Violence at worship centers — including numerous shootings — has religious organizations across the country struggling with the question of the need for armed security. A violent act at a place of worship is almost always going to be one of the worst tactical situations you can create. It’s a close, crowded area where 99.9 […]
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By Hillary Bowling As a provider of simple, reliable communication tools that require no software, no extended training (and no hassle), we have found that communities that communicate on a regular basis with their congregants reap more benefits: Increased attendance Higher engagement Consistent giving Connectivity — reliable, ongoing communication — is essential to the cultivation and retention […]
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By Tim Grabacki It’s not something church business managers think about a lot, but: How you count the money might be affecting the church more than you’d think. Here are three tips on how to better handle cash and checks in your collections. #1: Treat the business office like a business office The mission […]
Read More >By Sam S. Rainer III Every Monday at 4 p.m., I meet with both my worship pastors. We review the previous Sunday. We discuss the upcoming Sunday. We laugh together. We hold each other accountable. Sometimes I sing their worship set back to them because I have the voice of a senile cat, and it […]
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By Sam S. Rainer III I enjoy a little friendly competition. Last October, I used my kids as a front to scope out another local church’s Fall Fest. That, and they had a large amount of free candy. My affinity for candy corn sucked me into their festivities. The pastor and I are friends. The […]
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By Trevor Eppehimer, Ph.D. “Social relevance” serves as a holy grail for those whose careers depend on the ability to identify current patterns of thinking and spot contemporary cultural trends. Success follows, conventional wisdom holds, the politician, recording artist, filmmaker, or company that can locate, commodify and project “social relevance.” In North America, where persons […]
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By Sam S. Rainer III I am in the third year of serving as lead pastor at West Bradenton. Thankfully, my first two years were more joy than angst, defined by encouragement and not disillusion. But even in a healthy church, the third year can bring frustration — for both pastor and congregation. In the […]
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By Tim Spivey The most overlooked and underrated trait of people who serve in healthy, growing churches is a positive attitude. This isn’t to be mistaken for blindness to obstacles or a “yes man/woman” posture. I’m talking about one’s primary attitude, and whether it is oriented toward self/others and criticism/encouragement. What weather do they produce […]
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By Joe Garecht Many faith-based organizations worry about making fundraising asks. They think that because they have a religious mission, making direct asks of donors is somehow unethical or will damage their reputation. Other faith-based non-profits focus solely on making group asks from the pulpit, or through mass-communication mediums like direct mail or e-mail. These organizations avoid […]
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By Brian Gleason A regular police presence at or near your school, church and/or local neighborhood is a valuable crime-prevention strategy. Here’s why. Did you know that routine patrolling of school and church grounds better positions law enforcement to act quickly when they receive a request for help? It helps build a level of comfort for […]
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