Resource Browser Page
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| June 22, 2010 |
Some Thoughts about Pastoring the PastorPersonnel Part of the challenge of caring for pastors is trying to understand what it is like to walk in a pastor’s shoes. If we can gain some appreciation for the dynamics which are part and parcel of a pastor’s place in the community, we may be better able to care for them appropriately. Let me suggest at least seven ways in which the pastoral role carries extraordinary demands. |
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| June 8, 2010 |
Managing Temporarily Restricted Gifts and GrantsFinancial Management Gifts that are received with donor restrictions must be applied according to the donors' wishes. This article includes accounting procedures for handling the designated funds appropriately in the church. |
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| May 5, 2010 |
Expense Reimbursement PlanFinancial Management Pastor Gray attended a conference two months ago and today you received a handwritten note from him itemizing his expenses without any receipts. What are you to do? |
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| March 18, 2010 |
Crisis CommunicationCommunication Seventeen students and three leaders are going on a spring break service trip to Biloxi, Mississippi. What if they were at fault in an accident, or if another crisis developed out of the week? Every church needs to think about how they would handle a crisis if something in that “category” happened at their church. |
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| February 11, 2010 |
Electronic Systems Policy Needed?Risk Management Some of the areas related to telephone and electronic systems that may benefit from an electronic systems policy include use of online systems, ownership of electronic communications, copyright, maintaining system security, and system integrity. |
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| January 27, 2010 |
ABC's of Building Our Church BudgetFinancial Management Every year we give considerable thought and prayer to our budget planning process. This article provides some vision for how we need to think about our budget based on the principles of abundance, balance, and credibility. |
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| January 20, 2010 |
Getting Started in Church AdministrationOrganization Church administration is a science, an art, and a gift. Church administration is a science because it involves procedures, processes, and techniques that provide the organizational structure for ministry. As an art it involves sensitivity to people gifts, needs, situations, and timing. Finally, the apostle Paul also defines administration... |
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| January 14, 2010 |
Managing Churches WellOrganization One day I attended a conference on conflict management in the church. I sat around a table with mostly ministers. As we greeted each other and began some role playing on handling conflict, I engaged in conversation with one particular pastor. After I explained that I was a church administrator, he exclaimed, “administrative areas are where 90% of the conflict is in my church.” |
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| January 12, 2010 |
Risk and Insurance AssessmentRisk Management It is important to identify risks that are part of church activity--property, people, vehicles, and emergencies are considered the primary areas. Once these areas are identified, your church needs to decide if you have good internal controls in each of these areas. In addition to good internal controls, you will want to... |
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| January 11, 2010 |
Communicating EffectivelyCommunication The church is committed to effectively communicate our mission, vision, and values in an effort to help people develop in their Christian life as a part of the church community. As church members we want to communicate in an efficient, cohesive, and consistent manner that honors Christ and His church. |
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| January 11, 2010 |
Who Leads Your Church?Personnel Pastor Stu’s first clue that it might be a long Monday came in an e-mail from Jane, one of the deacons at Friendly CRC. Jane had participated in the Sunday-morning worship service and was asking, not for the first time, why worship planning takes 20 hours a week. |
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| January 11, 2010 |
Ministry Shares: How a Little Church Does Big ThingsFinancial Management We all face tough questions about our charitable giving. Which of the many worthy causes clamoring for our attention will I choose to support? How much can I afford to give? Will my gift be used well? Will it help to transform lives and communities? I can’t give to everything—what will happen to the programs if I can’t support them? |
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| January 11, 2010 |
The ParsonageFinancial Management Also known as “the manse.” I lived in three of them—church-owned housing. What a joy! No taxes to pay. No repairs. No further assorted bills. Something wrong with the furnace? Call the Building Committee. Garage doors won’t work? Call the Building Committee. Leak in the roof? Call the Building Committee. Light bulb burned out?... |
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| January 11, 2010 |
Why Do We Pay Ministry Shares, and How Is It Used?Financial Management In the Christian Reformed Church we support our denominational institutions, agencies, and ministries from a broad range of financial resources including tuition, product sales, grants, and gift income. Gift income includes gifts and contributions from individuals, as well as special offerings, estate gifts, funds raised for disaster relief, and ministry shares. |
