By Troy Pollock As you and your team return from a summer season filled with vacations, conferences and enjoying time with family, it’s a great time to reset priorities and develop a plan for the rest of the year. What are your goals? Challenges? Opportunities for growth? And more importantly, what steps are […]
Read More >
Overall, are pastors are adequately prepared to provide counseling to their church members? Yvonne N. Glass, Ph.D., LPCC-S: It depends. Pastors are prepared for pastoral counseling. Some are certainly well-equipped to deal with parishioners’ spiritual and emotional issues. Many more are reasonably equipped to do “non-clinical” counseling, such as grief and pre-marital counseling. They likely […]
Read More >
Jeff Wilson & Severns Valley Baptist Church By RaeAnn Slaybaugh In 2007, when Severns Valley Baptist Church relocated to its current property in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, it was a major move. After all, this congregation (established in 1781) is older than the United States Constitution itself and was attended by Abraham Lincoln’s grandparents — also, very […]
Read More >Annual Report Shows Americans Gave Over $427 Billion to Charity in 2018 In June, Giving USA Foundation, a public service initiative of The Giving Institute, released its latest annual report: Giving USA 2019: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2018. According to researchers, 2018 was a complex year for giving due to a […]
Read More >
By Jennifer Wise Many churches are battling declining memberships and being challenged in their ability to have a significant impact. How can your church go on the offensive to defend its significance and connect with an increasingly secular society? Consider strengthening four core areas to overcome stereotypes that might hinder people from coming in […]
Read More >
At Chase Oaks Church, experts help “build remarkable teams.” By RaeAnn Slaybaugh When Senior Pastor Jeff Jones was taking over leadership at Chase Oaks, he and the existing senior pastor knew they needed help in navigating their way to the worship style for the future. Determined to help bridge the gap before the transition was […]
Read More >Tried-and-true advice for driving predictable cash flow at your church For most churches, just how big a problem is sustained giving? Paul K. Knickelbein: For a nonprofit or church to succeed, it must have sustained giving from its members. Donations are what keep the doors open and the mission alive. As anyone who has managed a […]
Read More >
By Rev. James R. Cook, CFP® If you think Medicare will cover all your healthcare costs when you retire, think again. The sobering reality is that Medicare generally only covers about 60 percent of the cost of basic healthcare services for individuals aged 65 and older. The remaining 40 percent must be covered by […]
Read More >
Expert advice for protecting the church’s children against sexual abuse and bullying — plus, how to mitigate internet-use risks What are the biggest risks and liabilities facing churches in the area of protecting children? Alex Smith: Allegations of sexual abuse are the greatest risk and liability. Also, complacency — saying, ‘We’ve always done it this […]
Read More >
Practical expert advice for a scary subject When using the term “disaster,” what types of events or circumstances are we referring to? Hillary Keller Bowling: The most common disasters are weather-related events such as hurricanes, flooding, tornados and wildfires. Other disasters are arson, accidental fire, active-shooters, and even cybersecurity events. Matthew McMaster: Every part of […]
Read More >