Church Gives Fresh Meaning to 'Offering' Plate
from CNN
The pastor of a non-denominational church in Argyle, Texas, passed around the collection plate to his congregants earlier this year -- and asked them to take money from it. Donations at the Cross Timbers Community Church had slumped because of the economic downturn. Pastor Toby Slough thought that his congregants had to be hurting, too. His gesture, instead, was met with an unexpected response: The church had its highest offering ever. More

Understanding New Wireless Microphone Restrictions
from Your Church
Regardless of how well your wireless devices work now, if they operate in the 700 MHz band (as many do), it's time to replace them. The FCC hasn't set an official date for when current users must stop using the 700 MHz band, meaning churches aren't required by law to make a change—yet. But that doesn't mean churches won't encounter problems with the way their equipment works in the near future. More

Sanctuary for Challenged Children, Parents
from the Associated Baptist Press
Parents of squirming children who cannot stay focused and who often end up labeled as “troublemakers” sometimes feel isolated -- and maybe even unwelcome in church. Author Maren Angellotti believes they are in good company. The parents of John the Baptist and the Apostle Peter might have felt the same way. More

Laid-off Religious Workers Denied Jobless Benefits
from the Virginia Pilot
God may provide, but the state may not when it comes to unemployment benefits for employees laid off by churches and other religious groups. In many states, tax exemptions for religious organizations include freedom from paying unemployment taxes, though the IRS requires they pay Social Security and withholding taxes. More

Come Home, Churches Say
from The Columbus Dispatch
For reasons both theological and practical, churches try to regain those who have left the fold. The parable of the lost sheep is a familiar Bible story giving God's view of those who have drifted away: "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance," reads Luke 15:7. More

The Assessment Advantage
from Ministry Today
When it comes to building ministry teams, it should be self-evident to us as Christian leaders that not every Christ-follower will look, sound or act like every other Christ-follower. However, the church often suffers from what the author calls "mission myopia." Like the physical "nearsightedness" for which it's named, it restricts vision. It results when we gather people around us who possess a ministry temperament similar to our own or when we impose our ministry temperament—with its way of perceiving and serving—on those closest to us. More

Pastoral Care through the Internet
from Pastors.com
How can pastoral care happen through the Internet? Doesn’t the impersonality of digital communication virtually contradict the essence of pastoral care? Nothing can take the place of genuine, one-on-one conversation. But the Internet can enhance and extend that which is centered in immediate fellowship. More

The Feedback Void
from Youth Worker
If you teach a second-grade Sunday School class, you can tell by kids’ participation how you’re doing. If you volunteer in the parking lot ministry of your church, the cars either get parked or they don’t. If you preach sermons in “big church,” people always let you know what they think. Really, almost every other ministry area in the church provides natural feedback. Not so with middle-school ministry. When feedback is absent, we often look to unhelpful measuring sticks to gauge whether or not we’re on the right track. More

Regaining Focus
from LifeWay
Have you ever noticed how easy it is for your staff to lose focus? It’s amazing how quickly that can happen. And, if staff members lose focus, it’s even easier for our volunteers who have other jobs to lose sight of your key objectives. With the onslaught of economic pressures, the everyday pace of life and keeping health and family in balance, mission drift will happen. More

How to Develop Leaders in Your Church
from Church Central
Bill Hybels once said, “The church is the hope of the world, and leaders are the hope of the church.” Who among us with any local church experience would disagree? So why don’t churches develop leaders? More

America's Poor are its Most Generous Givers, Surveys Show
from the Centre Daily Times
The generosity of poor people isn't so much rare as rarely noticed, however. In fact, America's poor donate more, in percentage terms, than higher-income groups do, surveys of charitable giving show. What's more, their generosity declines less in hard times than the generosity of richer givers does. More

Faith-based Money Management Beckons in Hard Economic Times
from the Lexington Herald-Leader
Religious beliefs often influence behavior, but the economy's current woes have people searching for financial direction infused with faith. And the key to this religion-based economic model is understanding that money should be viewed as a gift from God. More