Not infrequently, pastors and their parish / congregational administrators, board and / or committee members are inclined to avail themselves of “donated” labor in the form of volunteers who purport to have the appropriate experience, expertise and equipment required to perform some necessary project work on or within parish buildings.
Read More >An in-depth look at Ashland Theological Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program in Transformational Leadership with Dr. Matthew H. Bevere
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How the Villanova University Master of Science in Church Management Degree is building capacity for leadership
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New York Times best-selling author and Regent alumnus Mark Batterson ’12 (Divinity) believes in dreaming big and praying bold prayers.
It is a principle that he explored in his popular book The Circle Maker, and one that has guided his ministry for the last 18 years. As lead pastor of National Community Church (NCC) in Washington, D.C., his God-sized dreams have resulted in a vast ministry reaching thousands.
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Is the purpose of the seminary to train theologians or practitioners?
For the last 50 years, theologians, pastors and congregations have been debating this very question. Indeed, higher education at-large is questioning the relationship between theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Is the purpose of education to help the student to think critically or to function practically?
To be effective, a seminary has to do both.
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There are many good races, but only one matters most.
It doesn’t matter if you win a race if it’s the wrong race. We can’t declare ourselves winners of a marathon for winning a boat race.
It’s winning. It’s just winning at the wrong thing.
Which is a form of losing.
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Perhaps you’ve heard the often-told adage that 80 percent of all new church plants fail. Not true. While there’s no comprehensive research on the total number of new churches started annually, the most recent research on literally thousands of new church starts show that 99 percent of all new churches survive the first year, and 68 percent survive to year four. Moreover, of the churches that survive, more than 70 percent are self-sufficient financially by the fifth year.
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There are many very important aspects to making a good hire. They include a good job posting, posting to the right places, reference calls, résumé review, the interview process, crafting the right job description, prayer, more prayer, and many more. However, one key stands out above the others. What is it? It’s your gut.
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As your church settles down from Christmas celebrations, things are no doubt getting into full swing for the person managing all your church’s accounting. If that person is you, you likely still have several time-sensitive tasks on your horizon that need to get finished by January 31. Putting a good system in place can help keep you on track — and that’s what we’ve outlined for you below.
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At Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN, hope is not a strategy. Rather, when disaster strikes — as it has, twice — the church has been able to sustain its rapid growth and expansion with preparation and perseverance.
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