Limiting Deductions on Charity Draws Ire
from The New York Times
Wealthy donors and the nonprofit groups they support were in an uproar over the Obama administration’s proposal to limit the value of deductions for charitable gifts, which was included in the budget the president presented to Congress. Among donors, the concern was one of being forced to limit donations when charities need the support the most. More

Women More Likely Than Men to Pray, Believe in God
from The Christian Post
Women are more likely to profess belief in a God, pray and attend religious services than men, according to a new analysis of survey data. Ahead of Women's History Month in March, the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life offered new insight on sex and religiosity based on a previous survey. After gleaning over its 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, the Pew Forum found that women are more religious than men on a variety of measures. More

Church Offers Steps to Financial Healing
from CBN News
People in the church are not immune to tough economic times and more and more churches see this as a perfect chance to teach financial lessons God’s way. “We’re having people having trouble trying to keep food on the table, we’ve seen some with job cut backs in their hours,” Pastor Helen Lofton, Solid Rock Ministries said. Recently about a dozen church pastors and leaders met in Raleigh, N.C., for a financial workshop designed to teach them how to help those in their church who are struggling. More

Executive Volunteers Bring High Capacity Experience to the Church
from Church Executive Magazine
An executive volunteer (EV) is a different type of volunteer. The EV position allows members of the church body to use their professional skills and talents to serve the church and surrounding community. Before you can begin to use executive volunteers, you need to know how to recognize, recruit and retain them. More

Choosing the Right Architect to Build a Church
from Church Solutions
Many components need to be carefully considered when planning the construction of a church or worship facility. Choosing the right architect is an important decision that contributes toward a successful project. More

Youth Pastors Encouraged to Learn Self-Defense
from The Christian Post
Given the number of church shootings that have increased across the country, pastoral ministry could be considered an at-risk profession, according to an instructor of a fighting method used for Hollywood movies such as “The Dark Knight.” Jeff McKissack recently offered a KFM workshop to Dallas-area youth pastors to expose the “defense-only” fighting method to those unfamiliar with it and to help them learn how to defend themselves against attacks and also help protect the youth they lead at church in an increasingly violent world. More

Five Things to Do Before You Advertise Your Church
from Ministry Marketing Coach
Before you start promoting your church in the media, there are a few things you should have in order. Here are five things to consider before you start any advertising campaign. More

Members of Pennsylvania Churches Put Their Faith in God, Not Money
from the Public Opinion
Many local pastors say that although spiritual Franklin County, Pa., residents are losing faith in the American economy, they are relying more on God, putting their faith in him rather than the government during the recession. Although most churches have not seen much of a change in attendance, pastors say the economic stresses are driving their congregations closer to God. More

8 Steps to Reversing Spiritual Death in Churches
from Church Central
Spiritual death doesn’t have to happen. Even in churches that seem long past revival, changes that lead to revitalization are possible. In order to reverse a dying church, the author provides eight steps toward resurrection that must be implemented. More

Cleveland Diocese Offers Fraud Hot Line
from the Akron Beacon Journal
The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland announced Tuesday that a financial-misconduct hot line has been established to report any concerns about suspected financial wrongdoing. ''Anyone who suspects financial irregularities on a diocesan level or a parish level can report their concerns and they can do it anonymously, if they want,'' said Robert Tayek, spokesman for the diocese. ''A third party will investigate all reports.'' More

The Arc Continues Inclusion Services in Community
from the Shreveport Times
The Arc of Caddo-Bossier’s Goldman School and Child Development Center serves children with special needs, and offers services through its Inclusive Child Care Inventive Program to help churches, schools and other classrooms settings accommodate children with disabilities. A recent partnership has developed with Shreveport Community Church.” Parents of one of our students with Down’s syndrome thought it would be good for church staff to know how to work with his son in the different programs, like Sunday School,” said Inclusion Specialist Callie Hamm. More

Catholics Urge High-Tech Fast for Lent
from ABC News
Roman Catholic bishops in Italy are urging the faithful to go on a high-tech fast for Lent, switching off modern appliances from cars to iPods and abstaining from surfing the Web or text messaging until Easter. The suggestion goes far beyond no-meat Fridays, giving a modern twist to traditional forms of abstinence in the five-week period Christians set aside for fasting and prayer ahead of Easter. More