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| December 7, 2009 |
Personnel and the ChurchPersonnel Do you have a Personnel Team at your church? Depending on the size of your church, this responsibility may be a subset of elders or for a larger church an actual Personnel Team may be needed. It is important for churches to maintain a healthy relationship with the people who serve the church and having this responsibility defined can assist the church in healthy relationships. |
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| May 15, 2012 |
Share What You Know With OthersChurch Administration Church Administration is a gift that takes a mix of science (procedures, processes, and techniques) and art (sensitivity to people gifts, needs, situations, and timing). If you have the gift or passion for administration please consider volunteering as a guide, regular contributor, or guest blogger. |
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| April 9, 2012 |
Recognizing VolunteerismPersonnel It is comforting to know we serve a God who promises to one day set us free from the boundaries of time. But, until then, serving God involves discerning how best to use our gifts and resources – including time. Many Christians choose to offer a portion of their time in the form of |
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| March 13, 2012 |
Remarkable EmployeesPersonnel Bethany is a good employee. She quietly performs her tasks, works her regular hours, gets along with others, and is responsible. Joshua is a remarkable employee. He gets the job done also but seems to excel on the job. What are the attributes that make Joshua a remarkable employee and Bethany a good employee? |
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| March 5, 2012 |
Tax Guide for Churches in the U.S.Organization A couple weeks ago a church called and asked for information on what annual filings are required by churches. In response to that, I referred the church to a great resource from the IRS, "Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations." On p. 22 of this resource you will find filing requirements including a list of the forms to file and due dates. |
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| February 21, 2012 |
Is Online Giving For Your Church?Financial Management Our church was hesitant to get into online giving, primarily because of some of the negative connotations associated with credit card giving. Our pastor asked us to explore the possibilities, and this is what we found: |
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| February 7, 2012 |
Health Insurance Credit US ChurchesLast May I blogged about the health insurance credit available for small tax-exempt organizations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Several US churches applied for this credit as a result of this blog and received checks for thousands of dollars. Your church may qualify for this "health insurance credit" for 2011 also. The credit is up to 25% of the cost of qualifying health insurance premiums. You may qualify if your church has: |
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| January 23, 2012 |
Bylaws and Articles of IncorporationChurch Administration Every church should have Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. If you are an administrative leader in your church, do you know where to find a copy of your Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation? Last week a church called looking for models as they could not locate their Bylaws. This winter may be a good time to |
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| January 16, 2012 |
Recent Court Cases and the ChurchChurch Administration Late last year, the US Supreme Court announced that it would not review a lower court ruling banning churches from meeting in public school spaces in New York City. Last week the US Supreme Court decided that religious employees of a church are not allowed to sue for employment discrimination. |
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| January 9, 2012 |
The Next ChristiansCommunication Gabe Lyons says that Christianity has an image problem. Why do we care? Because what people think about Christianity affects how we interact with others. How can we move to more accurately represent Jesus? Gabe challenges us to live our faith with true concern |
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| December 19, 2011 |
Healthy Decision MakingCommunication Today I read a blog from Susan Nienaber at the Alban Institute that clearly communicated some healthy ways to handle controversial decisions in a church. Instead of lining people in rows in the sanctuary and letting the most vocal air their beliefs, consider gathering a planning group of a few members to outline a process whereby people can gather in small groups and discuss the possibilities in a way that enhances dialogue, discernment, and better decision making. |
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| December 12, 2011 |
Last-Minute Christmas PlanningCommunication, Organization Here we are in the midst of the Christmas season. You’re well on your way with plans for Christmas. With just a few weeks left, are there still some things you can do to make sure your church has the best impact that it can? |
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| December 6, 2011 |
Clergy Housing, Tax Free - CanadaFinancial Management Much has been written about the clergy residence deduction (CRD) which is available to clergy and other eligible individuals in Canada. To be eligible, an individual must meet both a status test and a function test. |
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| December 5, 2011 |
