The Mystery Worshipper
from The Wall Street Journal
Department stores hire mystery shoppers. Restaurant chains bring in undercover diners to rate their food and service. Churches enlist Thomas Harrison, a former pastor from Tulsa, Okla., and a professional mystery worshipper. Harrison poses as a first-time churchgoer and covertly evaluates everything from the cleanliness of the bathrooms to the strength of the sermon. More

Still Reeling, Texas Churches Need Help
from the Baptist Press
Dozens of Southern Baptist churches whose buildings were destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Ike in Texas will benefit from relief initiatives launched by both the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. The SBTC has created an "Adopt-A-Church" ministry to connect Ike-impacted congregations with other churches, associations or individuals who want to "adopt" a church and provide assistance. More

Do Christians Become Wimpy as their Church Grows Larger?
from The Christian Post
In his book What Americans Really Believe, Rodney Stark uncovered a bunch of surprises which will debunk a number of myths. As part of a national research project done through Gallup, his university surveyed Christians and then sorted the findings according to the size of church they attended. He then compared the two extremes: churches with attendances under 100 and churches with attendances over 1,000. He also notes that no interpretation would be changed if congregations of all sizes in between were included in his analysis. What he found is very interesting. More

Report Calls U.S. Church Giving 'Lukewarm'
from Religion News Service via USA Today
Americans spent nearly twice as much on first-day sales of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV as would be needed by the Southern Baptist Convention to share the gospel with all the world's "unreached people groups" by 2010, according to a new report on church giving. The annual report, by the Illinois-based group Empty Tomb Inc., found a general downward trend in church member giving through 2006. More

Got Blog?
from Ministry Today
The written word is powerful. It can unify or divide, encourage or discourage, catch people by surprise or bore them to tears. Online, this word has taken on new meaning and influence via blogging. As a means to connect with people and convey spiritual truth, a blog can replace a stagnant ministry Web site or traditional print newsletter. Though blogs are often treated like a diary, they can also serve as community forums or news portals for updates on the happenings within your organization. More

Church Uses Podcasting for Outreach
from the Independent Tribune
Following a growing trend among churches nationwide, Kings Way Baptist Church in Concord, N.C., is using technology to reach from the pulpit to the people. The church offers podcasts, an online system for tithing and blogs on its Web site to keep young parishioners up to date on its missions. The church also uses green screens to record backgrounds for its weekly video announcements. More

Kansas Church Donations Not Yet Affected by Economy
from The Topeka Capital-Journal
In spite of an uncertain economy made shakier by Wall Street's recent woes, some Topeka congregations say members are continuing to give at a steady rate. Other houses of worship, however, are taking a wait-and-see approach, and leaders say they wouldn't be surprised if giving decreases if the economy continues to head south. More

Teenage 'Revolution'
from the Pensacola News Journal
At 31, Craig Hindsman, a youth minister at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., was beginning to feel burnt out. About four months ago, he was on the verge of quitting the youth ministry, because he says he was "frustrated with what I saw in our local churches." After some soul searching, he found his answer. He decided to start a revolt. The goal is to persuade hundreds of teens in churches throughout the area to think about more than what's happening in their own worlds. More

Pastor's Office Looted During Church Service
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Rev. Rob Hamby took the pulpit at Fort Worth Presbyterian Church on Sunday and delivered a sermon encouraging the congregation to go out and show mercy to others. And as he did so, someone snuck into a back room at the church and snatched his briefcase, which he said contained a laptop, credit cards, keys and receipts for business expenses. In all, he estimates that he’s out more than $5,000. More

A Ministry Worth Modeling
from LifeWay
One of the greatest needs in women’s ministry today is how to help the hurting woman. Whether it’s a job loss, a terminal illness, divorce, prodigal children, or the death of a loved one, we as leaders often feel at a loss of how to help. First Baptist Church of Jackson, Miss., is providing a unique and effective "safe place" for women to share life’s journey, especially when that journey becomes difficult. More

How to Slow Your Life Down
from Pastors.com
You don’t have to be a prophet to know that technology has ­­made three things happen in the world. It has made the world smaller, more complex, and faster. You live a much faster lifestyle than your parents did. Your children will live an even faster lifestyle than you do. More