They talk about the value of social ministries, both to the church and to the people they service, and how effective these ministries can be. They ask the question "does faith work?" And answer that in their study of 158 church programs, it does indeed work, and often it works very well. They also offer profiles of the churches they studied to write the book, so the reader gets a feel for the cross section of religious sects the authors studied, and how successful the churches are in their own communities.

Many of the ideas and methods the authors provide aren't new, but they illustrate how these ministries work and who they serve, which is an important aspect of the book. They write, "In a two-step invitational strategy, the social ministry brings beneficiaries into the physical or relational space of the congregation, where they can be encouraged to attend other...
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