The Hope of the WorldBill Hybels is known for his quote "the local church is the hope of the world." When you are dealing with church administration, you need to keep your focus in the right place. All the budgets, forms, procedures, programs, and guidelines can become the main thing instead of Jesus... |
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| November 28, 2011 |
Ministers and TaxesFinancial Management Did you know there are books written on the subject of taxes and ministers? The annual paperback I most frequently recommend to a U.S. minister or church who is asking questions is Worth's Income Tax Guide for Ministers by B.J. Worth. This book provides information on income and fringe benefits, parsonage allowance, professional expenses, social security/retirement planning, and overseas missionaries. |
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| November 14, 2011 |
Need a Sample for Your Church?Organization As a church administrator working with various teams, I would often see a need to write something down to clarify a mandate, policy, or how to. The hard part was getting started. So I would often get a draft created and send it around to others. This really helped us to clarify what needed to be |
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| November 8, 2011 |
Volunteer Ministry CovenantCommunication Do you provide some guidance for your leaders and volunteers in ministry as to what is expected of a Christian serving in your church? Our churches provide guidance for elders and deacons and staff members, but would it be helpful to have a covenant of expectations for others serving in ministry? |
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| October 31, 2011 |
Worship Services in School BuildingsFacility Yesterday I worshipped at a new church plant that meets in a public school building. Every Sunday, the setup/takedown team hustles to change this space from a public school auditorium to a place of worship. As I sat there, I wondered about a recent article I read about the controvery over use of public school buildings for churches in New York City.. |
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| October 24, 2011 |
Six Dollars a Week [Video]Communication It was suggested that more information was needed by the churches as to what is funded with Ministry Shares. A team of gifted communication leaders has just put together a mailing to more effectively communicate Ministry Shares. Did your church receive your Council member packets this week? Did you check out the new Ministry Shares website |
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| October 18, 2011 |
Wheaties and MoreOrganization This past weekend I had the privilege of serving as a "Wheaties" adult leader for a weekend retreat ministry called "Teens Encounter Christ." This student led ministry shows God's love in amazing ways to high school students and challenges them to grow in their faith through talks by students and other well thought out activities. What contributes to the amazing effectiveness of this ministry? The strong administrative backbone behind the scenes. Let me tell you more. |
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| October 10, 2011 |
Short Term Salary ContinuationYour full-time administrative assistant at your church discovers she needs surgery and will be out for 4 weeks. She has worked at the church for 15 years. Each employee earns time off each year and she has 4 days available for this surgery. Does your church provide salary continuation coverage for her time off after she uses her 4 days of leave? |
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Date |
Average Rating | |
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| November 8, 2010 |
Church Software OptionsOrganization Christianity Today lists and gives a brief overview of several software system options for churches. |
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| October 18, 2010 |
Permission Guidelines from Faith AliveCommunication Here are some guidelines from Faith Alive for staying within the permission guidelines when you use their resources. |
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| August 25, 2010 |
Cell Tower Leases--Do's and Don'tsFacility Here are basic suggestions for a church which is approached about leasing space for a cell tower or antenna. |
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| August 17, 2010 |
Designing Staff PositionsPersonnel This article looks at the four basic questions in the design of any staff position. |
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| August 12, 2010 |
Evaluation Essentials for Congregational LeadersPersonnel This training tool has been designed to move you from reading to understanding, to doing. After you understand and are ready to proceed further on evaluation as a church body, there are sample worksheets and tools that will help you design tools to promote understanding and serve faithfully. |
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| August 3, 2010 |
Records Management for CongregationsRisk Management This site includes information about how to submit your congregation's records to Heritage Hall at Calvin College. You will also find links to online archives. Also, guidelines are given in records management for congregations |
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| July 26, 2010 |
Worship LeadershipPersonnel This article from The Alban Institute discusses the importance of a good relationship between the pastor and worship planner for excellent worship. They need to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and personality types to create a spiritually nourishing environment. |
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| July 22, 2010 |
