Emphasizing sociological analysis and personal observation, Cavalcanti sketches the current situation of twenty-nine churches in one regional judicatory of the United Church of Christ (UCC). A well-rounded portrait emerges from chapters offering thumbnail descriptions of each congregation, an analysis of their patterns of difference, and discussions of worship, outreach, and one year's cycle of parish activities. One organizing question is how the concrete practices of these churches—which range between 19 and 195 members and tilt heavily toward the German Reformed and Restorationist as opposed to Congregationalist traditions within the UCC—relate to national denominational structures and liberal priorities. Cavalcanti documents significant local and national disconnects, especially among confessional German Reformed congregations and conventionally evangelical ones. However, he treats all sides sympathetically and seems fairly upbeat about the division of labor allowed by the UCC's decentralized structure. Few scholars will be surprised that some elderly congregations are struggling and some conservative ones have left the UCC; however, scholars may be interested that the relatively liberal congregations (more in sync with national priorities) tend to fall among the thriving and growing cohort. This book nicely fills a gap between studies of specific congregations and national trends; it includes many interesting details (for example, few local clergy were trained in UCC seminaries). Although Cavalcanti's base of evidence is too narrow to permit bold extrapolations (and he does not attempt them), he adds a very useful case study to scholarly discussions of mainline Protestantism.