Self-supporting ministers are wonderfully non-standard. They are deployed in a wide variety ofways and have a range of motivations, working patterns and training needs. Sometimes underused or overworked, they may feel unrecognized and under-supported. As the Church turns increasingly to its volunteer minsters, however, there are encouraging signs that SSMs are being given more creative opportunities than in the past. ‘This handbook is full of sound common sense. . . [it] is both an encouragement and a challenge in the task of re-imagining ministry today.’ Robert Atwell, Bishop of Exeter

A revised and expanded edition of Pamela Butler's guide to shedding the self-defeating images of the past.

Within traditional decision theory, common decision principles -- e.g. the principle to maximize utility -- generally invoke idealization; they govern ideal agents in ideal circumstances. In Realistic Decision Theory, Paul Weirch adds practicality to decision theory by formulating principles applying to nonideal agents in nonideal circumstances, such as real people coping with complex decisions. Bridging the gap between normative demands and psychological resources, Realistic Decision Theory is essential reading for theorists seeking precise normative decision principles that acknowledge the limits and difficulties of human decision-making.

She provides practical advice and direction to professionals for working with these groups while analyzing self-help/support organizations on three different levels - in terms of the groups themselves, the groups' members, and the practitioner's interaction with the groups. In addition, this comprehensive volume discusses the most prominent representative associations as examples of different types of groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Recovery, Inc., National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the Alzheimer's Association. It also examines the rise of telephone and on-line self-help, considering the advantages, and disadvantages of this style of group interaction.