10 Stewardship Issues Every Church Leader Should Consider in 2009
from COOP Magazine
 Whether whispered silently in our heads or energetically wrestled through in leadership meetings, economic fears challenge churches. We offer hope and meaning to our communities and a world growing more restless in finding truth. What a terrible price to miss authentic ministry because we lacked financial resources, especially when our neighbors may be driven to their most open spiritual moments in years because of their personal financial stress. Growing and courageous churches should consider these 10 issues in preparation for the coming year. More
Barna Group Advises Churches to Revisit Budgets
from OneNewsNow
A new survey from The Barna Group finds that churches stand to lose several billion dollars in donations as the economy continues its slide. The survey finds that more than 150 million adults said they have been affected by the economic downturn, and most of them expect it to take several years before the nation fully recovers. George Barna, founder of The Barna Group, believes churches and nonprofits will be hit especially hard next year. More
I Got the Preachin’ Blues
from Ministry Today
Feeling discouraged after a sermon? You’re not alone. Discouragement. It’s one of the greatest hounds of hell that assaults pastors who are trying to share powerful, dynamic messages from God’s Word with our people every Sunday morning. There’s a reason for the pastors’ adage of “no resignations allowed on Mondays”; post-preaching discouragement can be brutal as we review every nuance of the sermons we’ve so painstakingly crafted and delivered. More
Clergy Brace for Downturn in Giving
from the Boston Globe
The crumpling economy and plunging financial markets have demolished trillions of dollars in stock value, and now they've taken a toll on the pink stucco church on Main Street. The next few weeks, between Thanksgiving and New Year's, will be a key indicator of how dramatically the nation's financial crisis will affect religious organizations. Contributions to date have been stable or up for many denominations and congregations, but this period is the high season for American philanthropy, in part because people are motivated by the spirit of Christmas to be charitable, and in part because people are trying to amass tax deductions as the year closes. More
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Why Have So Many 18-34 Year Olds Left the Church?
from Ministry Marketing Coach
A lot of people are asking where have all the young people gone in church? There are a number of issues the people talk about who claim that they can help find the solution (or sell books–whichever comes first). They say young adults are burned out on the church. They “love God but hate the church.” They have joined a revolution and are dropping out of the “institutional church” favoring house churches. More
Moving Tips for Pastors
from Preaching.com
For many pastors, moving and transition can become a way of life. Beyond the ministerial issues of church transition, there are many practical issues to consider when uprooting to a new place. Here are some helpful hints as you make your next move. More
Streamline For Success
from Your Church
After 10 years as an ordained minister, Sharon Turner realized her traditional file system could not keep up with her rapidly growing collection of paper. Filing those notes and letters was only one part of Turner's problem. The other part was finding the information when that "later" date arrived. Turner's story is a common one. Fortunately, even the most disorganized individuals can easily find help from one of the many organization specialists available across the country. More
How Small Groups Change Everything
from Pastors.com
Lots of churches have small groups. But if truth be known, they’re usually more of an add-on than a churchwide priority, a little something extra for those who want to go deeper with God. While many church leaders claim that small groups are an integral part of their ministry, I’ve learned that two simple measurements will always tell me their real place in a ministry’s pecking order: 1) the percentage of adults who attend a small group, and 2) the participation level of senior staff and key lay leaders. More
Silent Night
from the Baptist Press
Advent, the month preceding Christmas on the traditional church calendar, teaches us that some things cannot be rushed. This season of expectant waiting is directed toward the future. That is no small thing for us who live in a culture that is almost entirely present-oriented, both forgetful of the past and fearful of the future. More
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Faith-based Group Puts Kids in Control
from The Tennessean
Like most seniors in high school, 17-year-old Megan Alfonzo is preparing for graduation in the spring. She is also preparing her school, Brentwood High, for the start of a student-led, faith-based ministry that will launch in September. Alfonzo is joining the ranks of thousands of kids across the country who are establishing youth ministries under the guidance of First Priority of America a nondenominational, faith-based organization. More
Congregation Builds Church with New Shapes
from The Virginian-Pilot
Corporate headquarters? Convention center? With its sweeping lines and glass-and-metal facade, the modernist building at 1000 N. Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach, Va., invites guesses about what it is. But the packed parking lot on Sunday mornings gives a strong hint. More
History’s Most Notorious Rude Host Lost to History
from Religion News Service
'Tis the season for Christmas pageants everywhere to dramatize one of Scripture's most familiar scenes and cast a cold-hearted innkeeper, who shoos away the holy family to a lowly stable. But pageants and sermons castigating the infamous innkeeper are giving him an underserved bad rap, scholars say, and are feeding dangerous misconceptions about how Jesus' contemporaries received him. More
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