Digital Age Poses Pastoral Challenges to Churches
from the Associated Baptist Press
Chris Hammon asked a group of fellow counselors what they were doing with pastoral-care issues related to social networking. "They kind of responded, 'Well, what's social networking?'" Hammon, administrator for online learning at the Wayne E. Oates Institute in Louisville, Ky., recently told a group of Tennessee ministers. "I knew immediately we were in trouble." More

Study Finds Link between Faith, Depression
from Religion News Service via USA Today
A study released by Temple University found that people who feel close to a higher power and pray often are more likely to be depressed, while people who attend religious services and feel that their lives have purpose are less likely to be depressed. Lead researcher Joanna Maselko found that people who report being in a close relationship with a higher power are 1.5 times more likely to struggle with depression. More

Churches Assess Impact of Financial Crisis
from The Christian Century
During what some call the start of a recession, mainline church officials are assuring pastors and retirees that their pension funds are secure. But the officials are concerned about how the economic woes will affect their operating budgets and ministries. More

Text Appeal
from Christianity Today
If you haven't heard, e-mail is so 2006. Text messages sent via cell phones are quickly becoming the communication method of choice, especially among young adults. And churches are now finding ways to integrate the medium into their ministries. More

FCC Opens 'White Space' Despite Protests
from the Baptist Press via Townhall.com
The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Nov. 4 to place unlicensed devices in broadcast TV spectrum, called white space. The 5-0 vote by the FCC came despite opposition from large numbers of broadcasting organizations, companies, lawmakers and churches. Churches are concerned the loss of white space in TV spectrums may cause interference problems for preachers, worship leaders and vocalists who use wireless microphones. More

Building Your Men's Ministry Leadership Team
from LifeWay
So you're a men's ministry leader in your church, and you're wondering about ways to help the ministry move forward. Consider this fact: One of the keys to a successful, growing ministry is a quality leadership team. It isn't enough to have just one man who can see where God is going and can help a group of men get there. You need other men serving alongside the leader. Where will you find the men to make up your ministry leadership team? They are probably right under your nose. More

An Effective Multi-site Ministry Calls for Intentional Analysis
from Pastors.com
Many large and growing congregations often think seriously about starting regional branches of their churches to spread the Christian message. By some estimates, 1,500 to 2,000 churches have started multi-site locations in the U.S. The multi-site church trend has proven very rewarding for some churches, but not without each church backing up the fervor underlying it with a wise analysis and decision-making process. More

Attachment Disorder Churches
from the Leadership Journal
Attachment Disorder churches are made, not born. They have been abandoned somehow, either physically, emotionally, or both. Attachment Disorder, in both children and churches, makes love and authority relationships incredibly challenging. Fortunately, God offers ways of healing the unique pain they carry. More

Population Trends That Will Impact Your Ministry Planning
from Ministry Marketing Coach
The population trends that will affect your ministry for the next 17 years are significant. Census data shows the sizes of the generations now living and how they are proportioned to each other. This article breaks down the generations and focuses on how each will impact your ministry efforts. More

Cooperation: Good for the Kingdom, Good for Local Ministry
from Youth Worker
When senior leaders from nearly a dozen campus ministries gathered to talk about what is happening on college campuses across the nation, the fellowship and stories were rich. It also provided a brief glimpse into the growing trend of cooperation in college ministry. Plenty of challenges still exist, but the reality is cooperation is good for the Kingdom and our local ministries. More

How to Share Your Faith Using the Election
from Dare2Share
"Change, change, change..." Both presidential candidates camped on the mantra of change during this long season of political maneuvering. How they will change the future direction of the country. How they will change the economy. How they will change things in Iraq and Afghanistan. Filled with promises for a better tomorrow, the sound bites and speeches have stirred both hope and cynicism, and sometimes a strange combination of the two. In the end, it’s all about being a change agent. More