Too often, we talk about tracking visitors and not letting them “fall through the cracks” of the organization. That’s the foundation of what a church management system (ChMS) should do — but it can be lot richer.
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Many church leaders have realized that data and technology provide new ways of thinking about how they can overcome their increasing financial challenges.
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Depending on your role at the church, you’ll hear the word “audit” and come to one of two conclusions:
If you’re the finance manager, you understand the need for the substantiation of the integrity of the data — even though an audit can add to your already busy workload.
If you’re the pastor, it comes down to one word: “Why?” The financials are written in what appears to be a foreign language, and they don’t seem to help as you try to make good, mission-critical decisions, anyway.
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When Barrington Goldson founded Calvary Tabernacle in Hempstead, NY, nearly 25 years ago, there were 19 congregants worshipping in a motel room. Now, Calvary hosts nearly 800 members in a 12,000-square-foot building every Sunday and supports two K-8 charter schools and 27 churches in five countries.
Getting from Point A to Point B required Goldson to further his education. So, in 2011, he enrolled in an online MBA degree program at Phoenix-based Grand Canyon University to learn to meet the demands of his growing church.
Read More > By John Dyer “HOW CAN I GET THE DEPTH I NEED WITHOUT LEAVING THE PEOPLE I LOVE?” This was the question Cynthia Johnson, an energetic woman in her late 40s, asked me recently at a coffee shop in Nashville. She had a job she loved — running a battered women’s shelter nearby — but she […]
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By Shawn Hussey, Ph.D. “WHO HAS TIME FOR THIS?” It’s the frequent cry of anyone considering furthering his or her education. Today, there’s little doubt we’re being asked to do more and more with less and less time. Many of us operate in a state of perpetual time poverty, which makes fitting in a 45-minute […]
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It’s a rare person who doesn’t feel like they’re navigating rocky terrain when negotiating salary and compensation. This can be especially true for clergypersons.
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Mark Mellen was 26 years old and a homeless drug addict when God called him out of misery into a life of purpose. After finishing college with a degree in finance, he went to Bethel Seminary and graduated with a master’s of arts in theological studies.
The best learnings, however, came from ministry experiences and mentorship from church leaders who, Mellen says, “took a shot on me.”
Read More >In HR and management circles, there is a raging debate over whether or not to do annual reviews.
staffmanagementAll of Christ Community Church’s 120-plus employees are currently at the end of our fiscal year annual review season. Between now and June 30, each employee will receive a year-end review that takes place once a year at this time. It is a very systematic and organized process.
So, you can guess from our process that I am a believer in annual reviews. Well, I am — but you might be surprised at my answer to the annual review debate. Should an organization, business or church conduct annual reviews?
My answer is a resounding “maybe”. Let me explain.
Read More >When I started my career in church facility development in 19XX (you venture a guess), the foyer/lobby/narthex (for my liturgical friends) was generally sized to be 1- to 2-square-feet per seat in the main worship space. In those days, this space was intended to be used as a place to funnel people from the worship space to the outside or down a series of narrow corridors that led to the education, administration or fellowship areas. There was often a small table for giving / tithing envelopes or general information, along with one or two uncomfortable high-back chairs … usually not ones you would enjoy sitting in for any length of time, nor were they arranged in a manner to encourage conversation or community.
For all practicality, the foyer was nothing more than a well-appointed cattle chute. (MOO)
Not any more.
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