1998
Margaret A. Babcock
Passport to the Future: How the Local Parish Can Discover Its Unique Personality
This thesis explores the issue of how a parish can successfully transition into the post- modern era. Beginning with the assumption that a community must know itself well in order to develop a plan for growth, different methods of assessing church identity are reviewed. The symbolic approach is lifted up as the first and most fundamental step to be taken. The author develops a workshop to be used by congregations interested in discovering their personality, field tests it in three different parishes and reports on the level of self understanding which occurred in these congregations.