seem there is very littletime to do any work. The authors would challenge this assessment bysaying the communication described is the work, not just a nice extra.They also provide many surveys that can be used as models or adaptedvery easily. Further, they caution against pitfalls to avoid in the processand chart clearly how to maintain forward progress. Doing surveys is tobecome almost second nature.Craig and Worley challenge the traditional committee and council lead-ership of the congregation, but with the view to strengthening the congrega-tion’s effectiveness, inclusiveness, and activeness. Those pondering whetherto write a Mission Statement, use a questionnaire on worship times, or de-velop a five-year plan would do well to begin by reading this book.Matthew H. DiegelImmanuel and Our Saviour Lutheran Churches, Thunder Bay, Ontario“Hymn Texts in the Aboriginal Languages of Canada”Occasional Monographs, No. 1Hugh D. McKellarFort Worth, Texas: The Hymn Society in the USA andCanada, 199250 pp. $6.00Hugh D. McKellar is an educator who lives in Toronto and who haspublished short material on hymnody for many years. This monograph,subtitled “Three Historical-Bibliographical Studies”, is the first effort bythe Hymn Society in the USA and Canada to enter the field of scholarlypublishing on hymnody. The three studies are “A History of Hymns inAboriginal Languages of Canada”, “A Bibliography of Aboriginal Hymnsin Canada”, and “The Huron Carol Jesous Ahatonia”.In the first study we learn that one-third of all Canadian hymnbooksever published have been in aboriginal languages! This process of incul-turalization is documented since 1634, when the Jesuits began translatinghymns in Quebec. The Jesuits and Recollets used the natural inclinationof aboriginal peoples towards chant to encourage them to sing French andLatin hymns in translation.Not all the early work was done by French Roman Catholics. In 1772,Moravians who worked with the Inuit people of Labrador, had prepared ahymnbook in Germany for use in Canada’s north.

Dry Bones Live: Helping Congregations Discover New Life

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 21
Issue 2 Aspects of Ecumenity Article 25
11-1-1995
Dry Bones Live: Helping Congregations Discover
New Life
Matthew H. Diegel
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Diegel, Matthew H. (1995) "Dry Bones Live: Helping Congregations Discover New Life," Consensus: Vol. 21 : Iss. 2 , Article 25.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol21/iss2/25
Book Reviews 141
familiar understanding and repeats the themes and ideas in the various
sections of his presentation. Personally, I did not find this resource all that
helpful for sermon preparation.
Julianna Wehrfritz-Hanson
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church,
Calgary, Alberta
Dry Bones Live: Helping Congregations Discover New
Life
Robert H. Craig and Robert C. Worley
Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992
128 pp. $9.99 U.S.
Craig and Worley have completely revised their original work. Dry
Bones, Breathe (Chicago: Center for the Study of Church Organization
Behavior of McCormick Theological Seminary, 1978). They see a need for
members to be less passive, to see the congregation as “a covenant people
called by God to be actors in their faith communities and in the world”
(p. 2). Those who are leaders are to support this by having “a facili-
tating style or set of processes to help members live out commitments to
the church” (p. 2). One way of accomplishing this is through “transfor-
mational change theory”. “Values are applied to understanding, through
participatory processes, in order that constructive change may result. Such
activity is not merely rational but mobilizing, full of mandates that require
accountability” (p. 3).
What does this mean? In other words, the authors assert the usefulness
of questionnaires, or “survey instruments”, in the congregation as a means
of understanding and empowering mission, of revitalizing the church. To
this end, they study what role vision should play in ministry; the responsi-
bility of parish leadership in shaping the ministry of the congregation; and
the interaction necessary between the members and the leadership. They
provide examples of how to develop and use such surveys to aid the naming
of, and achieving, vision and mission.
One of the strengths of this book is that it not only examines setting
up initial surveys, but also shows how important it is to share the results
with the participants, and to work beyond the initial self-assessment to set
goals, train, obtain resources, evaluate progress, and refine ministry. We
are bombarded with questionnaires every day, and wonder if our answers
really make any difference. Craig and Worley demonstrate how to silence
these doubts, by keeping the leadership in constant communication with
the members. The writers offer a convincing argument that showing the
members that their opinions count will make them more active. This book
142 Consensus
aids local leaders to ask the right questions, to listen, and to involve the
members in responding to what is learned.
Yet this strength also reveals one of the weaknesses: one wonders when
the paperwork ever stops! So much time is to be committed to preparing
and analyzing and giving feedback, that it may seem there is very little
time to do any work. The authors would challenge this assessment by
saying the communication described is the work, not just a nice extra.
They also provide many surveys that can be used as models or adapted
very easily. Further, they caution against pitfalls to avoid in the process
and chart clearly how to maintain forward progress. Doing surveys is to
become almost second nature.
Craig and Worley challenge the traditional committee and council lead-
ership of the congregation, but with the view to strengthening the congrega-
tion’s effectiveness, inclusiveness, and activeness. Those pondering whether
to write a Mission Statement, use a questionnaire on worship times, or de-
velop a five-year plan would do well to begin by reading this book.
Matthew H. Diegel
Immanuel and Our Saviour Lutheran Churches, Thunder Bay, Ontario
“Hymn Texts in the Aboriginal Languages of Canada”
Occasional Monographs, No. 1
Hugh D. McKellar
Fort Worth, Texas: The Hymn Society in the USA and
Canada, 1992
50 pp. $6.00
Hugh D. McKellar is an educator who lives in Toronto and who has
published short material on hymnody for many years. This monograph,
subtitled “Three Historical-Bibliographical Studies”, is the first effort by
the Hymn Society in the USA and Canada to enter the field of scholarly
publishing on hymnody. The three studies are “A History of Hymns in
Aboriginal Languages of Canada”, “A Bibliography of Aboriginal Hymns
in Canada”, and “The Huron Carol Jesous Ahatonia”.
In the first study we learn that one-third of all Canadian hymnbooks
ever published have been in aboriginal languages! This process of incul-
turalization is documented since 1634, when the Jesuits began translating
hymns in Quebec. The Jesuits and Recollets used the natural inclination
of aboriginal peoples towards chant to encourage them to sing French and
Latin hymns in translation.
Not all the early work was done by French Roman Catholics. In 1772,
Moravians who worked with the Inuit people of Labrador, had prepared a
hymnbook in Germany for use in Canada’s north.


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