Tithing in tight times
Charlotte Observer
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Even help from higher power fails to stop ministerial layoffs
Gant Daily
Layoffs and job eliminations have become more commonplace in houses of worship nationwide. The future for those working in church-based jobs is dispiriting. Nearly a quarter of respondents of a recent NACBA survey suggested that staff reductions were planned or possible in the future either through layoffs or attrition. Other options under consideration were cuts to benefits or salaries and reductions to work hours. But planning--and help from powers human and higher--has helped some church leaders work through this period. More

Avoiding the numbers trap
Ministry Today Magazine
In the small church or those of us who are pastors of smaller churches, it can be easy to question the significance and impact we are having in our churches and communities compared with larger or more publicly recognized churches. Yet according to the Hartford Religious Institute, 61 percent of all Protestants attend churches with 499 or fewer weekly worshipers. That means the majority of Christians in America are being discipled and cared for in much-needed smaller and midsize churches. More

Caring for the preacher promotes congregational health
Western Recorder
Emotional, social and physical health is often as important to a minister’s effectiveness and the ability to connect meaningfully with church members as one’s skills in studying the Scripture and preparing messages. In recent weeks, Georgetown College has provided venues for meeting both the recreational needs and the spiritual development of ministers. More

Research: Young adults skeptical of the Bible but open to learn
The Christian Post
New research shows that the younger generation in America is less likely to view the Bible as accurate or sacred, but at the same time they are slightly more interested in gaining knowledge about the Bible than older generations. Based on five separate studies conducted between 2006 and 2009, The Barna Group found that only two out of three Mosaics (adults between the ages of 18 and 25) view the Bible as a sacred or holy book. By comparison, 81 percent of Busters (ages 26 to 44), 89 percent of Boomers (ages 45 to 63), and 90 percent of elders (ages 64 and above) consider the Bible as sacred. More

Deciphering data storage
Your Church
A shrinking budget still won't slow a church's burgeoning mass of data. That's why technology storage is so important. When technology storage expenses are unavoidable--and when space is at a premium and the current storage system isn't cutting it--then it becomes even more important to find an economical solution that meets current and future needs. More

Learn where your church may be liable
Preaching.com
To many the church represents a safe haven from the troubles of the world. Along with this belief usually comes the perception that nothing bad will ever happen at the church because it is a safe place affording spiritual, emotional and physical protection. However, this belief is generally just not true. While the church should be a safe haven, it is important to remember that the church is not immune to the troubles of the world. More

New survey reveals creative leadership
Church Central
Most young people today are overbooked. So, the right priority question becomes "How can the church add meaning to their spiritually-interested lives while embracing their creativity?" The good news is that the Church can assimilate these young participants once we've downloaded their creativity, then utilized their creative leadership to get things done. Unfortunately, traditional churches are not easily convinced and stubbornly risk extinction as their ownly public option. More

Projectors illuminate the message
Church Executive Magazine
Engaging and inspiring today’s congregations is increasingly difficult in a world saturated with corporate and secular images. The solution for many churches is to make each service more creative and interactive -- specifically, to use large-screen projection to support the message each week. Bright and colorful images large enough to be seen from every seat serve to capture and hold the congregation’s attention, allowing the essential messages to be easily delivered and understood. However, a single projector and screen may not be sufficient to meet this goal, especially in larger buildings and auditoriums. There is a limit to how large a screen a single projector of reasonable size and cost can properly illuminate. More

How to become a people builder
Ministry Toolbox
Pastors, you’re a people-builder. God is using you to help people be all that he has made them to be. But more than likely, you’ve never been trained to do that. How do you bring out the best in people? Whether it’s the average lay person in your congregation, a leader you’re mentoring, or a staff person you’re helping to grow, your ability to build people is essential to what you do. In fact, your need to be a people builder doesn’t go away when you leave your ministry role. You also need to be a builder of your family and friends as well. These four steps will help you build people more effectively. More

Worshippers at Colorado church are well-versed in bluegrass
Denver Post
On Saturday nights, a small congregation trickles into the Old Country Church in Lakewood, Colo., for a worship service in which banjos, fiddles and various stringed instruments are as plentiful as people. Virtuosity goes hand in hand with virtue here. Under the white steeple and behind the red-brick facade on Pierce Street in Lakewood, bluegrass is blooming as thick as Appalachia's. Some call it gospelgrass. More

Middle schoolers make documentary about God
News & Record
From the back seat of her aunt’s SUV, 8-year-old Isabel Rhoten peered into the camera and enthused, "Our Savior." Isabel had spotted her teacher’s daughter holding a sign directing people off nearby West Friendly Avenue and into the Trinity Church parking lot, where a camera had been set up for a mini-documentary with middle school reporters asking, "Who is God?" Isabel didn’t even have to get out of the vehicle as her aunt obliged and 12-year-old Shannon Mann posed the question beneath a cascade of lighting set up Thursday under a covered driveway at the church. "I'm a little nervous," Shannon, on her first interview, said after Isabel’s aunt drove off and the video camera had been paused. "But I think it’s an opportunity for a great witness." More

NACBA TeleWeb: Essential Church Finance
NACBA
Join us Thursday, Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. CDT as NACBA presents Essential Church Finance with Vonna Laue. This discussion will center around how we "measure up." We'll discuss financial performance measurements as compared to ourselves and how we can compare to other churches. We will look at: Inward comparisons – trends within our church Balance sheet ratios – such as debt comparisons Expense ratios – should salaries be this much of the budget? More