Funding for Today and TomorrowFinancial Management This article from the Alban Institute discusses how "members legitimately expect the congregation to serve them; at the same time, they know--or need to learn--that the mission is to transform the lives of people who have yet to cross the threshold" of faith. |
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| July 19, 2010 |
Impact of Health Care Reform Issues for NonprofitsOrganization The federal health care reform law and other recent tax acts will have some impact on churches and ministries. Dan Busby lists some of these for your review in this blog. |
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| July 1, 2010 |
Computer Policy MistakesOrganization A policy that limits use of computers to those with a church related need will help your staff work more productively and will help minimize support costs. This article from Your Church looks at four areas to consider in how you handle computers at your church. |
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| July 1, 2010 |
Setting Up an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) ProgramRisk Management Are you prepared for cardiac emergencies at your church facility? The CRC denominational building installed a few defibrillators a couple years ago and trained some of the staff in the building on its EASY usage. |
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| June 16, 2010 |
Resources for Planning Church ConstructionFacility If your church is planning a building or remodeling project, the CRC Loan Fund suggests some resources that you may find valuable as you begin the planning process. |
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| June 8, 2010 |
Architectural EvangelismFacility This article, by Mark Stephenson, Director of Disability Concerns, demonstrates the effort, time, and cost that many churches in our denomination have undertaken to make their facilities accessible to people with physical impairments. When you consider that 20 percent of the population in North America lives with a disability, churches make a good investment by making their facilities accessible. |
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| May 26, 2010 |
Debunking the Clergification MythOrganization Do you see a tendency for people to believe that if they need help with spiritual matters, they must seek a professional clergy member? In this article from Your Church, Ed Stezer believes that "ordinary" people have been disempowered to engage in the ministry God has called every believer to do. |
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| May 25, 2010 |
Buying and Placing MicsFacility This article provides critical steps for ensuring sound excellence during worship. |
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| May 12, 2010 |
Employee vs. Independent Contractor--Ten Tips for Business Owners from the IRSThis tip sheet from the IRS will assist you in determining the tests that the IRS considers regarding determining if workers are independent contractors or employees. |
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| May 10, 2010 |
Business Savvy-Church SensitivePersonnel "You need to get the right people on the bus." This article by Mike Bonem looks at how to get the right people on the bus and look for the 3 C's--competence, character, and chemistry. |
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| May 3, 2010 |
When Two Churches Become One: How to Merge MinistriesChurch mergers generally tend to fall into one of two categories: life cycle mergers and strategic mergers. It is important to understand each because knowing how to proceed through investigation and eventually to implementation will be based largely on the type of merger that is being considered. |
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| April 29, 2010 |
Conduct a Job EvaluationPersonnel Job evaluation is a tool used to evaluate the worth of each job in your organization. |
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| April 21, 2010 |
Conflict Management ArticlesMishandled conflict can wreak havok in church. People are traumatized and lives are turned upside down. |
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Date |
Average Rating | |
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| March 3, 2010 |
Building for Ministry"Effect of Church Facilities on the Unchurched;" "Keeping your Facility Dry;" "More Space, Less Money;" "Signs of Life"--these topics are a few of the articles available on the site. |
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| February 15, 2010 |
Clergy Tax InformationFinancial Management This website features information related to clergy tax preparation by Richard Hammar. If you are interested in a book with excellent information instead, check out "Worth's Income Tax Guide for Ministers" by B. J. Worth. |
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| February 11, 2010 |
Faith AliveOrganization Faith Alive offers church leadership resources that may assist you in your role. |
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| January 27, 2010 |
Your Church by Christianity TodayOrganization This site called "Your Church" from Christianity Today has excellent resources available in the areas related to church administration, some available for free and others available for a fee. |
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| January 27, 2010 |
The Alban InstituteOrganization Congregational resources in a wide variety of ministry areas such as empowering change, reacting to people's wants and complaints, building issues and more. |
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| December 2, 2009 |
Church Finance and Administration ResourcesChurch Administration Church Finance and Administration Resources |
