Gary Gunderson

The prayers Gary Gunderson shares with us in this little book foster in anyone willing to enter fully into their spirit a sense of new possibilities for engagement with the sacred all around us in the communities where we live and serve.

"Speak Life" by Gary Gunderson represents another step in the journey of a learning collaborative called Stakeholder Health, a network of mission-focused, charitable and faith-based healthcare organizations that shares ideas and inspiration to foster the health of whole communities. Beyond merely sharing smart approaches to what is now called population health, the movement's real fuel is the conviction that together we can build communities in which every person counts, where no one is left out and no one suffers needlessly because of institution-alized unfairness. "Speak Life" will give thoughtful readers plentiful opportunities to explore their own hopes for abundant life, for themselves and for those with whom they share life in community.

You know what the leading causes of death are. But have you ever thought about the Leading Causes of Life? The Leading Causes of Life helps guide us through that question. The five leading causes apply to individuals, churches, and even hospitals that care about life. If you have ever cared for others; looked for meaning; stepped out in faith; found hope when life looked hopeless; or been changed by a blessing, you will appreciate this book.

With insight born of experience and conviction, The Carter Center's Gary Gunderson suggests ways that congregations, religious leaders, and concerned individuals can take practical steps to improve the health of their communities. As governmental involvement in alleviating social problems wanes, Gunderson argues, congregations are uniquely positioned to feed the roots that build and sustain community life. Their commitment can make the difference in addressing such problems as violence, substance abuse, housing, nutrition, and public health. His book shows why congregations matter, how religious commitment helps people transcend the individualism of today's world, what singular powers religious persons can bring to their communities, and how parishes can train people in skills for knowledge-building and community-building. He then offers a model of what a congregation in the year 2010 might be doing to improve the health of its larger neighborhood. Eminently practical yet deeply religious, Gunderson's book will help people of faith nurture community life at its roots.