Giving from the Overflow
from Dave Ramsey's Momentum
 Dream with me for a few minutes. What would it look like if your church—your entire congregation—was filled with passionate, loving, outrageous givers? What could you accomplish in your community? What could you accomplish around the world? Sadly, you’d almost have to dream about that. The truth is that only about 3 percent of evangelical Christians give a tithe. What about the other 97 percent? More
Churches Work on Their Message
from The Wall Street Journal
It has long been a challenge for Christian pastors: To spread the gospel, they must welcome nonbelievers without judgment. Yet they must also make clear that there is but one true path to salvation -- the path they teach. Tensions about how to achieve that balance have flared in the past decade with the growth of "seeker friendly" churches that emphasize inclusiveness. More
As Gas Prices Deter Worshipers, Churches Get Creative
from Religion News Service via USA Today
At St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., the 14,000-member congregation billed itself as a "seven-day-a-week" hub of activity. Then Pastor Kevin Cosby noticed a drop-off — people simply couldn't afford the gas to drive to several activities on several different evenings. So Cosby shuffled the schedule to combine all activities on Wednesday night to give parishioners a "one-stop-shop for your soul." The church also bought a third 14-passenger bus to shuttle people to and from church. More
Marketing and Advertising in Your Church
from Ministry Today
How does your church communicate with the community you're in? Do the people in your surrounding areas know you the way you think you should be known? Here are a few tips in implementing a marketing and communication strategy for your church. More
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Product Showcase:
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 Create a More Personal Web Experience. Are you ready to provide a more personal experience for visitors to your church Web site? One of the best ways to do this is to integrate your church management system with information on your Web site. For more information, download the ACS ministry guide Developing An Effective Web Strategy.
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Vacation Bible School Gets a Facelift, at a Price
from the North County Times
It's a wonder vacation Bible school made it out of the 1960s. Things are different in 2008. DVDs and video screens are everywhere, along with professionally recorded music, dancing and slick lesson books. Kids are as likely to jump on inflatable moon bounces or go to water parks as play on a church swing set once Bible time is done. Vacation Bible school, once a home-style tradition, has become big business. More
Blessed Insurance
from Christianity Today
An informal May survey by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) confirmed what many pastors and denominational leaders have long known: many churches offer inadequate health care to their shepherds. The majority of denominations that responded to the survey offered little or no health insurance to pastors or other full-time church staff. More
Young People Worship in New Ways
from The Tennessean
Tara Twisselman never went to church before coming to Nashville. Neither did her sister, Teale, or most of their friends. But when a friend invited the 20-something sisters to the Tuesday night Kairos service at Brentwood Baptist Church, they decided to give it a try. At a time when many churches are struggling to attract young people, the Kairos service now attracts about 800 people a week. More
Jesus in MySpace: Churches Use Social-networking Sites
from the Associated Baptist Press
Social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are redefining the way many Americans build and maintain relationships -- and also how their churches communicate. In the last few years, relating to social contacts through such sites has become practically ubiquitous among the under-30 crowd, and the practice is quickly spreading upward along the demographic spectrum. Simultaneously, Christian leaders are realizing that the sites can be useful tools for youth ministry, college groups and other church groups, enabling group members to reach each other consistently and instantaneously. More
Is the 21st Century Church Grounded, Gazing, or Greatly Empowered?
from The Christian Post
Many in the church today have the same grounded mentality. They spend much time talking about and longing for the good old days when the church was the center of the community and ministers were considered to be wise community leaders. But now the Church is no longer the most powerful influence in the community. If the 21st century church is going to transform the culture we have to leave the building. We must go where the people are, build a bridge of fellowship, and demonstrate the love of Christ. More
NACBA Selects New Inductee into Church Management Hall of Fame
from Church Executive
The National Association of Church Business Administration has selected Robert Welch, dean of the School of Educational Ministries at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, to be inducted into their Church Management Hall of Fame as the “Significant Contributor to Church Management” for 2008. Welch will be recognized during the association’s annual meeting in Nashville, July 12-16. More
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Product Showcase:
Electronic Giving for Modern Stewardship Needs |
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"Vanco Services under pins the best of Christian stewardship - giving first fruits. We wholeheartedly recommend it as a modern way to fulfill the historic teaching of scripture and the church."
- South Park UCC in Rapid City, SD
Click here to learn about the variety of electronic giving solutions available from Vanco Services.
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Building churches without heavy debt
There are three major aspects to most church building projects - designing, financing and fund raising. A successful capital campaign can save a fortune in interest, as well as... More |
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