Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future [9780310368823]

Overview

Discover the antidote to cynicism and despair in this dynamic, revelatory, hope-inducing exploration of the extraordinary work and extraordinary people who are transforming communities around the country--motivated by faith.

The mother of a man with autism manages a network of group homes through her local Greek Orthodox congregation. The director of an Islamic cultural center hosts a national interfaith conference to foster better relationships with the Jewish community. A student counselor starts a free immigration services program through her church. Sometimes we forget that good is not only happening in America, it is flourishing--in the fertile soil of our churches, synagogues, and mosques.

Few people are better poised to speak to the value of religious institutions in civic life than former Ohio governor and presidential candidate John Kasich, who is both a public servant and a man of faith. In Heaven Help Us, Kasich reminds us through gripping stories that faith communities are vital to healthy communities and our nation. Heaven Help Us offers:

• Unforgettable stories of people making an extraordinary difference because of their faith communities
• Insights into what sets faith institutions that transform their neighborhoods apart from those that don't
• Practical ideas for making positive changes in our own communities
• Hope to dream about what is possible in our country instead of what is impossible
• Encouragement that religion can bring us together rather than break us apart

As Kasich shows us, faith institutions can magnify the power of an individual in ways that almost always exceed the expectations of the person who jump-started the initiative in the first place. More than a collection of "feel-good" stories, Heaven Help Us reminds us of the resourcefulness and ingenuity of our fellow congregants and religious leaders that make it possible to turn our good intentions into even better outcomes. Good is happening in our country. Join in.