By Rodney C. James If you’ve ever lived and led through a renovation, expansion or building project in your church, you know how painful the process can be. But what if we viewed every project as a mission field opportunity? We all know building projects are noisy and inconvenient. There are piles of supplies everywhere […]
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By Kip Meadows Most churches are set up well to handle the day-to-day business aspects of their operations. Otherwise, the doors could not open and welcome the congregants. It is the rare individual congregation, however, who’s well-equipped to handle long-term funds, either endowment gifts or retirement accounts, for personnel or other longer-term capital accounts. Even […]
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Earlier this month, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. By a 5-4 vote, it ruled that the Montana Supreme Court had violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment when it struck down a Montana scholarship program because that program would have allowed scholarship aid for […]
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By Chad Vanderipe Many churches are battling declining memberships and are being challenged in their ability to have a significant impact. How can the Church go on the offensive to defend its significance and face an increasingly secular society? Consider strengthening these 4 core values to overcome stereotypes that might have hindered people from coming in your front door. #1: Strengthen […]
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By Guy A. Russ, MBA, CPCU, ARM The 2020 hurricane season is here, and agencies are predicting above average activity. This year’s season places worship facilities in a precarious position, serving community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic while often providing post-disaster support. Here, we tackle the challenges facing houses of worship in the coming months — […]
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By RaeAnn Slaybaugh Senior Pastor Mark Allen’s path to starting a church in Athens, Texas, began in 2005 — though it certainly wasn’t his plan. “Athens doesn’t need another church,” he laughs. “It’s an exaggeration, but I’ve heard people say there are about 12,000 people who live here and, like, 1,500 churches.” But, God had […]
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By Rev. Vincent Howell Projects are a part of the work of ministry in any local congregation. They range from updating the parsonage when a new pastor is assigned to developing a new ministry to grow youth programs, hosting a holiday meal for the community and planning programs during the Advent season. Yet, many times, […]
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By Bob Pritchett As our nation moves toward re-opening, church leaders are now tasked with the consideration of whether it is safe to resume in-person gatherings. It’s unlikely that any parts of our former lives, including the way we did church, will ever truly be the same again. So as we begin to re-open and […]
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Houses of worship play a critical role in the life of the community. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic progressed, many organizations suspended in-person gatherings in accordance with government mandates or recommendations to limit the spread of the virus. Now that states and local communities are planning to ease restrictions, you may be considering how and when […]
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By Matthew F. Manion As of this writing, masses are being celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome for the first time in 10 weeks. Throughout the United States, individual states and local jurisdictions are creating guidelines for religious gatherings as they begin to reopen their governments. As churches around the globe begin to open […]
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