A construction comeback!
Time — and, of course, the Great Recession — have altered the ways church building campaigns are done. Here, several stewardship experts weigh in.
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The value of a pastoral relations committee
For many of us, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are a time when we give ourselves permission to overindulge in rich dishes and irresistible desserts. January brings the time to take stock of all that feasting and make a resolution to lose weight and get in shape.
Churches can also benefit from the opportunity that the New Year provides to re-think priorities. One issue to consider is how to improve communication between the pastor and the congregation. Among the most effective methods for strengthening the lines of communication is the formation of a Pastoral Relations Committee.
The CE Interview: MARI BETH POOR — finding solutions by serving
As iServe pastor, Mari Beth Poor oversees the “on the mountain” ministries that enhance the overall experience of people attending Sunday worship services at Mountaintop Community Church. These include guest services, student ministries, children’s ministry, and worship and media. She also leads the church’s “off the mountain” community efforts and global outreach.
Read More >Engaging sanctuaries: 3 design “musts”
Depending on the culture and style of your congregation, your sanctuary might look more traditional or more modern — there are many ways to express the beauty of Christian worship. Despite these differences, however, there are some common design elements that are useful in creating an engaging sanctuary, no matter what your worship style might be.
Read More >Safety Strategies: Clear your path to a safe church
The aisles that guide your congregation to a higher power could lead to slips, trips and falls if you’re not careful. Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council. Those injuries accounted for about 8.8 million visits to the emergency room in 2013 — a nearly 500,000 drop from about 9.3 million visits to the emergency room in 2011.
Read More >Church management software: Where ministry meets monetary
While churches might have to be run like businesses, there are specific needs and flexibility which non-CMS financial management applications just cannot provide. For some, the leading secular accounting software might be the answer — but we suggest otherwise. Here’s why.
Read More >Get organized! 3 priorities for a successful campaign
In this series installment, Paul Gage — who has consulted more than 500 church capital campaigns, with results exceeding $1 billion — focuses on the second phase of a campaign: Organization. According to Gage, the three most critical components of this phase are Prayer, Presentation and Preaching.
Read More >Church management software: financial management Q&A
Mark Kitts served as a founding pastor before establishing People Driven Software, which merged with Elexio Church Software. Today, Kitts is Elexio’s Lead Software Architect. Here, he talks about how church management software helps churches with financial management.
Read More >Worship takes shape: examining traditional sanctuary design
As Part 2 of this “Designing Worship Areas” series begins, let’s reiterate a primary concept from
Part 1: Every church is different. Having restated that precept, let’s now look at the traditional worship space and the elements through which it contributes to a person’s worship experience.
8 questions to ask when evaluating financial applications in ChMS
Church members not only look for spiritual leadership from their pastoral staff, but they also have expectations that donations made will be widely used. Often, they expect leadership to provide financial reports produced from a reliable accounting package, verifying their trust.
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