Tithing in Tough Times
from The Clarion-Ledger
As the U.S. economic crisis deepens, churches face the same uncertainties as their members. Though it's too early to tell how the financial downturn will cut into their budgets, churches and charities expect the crisis at some point to hit their pocketbooks. More

Budgeting in Difficult Economic Times
from Paul Clark
Without a doubt, there will be some economic impact on our church’s financial picture in 2009. Most economists predict that it will be well into 2009 before we see some sense of stability return to the markets and the economy as a whole. This next year will require some thoughtful response on our part, as we lead, and we need to be both prayerfully dependent on God, and wise and proactive in our planning. Here’s a place to start. More

Churches Urged to Utilize Pop Songs to Boost Bible Reading
from The Christian Post
With Bible illiteracy plaguing Christians in areas even where Scriptures are of abundance, one bishop is urging churches to use hits by bands such as U2 and the Beatles to help their congregants connect with the teachings contained in the Bible. In his latest book, Finding Faith, Rt. Rev. Nick Baines argues that Christian themed pop music can convey deep theological concepts in a way that is more accessible to the younger generation. More

In Tough Times, Rethinking Wealth
from the Washington Post
At a time when the magnitude of the nation's economic decline has been staggering and panic-inducing, a quiet resolve is emerging in many middle-class families to take a step back and reconsider their lives in a spiritual or philosophical way, according to interviews with clergy, economists and residents. More

Have You Named Your Replacement?
from Ministry Today
Most ministry leaders don't think about the dreaded word "successor" until it is too late. Naomi Dowdy, a veteran church planter who has worked in Asia for decades, decided to buck this trend. She selected her successor, Dominic Yeo, several years ago, trained him and then set him in place in 2005. Yeo's installation at the 5,500-member Trinity Christian Centre in Singapore was an impressive demonstration of the way church leadership is supposed to work—and it gave Dowdy an opportunity to share her secrets with leaders all over the world.More

Truth-Telling and Church Discipline
from Preaching.com
Leaders and churches that are committed to speaking the truth in love learn that church discipline is part of the package. If we truly care about people, we will not look the other way while they shipwreck their faith, destroy their lives and run from God. Discipline is not a hammer for crushing the wayward brother or sister. It’s a redemptive intervention that calls people to turn back to the Lord, who loves them. More

Seven Qualifications to Look for in a Church Consultant
from Church Central
It's critical to the accomplishment of your ministry goals that you do your homework before selecting a church consultant. Thus, an important question is: what should you look for in a ministry consultant? What are some of the qualities that distinguish the good ones from others in the field? Here are a few things that you'd be wise to check out.More

Economic Crunch: Faithful Still Give in Tough Times
from the Norwich Bulletin
Despite the sour economy, churches in Norwich, Conn., haven’t seen a decline in weekly and annual donations. “At this point, we haven’t felt a significant drop-off in donations,” said the Rev. Sidat Balgobin, pastor of Park Congregational Church in Norwich. "But that might change by the new year." More

Online Youth Ministry 101
from LifeWay
How many times have you traveled and left some important items at home? It happens to all of us from time to time. We find ourselves wasting time and resources trying to replace certain items, or we simply try to survive without them. This happens often in youth ministry, and you may not even realize it. Youth pastors travel far and wide to reach students, yet leave some of the most basic tools behind. We’ve got to grab hold of the one tool that youth understand and use every day - the Internet. More

Cross-denominational Gift, One Purpose
from Assemblies of God News
When it comes to gifts, Templo Emanuel in Crystal City, Texas, is used to being on the giving, rather than the receiving, end. Approximately 25 percent of the church's annual income goes to missions and the congregation recently raised $8,000 to build a church in Panama. But on Saturday, October 11, it was Templo Emanuel's turn to receive what some have called a miraculous gift. The gift? A facility valued at nearly $2 million. The giver? First Baptist Church, a 100-year-old congregation that in recent years had dwindled in size to two dozen or so elderly members. More

Bringing in the Harvest
from the Washington Times-Herald
Jim and Eva Martin, members of New Hope Christian Church in Washington, Ind., shared with their small group Bible study their concerns that Feed My Sheep, a community-wide food pantry, would not have enough food to get through the holiday season. The New Hope church staff began working with several other churches and the local ministerial association to organize Bringing In The Harvest, a community-wide drive to refill the food bank’s coffers. As part of the program, various churches and groups throughout the community are holding food drives. More