By Kathryn McCormack Separation of church and state has been an important pillar of our country since its inception. An individual’s freedom to explore his or her faith should be available to all who choose to cultivate a deeper sense of purpose in life and belonging within their communities. Often, this freedom is taken for […]
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For Jamie Barth, accommodating unique insurance requests is pretty common. A large Texas church hosts a Christmas pageant including live animals — camels, lions, a small elephant, and sheep for the manger. The church hires an outside company to provide the animals. The need for separate insurance coverage never occurs to church leaders; it only […]
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By RaeAnn Slaybaugh With rates near historic lows, it makes a lot of sense for a church to consider refinancing its debt right now. Like many houses of worship, Reston Bible Church (RBC) in Dulles, Va., wanted to take advantage of this lending climate while the opportunity existed. In particular, Executive Pastor Bruce Campbell was […]
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How one North Houston church is transforming a challenging piece of property for the entire community’s benefit In 2019, after meeting in a school for three years, Declaration Church in North Houston, Texas, set its sights on building a permanent home. For this church plant of WoodsEdge Community Church, it was a wonderful blessing — […]
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By Kirk Evans We live in trying times, in an era when hatred sometimes boils over into violence against strangers. What was once your safe place — your church sanctuary — is not immune to violent attacks. Criminals can come into your service, armed with intent to murder. To protect what is sacred, you must […]
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By Rev. James R. Cook, CFP®, RICP® We are now in the fourth quarter of the year, which means it is the perfect time to consider tax planning. Many of us only think of our taxes when we sit down to pull information together to complete our tax returns, but by then it is often […]
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At New Life Church of Arkansas, becoming debt-free — while continuing to expand across the state — are co-equal priorities. Here’s how it’s doing both successfully. At the financial helm of one of the nation’s fastest-growing churches — with 18 campuses across Arkansas — Finance Director and CFO Trip Leach has his hands (blessedly) full. […]
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By Craig Huss Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 73% of religious organizations accepted online donations. Today, 93% of religious organizations with more than 100 members offer online giving, and nearly half of organizations with fewer than 50 members provide the option. That’s good news for churches who want to use Giving Tuesday (and the upcoming […]
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A new installment of the largest available dataset on young people and spirituality shows that young people don’t think religious groups care about their values MINNEAPOLIS, MN — On October 25, Springtide Research Institute released The State of Religion & Young People 2021, the result of a year of research into the beliefs, practices, values, […]
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With 50-70% of churches committed to continuing online services, leaders need to be equipped to minister to congregants they may never see in person With studies showing that churches throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe will continue to conduct ministry online post-COVID-19, the Christian media ministry Premier Insight has partnered with Spurgeon’s College in the […]
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